The 1956 film starring Elizabeth Taylor and Rock Hudson about a Texas rancher is Giant.
Directed by George Stevens, Giant follows Jordan “Bick” Benedict, a wealthy Texas cattle rancher played by Rock Hudson, and Leslie Lynnton, played by Elizabeth Taylor. Their marriage and family life unfold across decades as Texas changes from a cattle-based society into an oil-rich modern state.
The film was adapted from Edna Ferber’s 1952 novel. Its story also examines racial prejudice and social change, particularly through Leslie’s opposition to discrimination against Mexican Americans. James Dean plays Jett Rink, a ranch hand who becomes wealthy after discovering oil, making the film a major meeting point for three Hollywood stars.
Giant is often mixed up with East of Eden because both feature James Dean, but Dean is not the central star of Giant. The production was also his final film released during his lifetime; he died in a car crash before its premiere. Giant runs for roughly three hours and twenty-one minutes and was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry in 2005.