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What's After the Movie?
Crime western

Nevada Smith (1966): Cast & Plot

Nevada Smith (1966) movie poster

Nevada Smith is a 1966 crime western directed by Henry Hathaway, starring Steve McQueen as Max Sand, Arthur Kennedy and Martin Landau. It runs 2 hours 8 minutes.

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Nevada Smith (1966) movie poster
Released
Runtime
2h 8m (128 min)
Director
Henry Hathaway
Genres
Western , Crime
Original language
English
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is Nevada Smith About?

The premise of Nevada Smith without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

Called both savage and saint, Nevada Smith is the mixed‑heritage son of an Indian mother and a white father. After his father is murdered by three men over gold, Nevada vows revenge. He is taken in by a gun‑merchant who teaches him disciplined marksmanship, while love and loss shape his quest, leading to deadly confrontations with the three killers.

Nevada Smith Themes & Keywords

· 50 tags
  • revenge
  • loss of parents
  • orphan
  • native american
  • showdown
  • tough guy
  • based on novel
  • rifle
  • state name in title
  • stabbed to death
  • vendetta
  • racism
+38 more
  • tragic event
  • anti hero
  • coming of age
  • loss of innocence
  • mentor protege relationship
  • murder of parents
  • shootout
  • escape from prison
  • prequel
  • illiteracy
  • murder
  • kiowa indian
  • swamp
  • character name in title
  • title spoken by character
  • gunsmith
  • snakebite
  • nickname in title
  • loss of mother
  • loss of father
  • death by snakebite
  • burning down a house
  • retribution
  • mississippi river
  • teenager
  • cajun
  • begging for death
  • dying woman
  • learning to read
  • saloon
  • sadist
  • prostitute
  • fistfight
  • biracial man
  • rowboat
  • shot to death
  • louisiana
  • prison trustee
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Cast & crew

Nevada Smith Cast & Characters

Steve McQueen leads the cast as Max Sand, with Arthur Kennedy as Bill Bowdre and Martin Landau as Jesse Coe. Directed by Henry Hathaway; 38 actors are credited in all.

Also Starring in Nevada Smith

· 34 more
Show all 38 cast members
From the director

More from Henry Hathaway

More films directed by Henry Hathaway, best-rated first: True Grit, Niagara, The Sons of Katie Elder and How the West Was Won.

Full filmography
Plot

Nevada Smith Plot Summary

What happens in Nevada Smith from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 11 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 4-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

In the 1890s American West, a stark tale unfolds around Max Sand [Steve McQueen], a young man driven by a consuming need for vengeance after three outlaws—Bill Bowdre [Arthur Kennedy], Jesse Coe [Martin Landau], and Tom Fitch [Karl Malden]—torture and kill his white father and Kiowa mother, believing he guards a fortune he does not possess. This brutal act sets Max on a solitary, unyielding path across sunburned plains and dusty towns, where every step seems to sharpen his resolve even as it widens the distance between him and any chance at a quiet life. The quest to avenge his family becomes the lens through which the narrative examines loyalty, fear, and the toll of revenge.

Full summary

The whole story of Nevada Smith, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Videos

Nevada Smith Trailers & Videos

The trailer of Nevada Smith.

Nevada Smith 1966
Quiz

How Well Do You Know Nevada Smith?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

Which actor portrays the vengeful protagonist Max Sand?

Details

Nevada Smith Also Known As

8 alternative titles, including “万里歼仇” and “נוואדה סמית'”.

Also known as
  • 万里歼仇
  • נוואדה סמית'
  • Невада Смит
  • 네바다 스미스
  • ネバダ・スミス
  • 西部浪子
  • ล้างเลือด แดนคาวบอย
  • Nevada Katilleri

Seen Nevada Smith?

FAQ

Nevada Smith FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date

Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of Nevada Smith, each answered in a sentence.

How long is Nevada Smith?

Nevada Smith runs 2 hours 8 minutes (128 minutes).

When was Nevada Smith released?

Nevada Smith was released on June 10, 1966.

Who directed Nevada Smith?

Nevada Smith was directed by Henry Hathaway.

More films by Henry Hathaway

Who is in the cast of Nevada Smith?

Nevada Smith stars Steve McQueen as Max Sand, Arthur Kennedy as Bill Bowdre and Martin Landau as Jesse Coe, among 38 credited actors.

Does Nevada Smith have a post-credit scene?

No. Nevada Smith has no extra scene during or after the credits.

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