Wild Rovers (1971)

Director:

Blake Edwards

Writer:

Blake Edwards (written by)

Release Date:

13 October 1971 (France)

Genre:

Western

Tagline:

They were damned good cowboys, until they robbed a bank.

Plot:

Ross Bodine and Frank Post are cowhands on Walt Buckman's R-Bar-R ranch. Bodine is older and broods...

Plot Keywords:

Cowboy | Ranch | Bar Shootout | Barroom Brawl | Main Characters Killed Off

Cast

William Holden	...	Ross Bodine
Ryan O'Neal	...	Frank Post
Karl Malden	...	Walter Buckman
Lynn Carlin	...	Sada Billings
Tom Skerritt	...	John Buckman
Joe Don Baker	...	Paul Buckman
James Olson	...	Joe Billings
Leora Dana	...	Nell Buckman
Moses Gunn	...	Ben
Victor French	...	Sheriff
Rachel Roberts	...	Maybell
Sam Gilman	...	Hansen
Charles H. Gray	...	Savage (as Charles Gray)
William Bryant	...	Hereford
Jack Garner	...	Cap Swilling
Caitlin Wyles	...	Bodine's Girl
Mary Jackson	...	Sada's Mother
William Lucking	...	Ruff
Ed Bakey	...	Gambler
Ted Gehring	...	Tucson Sheriff
Alan Carney	...	Palace Bartender
Ed Long	...	Cassidy
Patrick Sullivan Burke	...	Palace Tenor
Lee de Broux	...	Leaky (as Lee DeBroux)
Hal Lynch	...	Mack
Boyd 'Red' Morgan	...	Sheepman (as Red Morgan)
Bennie E. Dobbins	...	Sheepman (as Bennie Dobbins)
Bob Beck	...	Bathhouse Attendant
Geoffrey Edwards	...	Attendant's Son
Herb Tanney	...	Piano Player (as Studs Tanney)
Bruno VeSota	...	Cantina Bartender
Dick Crockett	...	Sheriff's Deputy
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Barbara Baldavin	...	(uncredited)
Phyllis Douglas	...	(uncredited)
Michael Haynes	...	(uncredited)
Gloria Hill	...	(uncredited)
Jay W. MacIntosh	...	(uncredited)
Beatriz Monteil	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Blake Edwards

Writing credits
Blake Edwards		(written by)

Produced by
Blake Edwards	....	producer
Ken Wales	....	producer

Original Music by
Jerry Goldsmith

Cinematography by
Philip H. Lathrop		(director of photography) (as Philip Lathrop)

Film Editing by
John F. Burnett

Casting by
Joseph D'Agosta		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
George W. Davis
Addison Hehr

Set Decoration by
Reg Allen
Robert R. Benton

Costume Design by
Jack Bear

Makeup Department
Cherie	....	hair stylist (as Chérie)
Thomas Tuttle	....	makeup artist (as Tom Tuttle)
William Turner	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Ridgeway Callow	....	unit production manager
Jack McEdward	....	assistant production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Alan Callow	....	assistant director
Dick Crockett	....	second unit director
William R. Poole	....	second assistant director (uncredited)
Lorin Bennett Salob	....	dga trainee (uncredited)

Art Department
Ed Mulay	....	props (uncredited)
Robert Murdock	....	props (uncredited)
Don Pringle	....	greensman (uncredited)
Rick Simpson	....	leadman (uncredited)

Sound Department
Harry W. Tetrick	....	sound
Bruce Wright	....	sound
George Songer	....	cable person (uncredited)
James Utterback	....	boom operator (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Earl McCoy	....	special effects (uncredited)
Charles Schulthies	....	special effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Michael Haynes	....	stunts (uncredited)
Michael Masters	....	stunts (uncredited)
Ron Nix	....	expert rider (uncredited)
Al Wyatt Sr.	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Frank Stanley	....	photographer: second unit
Mel Anderson	....	grip (uncredited)
Robert J. Banks	....	best boy (uncredited)
Wilbert Bratton	....	lamp operator (uncredited)
Duke Callaghan	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Eric Carpenter	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Ray De La Motte	....	second assistant camera (uncredited)
George Holt	....	grip (uncredited)
Don Howard	....	video recordist (uncredited)
Cliff King	....	first assistant camera (uncredited)
Don Larson	....	grip (uncredited)
George Lasher	....	gaffer (uncredited)
Leo Monlon	....	grip (uncredited)
Jim Porter	....	lamp operator (uncredited)
Norman Punter	....	lamp operator (uncredited)
Cliff Ralke	....	grip (uncredited)
Lee Smith	....	generator operator (uncredited)
Robert Willoughby	....	special still photographer (uncredited)

Casting Department
Frank Kennedy	....	extras casting (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Norman A. Burza	....	wardrobe (uncredited)
Elva Martien	....	wardrobe (uncredited)

Music Department
William Saracino	....	music editor
Jerry Goldsmith	....	conductor (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Lloyd Hanlon	....	transportation gaffer (uncredited)

Other crew
Linda Friedman	....	assistant: producers
Peter Benoit	....	unit publicist (uncredited)
Hal Driscoll	....	animal handler (uncredited)
Marie Kenney	....	script supervisor (uncredited)
Frank D. Lane	....	ramrod wrangler (uncredited)
John Morrison	....	location manager (uncredited)
Jerry Parker	....	first aid (uncredited)
Paul Roedl	....	location auditor (uncredited)
John Suhrada	....	location timekeeper (uncredited)
Ed Villa	....	craft service (uncredited)
Jack N. Young	....	location manager (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Geoffrey Productions

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1971) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1974) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• MGM-EMI (1971) (UK) (theatrical)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (19??) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2011) (USA) (DVD) (DVD-R)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

136 min | 106 min (original U.S. theatrical release version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono | 6-Track Stereo

Certification:

UK:15 | Australia:PG | USA:GP | UK:A (original rating) | Iceland:16 | Sweden:15 | Portugal:M/12

Filming Locations:

Arches National Park, Moab, Utah, USA

Company:

Geoffrey Productions

Quotes:

Ross Bodine:You show me an old cowboy, a young cowboy or an in between cowboy with more than a few dollars in his poke and I'll show a cowboy that stopped being a cowboy and robbed banks.
Frank Post:Well, let's rob us a bank.
Ross Bodine:It'll be safer than getting married.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Lady Liberty (1971)

Soundtrack:

Wild Rover

Unsung Gem

I saw WILD ROVERS when it first came out - in the early 70s. It had been butchered by the powers that be at MGM. Still there was a lot to recommend the western: William Holden at his post-WILD BUNCH grizzled best, Jerry Goldsmith's classic, Copelandesque score that somehow manages to be lyrical, evocative but not a bit cloying (learn something, James Horner and Hans Zimmer), and the stunning cinematography. I saw it again in the late 80s restored to its original length (on a double bill with the restored PAT GARRETT AND BILLY THE KID, also butchered by MGM in the early 70s). I found more to like about the movie: the unexpected spurts of humor, the observations of the connectedness between cowboy and animal life, and Blake Edward's staging of the scenes of violence - he never does the same thing twice, and the barroom shootout is an object lesson in blocking and editing. (If there is any complaint one can level against Clint Eastwood's UNFORGIVEN was how uninterestingly the action scenes were staged.) Anyway, I just caught WILD ROVERS again on HD.Net Movies during 4th of July weekend, and its virtues have actually grown with age. And it looks gorgeous on a 16:9 Hi-Def screen. Give it a few more years and it might attain classic status.