

The Shepherd of the Hills
“He Tamed Their Wild Hearts With His Courage and Won Them With His Love”
Synopsis
Young Matt Matthews, an Ozark Mountains moonshiner, hates the father he has never seen, who apparently deserted Matt's mother and left her to die. His obsession contributes to the hatred rampant in the mountains. However, the arrival of a stranger, Daniel Howitt, begins to positively affect the mountain people, who learn to shed their hatred under his gentle influence.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
The Shepherd of the Hills ≣ 1941 ≣ Trailer
Type: Trailer • Published 2026-08-10
Top Cast
Explore Star Directory →John Wayne
Young Matt Matthews
Betty Field
Sammy Lane
Harry Carey
Daniel Howitt
Beulah Bondi
Aunt Mollie Matthews
James Barton
Old Matt Matthews
Samuel S. Hinds
Andy Beeler
Marjorie Main
Granny Becky
Ward Bond
Wash Gibbs
Marc Lawrence
Pete Matthews
John Qualen
Coot Royal
Fuzzy Knight
Mr. Palestrom
Tom Fadden
Jim Lane
Olin Howland
Corky
Dorothy Adams
Elvy
Virita Campbell
Baby
Fern Emmett
Mrs. Palestrom
Charles Middleton
Blacksmith (uncredited)
Selmer Jackson
Doctor (uncredited)
Release History & Theatrical Window
July 18, 1941
Wide Cinema Exhibition
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Henry Hathaway
- Screenplay & Story
- Grover Jones, Stuart Anthony
- Original Score
- Gerard Carbonara
- Original Title
- The Shepherd of the Hills
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 1h 38m
- Production Studios
- Paramount Pictures
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Henry Hathaway
Grover Jones, Stuart Anthony, Harold Bell Wright
Gerard Carbonara
Charles Lang, W. Howard Greene
Ellsworth Hoagland
Jack Moss
Department Leadership Roster
Henry Hathaway
Director
Grover Jones
Screenplay
Stuart Anthony
Screenplay
Charles Lang
Director of Photography
Ellsworth Hoagland
Editor
Jack Moss
Producer
W. Howard Greene
Director of Photography
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
NR: Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
International Certification Matrix
Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for The Shepherd of the Hills.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring The Shepherd of the Hills.
Movies
What I've Watched.
Prime Video - Western Movies
Curated list of Western on Prime Video (US). Updated frequently. Last updated October 14, 2026.
Movies, Miniseries, TV Series, Documentaries, & Specials I've Created Discussions For
[select "Use Grid View" option, below] Please additionally check, on TMDb's People category of boards, for threads I've created about the following individuals: Paula Abdul, Renee Adoree, Mary Astor, Lauren Bacall, Burt Bacharach, Tammy Faye Bakker, John Barrymore, Lou Bega, Eugenie Besserer, Simone Biles, Marie Blake, Joan Blondell, Humphrey Bogart, Lilian Bond, Scotty Bowers, Laura Branigan, Louise Brooks, Yul Brynner, Nicolas Cage, James Cagney, Karen Carpenter, Madeleine Carroll, Jimmy Carter, David Cassidy, Lauren Chapin, David Clayton-Thomas, Montgomery Clift, Joe Cocker, Charlotte Coleman, Tim Conway, Dolores Costello, Stephanie Courtney, Joan Crawford, Bing Crosby, Mary Crosby, Tim Curry, Sonia Darrin, Bette Davis, Carl Davis, Viola Davis, Doris Day, Olivia de Havilland, Annette Dionne, The Dionne Quintuplets, Shannen Doherty, Ivan Doroschuk, Illeana Douglas, Kirk Douglas, Billie Dove, Tony Dow, Bobby Driscoll, Isadora Duncan, Michael Dunn, Ron Ely, Shelley Fabares, George Fawcett, Marty Feldman, Henry Fonda, Marie Fredriksson, Jonathan Frid, Blanche Friderici, Dwight Frye, Clark Gable III, Greta Garbo, Ava Gardner, Judy Garland, Greer Garson, Bobbie Gentry, John George, Savannah Guthrie, Edmund Gwenn, Lillian Hall-Davis, Lars Hanson, Theresa Harris, Katherine Helmond, Audrey Hepburn, Katharine Hepburn, Alfred Hitchcock, Phillips Holmes, Hedda Hopper, Rock Hudson, Felicity Huffman, David Johansen, Vera Karalli, John Karlen, Danny Kaye, Lance Kerwin, Terry Kilburn, Carole King, Swoosie Kurtz, Barbara La Marr, Burt Lancaster, Jack La Rue, Stan Laurel, Cloris Leachman, Brenda Lee, Vivien Leigh, Jerry Lewis, Judy Lewis, Doris Lloyd, June Lockhart, Claudine Longet, Carol Lynley, Allison Mack, Shirley MacLaine, Madonna, David Manners, Jayne Mansfield, Tully Marshall, Johnny Mathis, Gina McKee, George Michael, Roger Miller, Marilyn Monroe, Frankie Muniz, Carmel Myers, Mary Nash, David Niven, Jessye Norman, Ramon Novarro, Merle Oberon, Dave O'Brien, Robert Osborne, Kelly Osbourne, Maria Ouspenskaya, Franklin Pangborn, Dolly Parton, Baby Peggy, Matthew Perry, Susan Peters, Mary Pickford, Nova Pilbeam, Buster Poindexter, Bonnie Pointer, Vincent Price, Prince Harry, Mae Questel, Claude Rains, Basil Rathbone, Thurl Ravenscroft, Paul Reubens, Gene Reynolds, Erik Rhodes, Nicole Richie, Naya Rivera, Blossom Rock, Kevin Rudolf, Eva Marie Saint, sanah, John Saxon, Artie Shaw, Judith Sheindlin, Anne Shirley, Harry Simeone, C. Aubrey Smith, Barbara Stanwyck, Taylor Swift, Ernest Thesiger, B.J. Thomas, Tiny Tim, Ted Turner, Tina Turner, Bonnie Tyler, Rudolph Valentino, Frankie Valli, Mamie Van Doren, Barbara Walters, Rachel Ward, Virginia Weidler, Raquel Welch, Mae West, Betty White, Mary Wickes, Andy Williams, Jane Withers, Natalie Wood, Nancy Youssef
John Wayne Film Collection
A chronological collection of films featuring John Wayne, spanning his early uncredited appearances and B-westerns through his major Hollywood roles and final film, The Shootist. Includes credited and verified uncredited acting appearances, while excluding television appearances, archival-footage documentaries, and films in which Wayne served only as a producer or director.
Missing Mine
Westerns
What I've Watched
Similar Titles to The Shepherd of the Hills
Movies sharing stylistic DNA, tone, and thematic storytelling
More Like The Shepherd of the Hills
Recommended titles matching themes, cast, and genres.












Frequently Asked Questions About The Shepherd of the Hills
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is The Shepherd of the Hills about?
Young Matt Matthews, an Ozark Mountains moonshiner, hates the father he has never seen, who apparently deserted Matt's mother and left her to die. His obsession contributes to the hatred rampant in the mountains. However, the arrival of a stranger, Daniel Howitt, begins to positively affect the mountain people, who learn to shed their hatred under his gentle influence.
Who directed The Shepherd of the Hills?
The Shepherd of the Hills was directed by Henry Hathaway.
Who stars in The Shepherd of the Hills?
The principal cast of The Shepherd of the Hills includes John Wayne, Betty Field, Harry Carey, Beulah Bondi, James Barton.
When was The Shepherd of the Hills released and how long is it?
The Shepherd of the Hills was released in 1941 with a total runtime of 1h 38m.
Who composed the musical score for The Shepherd of the Hills?
The original motion picture soundtrack for The Shepherd of the Hills was composed by Gerard Carbonara.
Is The Shepherd of the Hills based on a book or true story?
The Shepherd of the Hills is adapted from the following source material: Novel: "Harold Bell Wright".
What is the age rating and content advisory for The Shepherd of the Hills?
The Shepherd of the Hills holds official age classifications: US: NR (Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.).



















