


In 1859, idealist John Wickliff Shawnessey, a resident of Raintree County, Indiana, is distracted from his high school sweetheart Nell Gaither by Susanna Drake, a rich New Orleans girl. This love triangle is further complicated by the American Civil War, and dark family history.

Elizabeth Taylor
Susanna Drake Shawnessy

Montgomery Clift
John Wickliff Shawnessy

Eva Marie Saint
Nell Gaither

Nigel Patrick
Prof. Jerusalem Webster Stiles

Lee Marvin
Orville 'Flash' Perkins

Rod Taylor
Garwood B. Jones

Agnes Moorehead
Ellen Shawnessy

Walter Abel
T.D. Shawnessy

Jarma Lewis
Barbara Drake

Tom Drake
Bobby Drake

Rhys Williams
Ezra Gray

Russell Collins
Niles Foster

DeForest Kelley
Southern Officer
Eileen Stevens
Miss Roman
Luana Lee
Girl (uncredited)

Sue George
Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited)

Myrna Hansen
Mrs. Lydia Gray (uncredited)

Fred Aldrich
Townsman (uncredited)

Ruth Attaway
Parthenia (uncredited)
John Barton
Townsman (uncredited)
Edward Dmytryk
Millard Kaufman
Released