tavm Just watched this obscure western on Netflix streaming. It stars Clint Walker as a former lawman with wife Martha Hyer and children buying a ranch in order to start a new life. But a bear threatens to make things hell for anyone crossing his path...This was quite a thrilling movie, in fact, I was surprised at how much gore there was for a movie made before the ratings system that went into effect a couple of years later. But there was also some good comic relief especially whenever Nancy Culp appeared with her big crush on Dan Haggerty and her singing "Beautiful Dreamer". Also, Keenan Wynn does his trademark bellowing whenever things don't get his way that I always found always made me laugh. He wants the land Walker owns but is more gentlemanly when trying to get it at least in the way he doesn't try to threaten him directly. And then there's Leo Gordon as a former associate of Walker's who ended up doing some jail time because of the latter's testimony against him for killing an innocent person. Really, all I'll say now is I highly recommend The Night of the Grizzly. P.S. I always like to cite whenever a player from my favorite movie, It's a Wonderful Life, appears in something else. Here, it's Ellen Corby who was the one Jimmy Stewart kissed on the cheek at the end of the run-on-the-bank sequence playing one of Walker's neighbors.

jmsfan Like another reviewer, I saw this film at a drive-in and was completely captivated by it. Even seeing it on cable a few years back, I was sucked in again. The plot, by now, you know but "bear" with me. Sorry! Clint Walker and Martha Hyer, with their three kids (one is a niece), start a ranch, with designs on raising cattle. But a monstrous grizzly bear soon makes that impossible. It's true that some of the bear-effects are somewhat quaint by now, but it doesn't make the movie any less enjoyable. Clint is his usual stoic self, like his Cheyenne character only on the big screen. Martha Hyer is fine (and fine to look at!) as his wife who tries to be understanding about "Big" Jim's (Walker) dreams of owning his own ranch, but understandably blanches when the bear starts to make life a terror, not only for them, but for every farmer/rancher around. Also as said by a reviewer, Leo Gordon is terrific in this film as the human villain, someone from Big Jim's past, when Jim was a lawman. This is an action-packed Western, but also makes room for good character moments and comic relief, mostly in the form of Jack Elam as a local character and soon-to-be family friend, and Nancy Culp as the local store owner. There is a great sequence with a dance in town, with kids pulling pranks, Keenan Wynn's sons getting into trouble, and Elam taking care of some of the pranksters. Also providing fun is Big Jim's youngest daughter, who gets into trouble with a certain "kitty" and some wet bloomers. But the bear provides the real goods, with the marauding beast killing not for food, but for the pure joy of it. Having seen it so many times, I truly wish that it would be released on DVD. Other, lesser films have been on DVD for years, yet here is a film that truly deserves a good transfer.

smoothdude17325 We often look at movies from past decades through the prism of modern eyes. You can't do that, considering the amount of sophistication the movie going public has now compared to those times. What I remember about this movie was being a young boy and being in awe of Clint Walker, Leo Gordon and that massive bear. Remember, this was before Jaws and most modern special effects. Also, we could only get a few channels on our TV and the big three networks were IT!!. The networks each had a movie of the week back then, and that was what we looked forward to watching when we were kids. Ahhh, it was such a simple life then.

thepenncrew-1 When I first saw this movie I was at the drive-in with my parents. I remember hiding behind the back of the seat scared out of my wits! My father is a gunsmith and I've always had a healthy respect both for guns and wildlife. And I know for a fact that there are things in the woods that are much bigger than I am. And the fact that what occurs in this movie could actually happen without aide of CG or any other technical assistance makes it even scarier. OK, the acting itself could have been better but you have to remember the age of the movie.I hate to think how it would be "gorified" if remade. It was gory enough as it was.