Plot: Thirty-four year old Hud Bannon comes from a Texas cattle ranching family. Unlike his aging father, Homer Bannon, whose entire life has always been the ranch, self-absorbed and reckless Hud sees the ranch and ranching solely as a means to live his hard and fast life, which includes copious amounts of alcohol and cavorting with loose women, regardless of their marital status. Also living in the house of the ranch is Homer's seventeen year old grandson, Lonnie Bannon, whose father Norman Bannon, Hud's older brother and Homer's other son, died when Lonnie was two. Beyond the open differences in their wants in life, there is a further underlying tension between Homer and Hud. Lonnie, however, admires Hud, Lonnie who believes his grandfather rides Hud too much. A recent arrival into the household is the new housekeeper, middle aged divorcée Alma Brown. She is well aware that both Hud and Lonnie are attracted to her, each in his own way. A crisis on the ranch and the actions of the three Bannon men to the crisis have the potential to clarify the interrelationships between all four living in the Bannon house.
Alternative Plot: Hard-drinking, arrogant, womanizing Hud Bannon (Paul Newman) lives a self-centered, indolent life supported by his hard-working and morally upstanding father, Homer (Melvyn Douglas), on the family cattle ranch in Texas. Hud's teenage nephew, Lonnie (Brandon de Wilde), blames Hud for the car crash that took the life of his father, Hud's older brother Norman, but shows hints of following in his ne'er-do-well uncle's footsteps when both men pursue family housekeeper Alma (Patricia Neal).
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