The Scalphunters (1968)

Director:

Sydney Pollack

Writer:

William W. Norton (written by)

Release Date:

2 April 1968 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Western

Tagline:

He'll stop at nothing to take back what's his.

Plot:

Forced to trade his valuable furs for a well-educated escaped slave, a rugged trapper vows to recover the pelts from the Indians and later the renegades that killed them.

Plot Keywords:

Escaped Slave | Slave | Knife Fight | Beaver | Wrestling

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Burt Lancaster	...	Joe Bass
Shelley Winters	...	Kate
Telly Savalas	...	Jim Howie
Ossie Davis	...	Joseph Lee
Dabney Coleman	...	Jed
Paul Picerni	...	Frank
Dan Vadis	...	Yuma
Armando Silvestre	...	Two Crows
Nick Cravat	...	Yancy
Tony Epper	...	Scalphunter
Chuck Roberson	...	Scalphunter
John Epper	...	Scalphunter
Jack Williams	...	Scalphunter
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Gregorio Acosta	...	Scalphunter (uncredited)
Pedro Aguilar	...	Kiowa (uncredited)
Marco Antonio Arzate	...	Scalphunter (uncredited)
Alicia De Lago	...	Scalphunter's woman (uncredited)
Néstor Domínguez	...	Kiowa (uncredited)
Raul 'Pin' Hernandez	...	Kiowa (uncredited)
Alejandro López	...	Kiowa (uncredited)
Jose G. Martinez	...	Kiowa (uncredited)
Raúl Martínez	...	Kiowa (uncredited)
Francisco Oliva	...	Kiowa (uncredited)
Benjamín Ramos	...	Kiowa (uncredited)
Amelia Rivera	...	Scalphunter's woman (uncredited)
Ángela Rodríguez	...	Scalphunter's woman (uncredited)
Agapito Roldán	...	Scalphunter (uncredited)
Jose Salas	...	Kiowa (uncredited)
Enrique Tello	...	Kiowa (uncredited)
Rodolfo Toledo	...	Kiowa (uncredited)
Cuco Velazquez	...	Kiowa (uncredited)
José Trinidad Villa	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Sydney Pollack

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
William W. Norton		written by (as William Norton)

Produced by
Arthur Gardner	....	producer
Arnold Laven	....	producer
Jules V. Levy	....	producer (as Jules Levy)
Roland Kibbee	....	producer (uncredited)
Burt Lancaster	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Elmer Bernstein

Cinematography by
Duke Callaghan		(director of photography)
Richard Moore

Film Editing by
John Woodcock

Casting by
Lynn Stalmaster

Art Direction by
Frank Arrigo

Makeup Department
Gary Liddiard	....	makeup artist (as Gary D. Liddiard)

Production Management
Jack Corrick	....	production manager (as Jack W. Corrick)
Henry Spitz	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Charles R. Scott Jr.	....	assistant director
Kevin Donnelly	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Donald B. Nunley	....	property master

Sound Department
Jesús González Gancy	....	sound (as Jesus Gonzalez Gancy)
Frank E. Warner	....	sound effects editor (as Frank Warner)

Special Effects by
Herman E. Townsley	....	special effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Tony Epper	....	stunt coordinator
Joe Canutt	....	stunts (uncredited)
Tony Epper	....	stunts (uncredited)
Chuck Roberson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jack Williams	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Jorge Stahl Jr.	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Joe Drury	....	wardrobe supervisor

Music Department
Richard Carruth	....	music editor
Jack Hayes	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Leo Shuken	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Charlsie Bryant	....	script supervisor
Marilyn Fiebelkorn	....	production assistant
Roland Kibbee	....	presenter
Kenneth Lee	....	equestrian supervisor
Phill Norman	....	title designer
Alex Ruiz	....	choreographer
Michael Scheff	....	production assistant
'Chema' Hernandez	....	head wrangler: Mexico (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Bristol Films
• Norlan Productions

Distributors

• United Artists (1968) (USA) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1974) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• United Artists (1968) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Koch Media (2012) (Germany) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2004) (Germany) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Ocean Pictures do Brasil (2007) (Brazil) (DVD)

Other Companies

• DeLuxe Laboratories  color by (as DeLuxe)
• Varèse Sarabande  score album released by (limited edition)
• Westheimer Company  optical effects (as Westheimer Co.)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 (1976) | Sweden:15 | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) (1986) | Australia:PG | Iceland:12 | West Germany:12 (f) | Portugal:M/12

Filming Locations:

Durango, Mexico

Company:

Bristol Films

Goofs:

Continuity: During the fight in the water, Joseph hits Joe on the head with the big rock. Joseph's hands come apart without the rock and then the rock reappears in his hands.

Quotes:

Joe Bass:You mean you want to stay with these, with these heathens?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Otley (1968)

Sydney Pollick and Burt Lancaster together. Overlooked gold!

In the late 1960's and the early 1970's the United States was deeply embroiled in Viet Nam with all it's ramifications. It was so far from "the best of times" that it was difficult to laugh at much. Also this was the period where the Western film fell out of style. It was unfortunate timing for several excellent movies, "The Scalphunters" among them. If this movie were released tomorrow it would become an unqualified hit.

Burt Lancaster is at his cynical best, poking fun at everything the Hollywood Western and Burt Lancaster ever imagined themselves to be. Ossie Davis performs the nearly impossible task of playing a highly intelligent black slave on the lam without loosing perspective on the comic genius of the script. Tully Savallas plays the odious (And we suspect odorous) oaf with style and dignity (if that's possible) and Shelley Winters does the same for his female counterpart. And the Indians, the long-suffering, patient, bemused Indians dutifully dying and then returning to fight again just as often as the miraculous movie 6-shooters can get off 20 rounds or so.

In command of all this chaos is the unmistakably sure and steady hand of Sidny Pollick with his comic genius to rely on and a smart, literate script to form the framework. Perhaps this movie should be titled "'The Crimson Pirate' meets 'Toostie'".

If you've got a sense of humor and are able to suspend you disbelief for a couple of hours or so, "The Scalphunters" will give you a good evenings entertainment. If you enjoy it, try "There was a Crooked Man" with Henry Fonda and Kurt Douglas.