THE RARE BREED, a 1966 yawner, is such a nothing of a story—a ‘headstrong’ widow introducing Hereford cows to the States while having her attentions fought over by two men—one wonders what exactly drove James Stewart, Maureen O’Hara and Brian Keith into their contracts. Jimmy and Maureen had worked together four years earlier on the delightful Mr. Hobbs Takes A Vacation, but as her amusing bio points out, they didn’t mesh as well, professionally or personally, this time around. The feisty redhead had also worked with Keith, twice, on the classic The Parent Trap and the awful The Deadly Companions. 

Cheap production values (Universal being chintzy) give it a why-bother? look, and 97 minutes drag by under the “cut, that’s good enough” eye of director Andrew V. McLaglen. Keith hams as never before, his Scottish brogue and obvious pasted-on beard and wig worth a few laughs. If you can stay awake. As in other McLaglen efforts, there’s a rich gallery of veteran supporters: Juliet Mills, Don Galloway, Jack Elam, David Brian, Ben Johnson, Harry Carey Jr., Perry Lopez, Gregg Palmer. It cow-flopped into #49 for the year.