The Hunting Party (1971)

A ruthless rancher, and his gang, use extremely long range rifles to kill the men who kidnapped his infidel wife.

Director:

Don Medford

Writers:

Gilbert Ralston (story), Lou Morheim (story),

Stars:

Oliver Reed, Gene Hackman, Candice Bergen

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Oliver Reed	...	Frank Calder
Gene Hackman	...	Brandt Ruger
Candice Bergen	...	Melissa Ruger
Simon Oakland	...	Matthew Gunn
Ronald Howard	...	Watt Nelson
L.Q. Jones	...	Hog Warren
Mitch Ryan	...	Doc Harrison (as Mitchell Ryan)
William Watson	...	Jim Loring
G.D. Spradlin	...	Sam Bayard
Rayford Barnes	...	Crimp
Bernard Kay	...	Buford King
Richard Adams	...	Owney Clark
Dean Selmier	...	Collins
Sarah Atkinson	...	Redhead
Francesca Tu	...	Chinese Girl

Storyline

The rich and ruthless rancher Brandt Ruger keeps his beautiful young wife Melissa like a part of his property, subdued to his will. But one day she's kidnapped by the famous outlaw Frank Calder - just to teach him reading, so he tells her. Calder doesn't know or care who's wife she is. He takes care of her well, and eventually Melissa falls in love with him. But Ruger feels humiliated. Full of hate, he sets out to kill him - and Melissa too, if necessary. Together with his friends and the newest technology in guns, which carry 800 yards, he initiates a battue on Calder and his gang.

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Plot Keywords:

outlaw | rifle | gun | love | cattleman | 

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Taglines:

In the west revenge is a deadly game.

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Genres:

Drama | Western | Action

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 September 1971 (Sweden)

Also Known As:

Cacería implacable

Filming Locations:

Spain

Box Office

Gross:

SEK 527,257 (Sweden)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Brighton Pictures, Levy-Gardner-Laven

Technical Specs

Runtime:

111 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

When Frank shoots Doc (5 times rapid fire) he uses a Colt Peacemaker model which is a single action pistol. The only way to rapid fire a single action pistol is to fan the hammer, which is very inaccurate, and since his left hand is holding down his right wrist, it is not possible for him to fan the gun.

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Connections

Featured in The Honkers (1972)

User Reviews

Ain't No Party Like Hackman's Hunting Party!

Why this film is still so obscure and unknown goes beyond my – admittedly limited – comprehension. It has a good plot, albeit obviously a response to "The Wild Bunch" and basically just another (western) interpretation of the legendary classic "The Most Dangerous Game", the cast is excellent with both Gene Hackman and Oliver Reed in great shape and there's plenty of rough and gritty violence. The filming locations are exquisite and – possibly to further cash in on the success of Italian Spaghetti westerns – the producers even hired and Italian composer. Riz Ortolani's music is definitely one of the best elements about the film. Gene Hackman was never as vicious as here in this movie, portraying Brandt Ruger; a rich, obnoxious and egocentric bank owner who enjoys throwing hunting parties for his selected circle of equally depraved and wealthy friends. When a posse of bandits, led by the ever handsome Oliver Reed, kidnaps his wife, Brandt alters the route of their planned hunting trip and goes after them. Not so much because he loves his wife (played by the ravishing Candice Bergen), as he actually neglects and abuses her all the time, but because he's Brandt Ruger and nobody is supposed to touch what belongs to him. Ruger gets crazier and more determined to raise a bloodbath with each minute that passes, whilst his wife and her abductor fall in love. Hackman's character is truly the nastiest and most hateful type of villain there is: relentless, mad and unpredictable, but also cowardly as he continuously avoids confrontation with his opponents and shoots them from a safe distance with his technically advanced riffle. "The Hunting Party" is slightly overlong and contains a handful of tedious sequences, notably the romantic parts and the whole sub plot revolving on Melissa learning her kidnapper how to read. Still, there's always some type of ominous atmosphere, since you expect Gene and his docile accomplices to pop up out of nowhere at any given moment. The climax is very powerful, haunting and even quite depressing. The action is of course rather monotonous, since we exclusively witness people getting shot, but the images of cowboys dying in slow motion (and bathing in blood) are gritty and exploitative. The three leads are amazing and "The Hunting Party" comes with my highest possible recommendation if it were only for witnessing the final showdown between Reed and Hackman, two of the greatest actors that ever lived.