The Chase (1966)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Arthur Penn

Writers:

Horton Foote (play)
Lillian Hellman (writer)

Release Date:

17 February 1966 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

A breathless, explosive story

Plot:

The escape of Bubber Reeves from prison affects the inhabitants of a small Southern town.

Plot Keywords:

Sheriff | On The Run | Party | Decadence | Southerner

Cast

Marlon Brando	...	Sheriff Calder
Jane Fonda	...	Anna Reeves
Robert Redford	...	Charlie 'Bubber' Reeves
E.G. Marshall	...	Val Rogers
Angie Dickinson	...	Ruby Calder
Janice Rule	...	Emily Stewart
Miriam Hopkins	...	Mrs. Reeves
Martha Hyer	...	Mary Fuller
Richard Bradford	...	Damon Fuller
Robert Duvall	...	Edwin Stewart
James Fox	...	Jason 'Jake' Rogers
Diana Hyland	...	Elizabeth Rogers
Henry Hull	...	Briggs
Jocelyn Brando	...	Mrs. Briggs
Katherine Walsh	...	Verna Dee

Runtime:

135 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Canada:14A (Ontario) | UK:15 (1996) | UK:X (1966) | Australia:M | South Korea:15 | West Germany:16 (f) | Finland:K-16 | Norway:15 | Sweden:15 | USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

20th Century Fox Ranch, Malibu Creek State Park - 1925 Las Virgenes Road, Calabasas, California, USA

Company:

Horizon Pictures

Trivia:

Producer Sam Spiegel was quite fond of Brando, who had won his first Best Actor Oscar in the Spiegel-produced Best Picture winner On the Waterfront (1954), according to his biographer Natasha Fraser-Cavassoni. When casting Brando in _The Chase (1966)_, Spiegel was worried that Marlon, a motorcycle enthusiast, would wind up killing himself like James Dean had, in an accident. (Brando had badly lacerated his knee while biking before filming began.) Spiegel constantly queried _The Chase (1966)_ director Arthur Penn as to whether Brando had brought his motorbike with him to the filming. When Brando got wind of this, he had his motorcycle brought over to the set to play a joke on Spiegel, who quickly arrived at the shooting to see that Brando didn't drive it. When Spiegel found out it was all a joke, the normally taciturn producer laughed heartily.

Goofs:

Continuity: The blood patterns on Calder's shirt are different when he brings Bubber back to gaol as compared to when he left to get him.

Quotes:

Damon: Well now, Sheriff, it's nice to know that you're out here on patrol.
Sheriff Calder: No, no, I'm not on patrol. Just lookin' for an ice cream cone, that's all.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Brando (2007) (TV)

A Lot of Wasted Talent!

With all of the talent involved in the making of "The Chase" you would think that you would have had a better picture. Based on Horton Foote's play of the same name and adapted for the screen by no less than Lillian Helman, Director Arthur Penn gives us nothing but an expensive soap opera where everyone is either "loving thy neighbor", a drunk or both.

The story centers around the escape from prison of "Bubber" Reeves (Robert Redford) and the lives he affects as he makes his way back to his home town. His wife Anna (Jane Fonda) has taken up with rich man's son Jake Rogers (James Fox). Rogers father Val (E.G. Marshall) is the town banker and the richest man in town. His two vice presidents the milquetoast Edwin Stewart (Robert Duvall) and flamboyant Damon Fuller (Richard Bradford) court his favor. Stewart's wife Emily (Janice Rule) is having an affair with Fuller, while fuller's wife Mary (Martha Hyer) is a boozy flirt.

On his birthday he and his ditsy wife (Diana Hyland) host a party. The town sheriff, Calder (Marlon Brando) and his wife Ruby (Angie Dickenson are invited. Across town Stewart is hosting a party of his own. Word comes down that Bubber has escaped and is headed towards town and may have committed a murder. Everyone begins to scramble.

Bubber's parents (Miriam Hopkins, Malcolm Atterbury) ask where did we go wrong? Town snoop Briggs (Henry Hull) and his wife (Jocelyn Brando) stroll around town laying a guilty conscience upon the town.

Calder tries to keep order and find Bubber before the trigger happy town rednecks, Fuller, Lem (Clifton James) and Archie (Steve Ihnat) do. Anna and Jake examine their own situation and agree to help Bubber escape if they can. Val Rogers tries to win his son back. Finally Bubber reaches town and....................................

Brando mumbles his way through yet another role. Although he is beholding to Val Rogers, we are never sure why. Dickenson in a colorless role, is wasted as Brando's wife. Fonda and Redford were just hitting the big time and would star together in "Barefoot in the Park" the following year. Redford to me, is just not convincing as a hardened criminal. Duvall as well, was just emerging and would go on to appear with Brando in "The Godfather" (1972).

Miriam Hopkins gives the best performance in the film as Bubber's guilt laden mother. She has a powerful scene with Brando where she begs him not to hurt her son. Others in the cast include Bruce Cabot as Sol, Anna's stepfather and ex "B" cowboy star Monte Hale, Grady Sutton, Eduardo Cianelli and Ralph Moody in smaller roles. Jocelyn Brando was the sister of Marlon.

This film could have been so much better.