The Wild Bunch (1969)

Director:

Sam Peckinpah

Writers:

Walon Green (screenplay) and
Sam Peckinpah (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

18 June 1969 (USA)

Genre:

Western

Tagline:

The land had changed. They hadn't. The earth had cooled. They couldn't.

Plot:

An aging group of outlaws look for one last big score as the "traditional" American West is disappearing around them.

Plot Keywords:

Outlaw | Bounty | Mexico | Mexican | Texas

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 5 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

William Holden	...	Pike Bishop
Ernest Borgnine	...	Dutch Engstrom
Robert Ryan	...	Deke Thornton
Edmond O'Brien	...	Freddie Sykes
Warren Oates	...	Lyle Gorch
Jaime Sánchez	...	Angel (as Jaime Sanchez)
Ben Johnson	...	Tector Gorch
Emilio Fernández	...	Gen. Mapache (as Emilio Fernandez)
Strother Martin	...	Coffer
L.Q. Jones	...	T.C
Albert Dekker	...	Pat Harrigan
Bo Hopkins	...	Clarence 'Crazy' Lee
Dub Taylor	...	Rev. Wainscoat
Paul Harper	...	Ross
Jorge Russek	...	Maj. Zamorra
Alfonso Arau	...	Lt. Herrera
Chano Urueta	...	Don Jose
Elsa Cárdenas	...	Elsa (as Elsa Cardenas)
Bill Hart	...	Jess
Rayford Barnes	...	Buck
Stephen Ferry	...	Sgt. McHale (as Steve Ferry)
Sonia Amelio	...	Teresa
Aurora Clavel	...	Aurora
Enrique Lucero	...	Ignacio
Elizabeth Dupeyrón	...	Rocio (as Elizabeth Dupeyron)
Yolanda Ponce	...	Yolis
José Chávez	...	Juan Jose (as Jose Chavez)
René Dupeyrón	...	Juan (as Rene Dupeyron)
Pedro Galván	...	Mr. Benson (as Pedro Galvan)
Graciela Doring	...	Emma
Major Perez	...	Perez
Fernando Wagner	...	Cmdr. Frederick Mohr
Jorge Rado	...	Ernst
Ivan Scott	...	Paymaster
Señora Madero	...	Margaret (as Sra. Madero)
Margarito Luna	...	Luna
Chalo González	...	Gonzalez (as Chalo Gonzalez)
Lilia Castillo	...	Lilia
Elizabeth Unda	...	Carmen
Julio Corona	...	Julio
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Gordon T. Dawson	...	Pinkerton Man (uncredited)
'Chico' Hernandez	...	Boy on Town (uncredited)
Buck Holland	...	Thornton Posse Rider (uncredited)
Matthew Peckinpah	...	Boy Watching Robber Scoop Up Moneybag (uncredited)

Directed by
Sam Peckinpah

Writing credits
Walon Green		(screenplay) and
Sam Peckinpah		(screenplay)
Walon Green		(story) and
Roy N. Sickner		(story)

Produced by
Phil Feldman	....	producer
Roy N. Sickner	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Jerry Fielding

Cinematography by
Lucien Ballard		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Lou Lombardo		(as Louis Lombardo)

Art Direction by
Edward Carrere

Costume Design by
James R. Silke		(uncredited)

Makeup Department
Al Greenway	....	makeup artist
Keester Sweeney	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
William D. Faralla	....	production manager (as William Faralla)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Clifford C. Coleman	....	assistant director (as Cliff Coleman)
Fred Gammon	....	assistant director
Robert 'Buzz' Henry	....	second unit director (as Buzz Henry)
John 'Bud' Cardos	....	second unit director (uncredited)
Howard G. Kazanjian	....	second assistant director (uncredited)
Phil Rawlins	....	first assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Phil A. Ankrom	....	property master (uncredited)
John Barton	....	assistant property master (uncredited)
Arnold Losey	....	props (uncredited)

Sound Department
Robert J. Miller	....	sound
Joe Kavigan	....	sound effects editor (uncredited)
Stanley Martin	....	sound effects editor (uncredited)
Billy Mauch	....	sound effects editor (uncredited)
Bill Rivol	....	sound effects editor (uncredited)
Ed Scheid	....	supervising sound effects editor (uncredited)
Dan Wallin	....	sound re-recording mixer (uncredited)
John O. Young	....	sound effects editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Bud Hulburd	....	special effects
Ralph Ayres	....	special effects (uncredited)
James Rugg	....	special effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Denny Arnold	....	stunts (uncredited)
Norman Bishop	....	stunts (uncredited)
Steven Burnett	....	stunts (uncredited)
Archie Butler	....	stunt coordinator (uncredited)
Joe Canutt	....	stunt double: "Lyle" (uncredited)
Tap Canutt	....	stunts (uncredited)
John 'Bud' Cardos	....	stunts (uncredited)
Gary Combs	....	stunts (uncredited)
Louie Elias	....	stunts (uncredited)
Tony Epper	....	stunts (uncredited)
Chad Evans	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jim Feazell	....	stunts (uncredited)
Joe Finnegan	....	stunts (uncredited)
Mickey Gilbert	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bill Hart	....	stunts (uncredited)
Robert 'Buzz' Henry	....	stunts (uncredited)
'Chema' Hernandez	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bob Herron	....	stunt double: "Dutch" (uncredited)
Billy E. Hughes	....	stunts (uncredited)
Whitey Hughes	....	stunts (uncredited)
Gary McLarty	....	stunts (uncredited)
Erwin Neal	....	stunt double: "Pike" (uncredited)
Bob Orrison	....	stunts (uncredited)
Danny Sands	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bill Shannon	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jim Sheppard	....	stunts (uncredited)
Roy N. Sickner	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jack Williams	....	stunts (uncredited)
Joe Yrigoyen	....	stunt double: "Angel" and "Sykes" (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Bud Gaunt	....	key grip
Bernie Abramson	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Dave Friedman	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Reggie Jones	....	grip (uncredited)
Thomas Laughridge	....	camera operator (uncredited)
James F. Reber	....	generator operator (uncredited)
Don Stott	....	gaffer (uncredited)
Richard Tim Vanik	....	first assistant camera (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Gordon T. Dawson	....	wardrobe supervisor (as Gordon Dawson)

Editorial Department
Robert L. Wolfe	....	associate film editor
Joel Cox	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Sonny Burke	....	music supervisor
Donald Harris	....	music film editor (uncredited)
Richard C. Harris	....	supervising music film editor (uncredited)
Dan Wallin	....	scoring mixer (uncredited)
Jimmy Wyble	....	musician: guitarist (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Bud Dawson	....	transportation gaffer (uncredited)
Joe Lessner	....	driver (uncredited)
Charles Misere	....	driver (uncredited)
Frank Olmstead	....	driver (uncredited)
Earl Pierson	....	driver (uncredited)
Rex Schroetter	....	driver (uncredited)

Other crew
Crayton Smith	....	script supervisor
Elizabeth Burnette	....	voice-over (uncredited)
Tony Faehnle	....	ramrod (uncredited)
Stanley Feldman	....	production coordinator (uncredited)
Anthony Goldschmidt	....	assistant to producer (uncredited)
Gay Hayden	....	secretary (uncredited)
'Chema' Hernandez	....	head wrangler (uncredited)
Robert Joseph	....	unit publicist (uncredited)
Alyce S. Miller	....	secretary (uncredited)
Morrie Nierenberg	....	location auditor (uncredited)
Greta Shepherd	....	secretary to executive producer (uncredited)
Branko Wohlfahrt	....	weapon specialist (uncredited)

Thanks
General de Brigada E.E. Procopio Ortiz R.	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Warner Brothers/Seven Arts (as Warner Bros.- Seven Arts presents)

Distributors

• Warner Brothers/Seven Arts (1969) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1969) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1969) (France) (theatrical)
• Warner-Tonefilm (1969) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1973) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Warner Home Video (1986) (USA) (VHS) (pan/scan)
• Lucernafilm - Alfa (1991) (Czechoslovakia) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (1995) (USA) (VHS) (pan and scan)
• Warner Home Video (1995) (USA) (VHS) (widescreen director's cut)
• Warner Home Video (1997) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Warner Home Video (1998) (Sweden) (VHS)
• Argentina Video Home (1999) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (1999) (Argentina) (VHS) (re-edited)
• Warner Bros. (1999) (Argentina) (all media) (re-release)
• Warner Home Video (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Bros. Entertainment Finland Oy (2006) (Finland) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (Germany) (DVD) (special edition)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD) (special edition)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Warner Home Video (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Blu-ray) (original director's cut)
• Warner Home Video (2008) (Sweden) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Prem'er Video Fil'm (????) (Russia) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (????) (West Germany) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1980) (UK) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)

Also Known As:

"Wild Bunch" - Japan (English title) (imdb display title)

Runtime:

USA:145 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish | German

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | DTS (1995 re-release) | Dolby Digital (1995 re-release) | Mono (35 mm prints) | SDDS (1995 re-release)

Certification:

Australia:MA (director's cut) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | France:-12 (director's cut) | Netherlands:12 | New Zealand:R16 (director's cut) | Norway:16 (cut) | Norway:18 | Singapore:NC-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:R (original rating) | West Germany:18 (original rating, cut version) | Ireland:18 | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) (re-rating) (1995) | Canada:AA (Ontario) (re-rating) (1995) | Canada:R (Manitoba) | Canada:R (Nova Scotia/Ontario) (original rating) | UK:18 (re-rating) (1988) (also director's cut) | UK:X (original rating) (cut) | France:-18 (original rating) | Brazil:14 | Finland:K-16 (1988) (cut) | Finland:K-16 (1998) (uncut) (director's cut) | Finland:K-18 (1969) (uncut) | South Korea:18 | Iceland:16 | Malaysia:U (director's cut) | USA:R (re-rating on appeal) | Germany:16 (DVD rating) | Canada:18A (British Columbia) (1999) | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:13 | Japan:G (2009) | Argentina:18 | Peru:18 | Italy:T (DVD release) | Italy:VM14 | Germany:12 (2006, single DVD rating) | USA:NC-17 (1993) | South Africa:16LV

Filming Locations:

Durango, Mexico

Company:

Warner Brothers/Seven Arts

Trivia:

Because the Colt 1911 .45 ACP pistols carried by Pike (William Holden) and the other members of the Wild Bunch are notoriously unreliable when firing blanks, Spanish made Star Model B 9mm pistols were substituted for all of the firing scenes. Aside from being chambered for the smaller 9mm round the Star Model B is externally almost identical to the Colt 1911.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Mapache is standing on the railroad tracks directing the battle against the rebels attacking the town, a soldier standing next to him is shot in the chest and falls face down at his feet. However, in a following shot, from behind Mapache, the dead soldier's body is nowhere to be seen. A few minutes later when Mapache turns around to board the train that is withdrawing from the town, that soldier's body can be seen but another dead soldier who had been lying on his back directly behind Mapache was missing.

Quotes:

[first lines]
[indistinct voices]
Rev. Wainscoat:Do not drink wine or strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, least ye shall die. Look not though upon the wine when it is red, and when it bringeth his color in the cup, when it moveth itself aright at the last, it biteth like a serpent and stingeth like an adder. Now folks, that's from the Good Book, but in this here town it's five cents a glass. Five cents a glass, now does anyone think that that is a price of a drink?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Halloween: 25 Years of Terror (2006) (V)

Soundtrack:

Polly Wolly Doodle

Wild!

The Western was a staple of the movie industry from it's earliest beginnings until they started to fade from popularity by in the 60's and were becoming increasingly rare by decades end. They never really died of course but good ones became far and few between. This is one the most extravagantly violent shoot-em-up western's ever made. director Sam Peckinpaugh seeing they might be on their way out wanted them to go out with a bang in his film The Wild Bunch. A great ensemble cast here includes William Holden, Ernest Borginine, Robert Ryan, Edmund O' Brien, and Warren Oates with great character actors Strother Martin, Ben Johnson and Dub Taylor. Veteran cinematographer Lucien Ballard who would have a 55 year career as at his best here. Versatile art director ed Carrere worked on his final film in The Wild Bunch and Lou Lombardo who was given the complicated job of film editing this movie turned out a fine product. It received two Academy Award nominations for music, and screenplay but should have received more and especially for sound. May be to overboard on violence for some but I would give this epic western a 9.0 out of 10 and recommend it.