The Hallelujah Trail (1965)

Director:

John Sturges

Writers:

William Gulick (novel)
John Gay (screenplay)

Release Date:

23 June 1965 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Western

Tagline:

See How The West Was Fun!

Plot:

A wagon train heads for Denver with a cargo of whisky for the miners. Chaos ensues as the Temperance League...

Plot Keywords:

Sergeant | Whiskey | Native American | Beautiful Woman | Based On Novel

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Burt Lancaster	...	Col. Thaddeus Gearhart
Lee Remick	...	Cora Templeton Massingale
Jim Hutton	...	Capt. Paul Slater
Pamela Tiffin	...	Louise Gearhart
Donald Pleasence	...	'Oracle' Jones
Brian Keith	...	Frank Wallingham
Martin Landau	...	Chief Walks-Stooped-Over
John Anderson	...	Sgt. Buell
Tom Stern	...	Kevin O'Flaherty
Robert J. Wilke	...	Chief Five Barrels
Dub Taylor	...	Clayton Howell
Whit Bissell	...	Hobbs
Helen Kleeb	...	Henrietta
Val Avery	...	Denver bartender
Noam Pitlik	...	Interpreter

Also Known As:

John Sturges' The Hallelujah Trail (UK) (complete title) (USA) (complete title)

Runtime:

165 min | 156 min (TCM print) | USA:146 min (Cinemax) | West Germany:134 min (cut version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Australia:PG (TV rating) | Norway:12 | West Germany:6 (nf) | USA:Approved (certificate #20607) | Australia:G | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:11 | UK:U

Filming Locations:

Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California, USA

Company:

Mirisch Corporation, The

Trivia:

Bill Williams died performing a stunt with a colleague during this shoot. The stunt called for Williams and another stuntman to guide a horse-drawn wagon toward a cliff. As the horses separated, both men were supposed to jump clear as the wagon continued over the cliff. Williams didn't manage to jump clear in time and died during the fall.

Goofs:

Continuity: When the townspeople and miners first meet with Oracle Jones, the cork of the whiskey bottle appears and disappears atop the table where Jones is playing solitaire.

Quotes:

Col. Thaddeus Gearhart: Give a woman an acorn and the next thing you know you're up to your rump in oak trees.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (#4.21)" (1991)

A Wonderful Triumph, A Sure Cure for Depression

While others find this glorious Western flawed, I only see one of the most comical motion pictures of all time. Most of the lead actors have never done comedy so well; each is hilarious, a credit to the writing. The music is superb and the (uncredited) voice of the great John Dehner narrating a frankly preposterous fictional set of clashes as though they were embarrassing history is a triumph. With such memorable lines as "Not on my bear rug!" to "... and I hate the Indians!" to a simple "Oh dear" to "...and a good Republican", this is a classic to treasure and watch again and again.