Bad Company (1972)

A god-fearing Ohio boy dodging the Civil War draft arrives in Jefferson City where he joins up with a hardscrabble group of like runaways heading west.

Director:

Robert Benton

Writers:

David Newman, Robert Benton

Stars:

Jeff Bridges, Barry Brown, Jim Davis

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jeff Bridges	...	Jake Rumsey
Barry Brown	...	Drew Dixon
Jim Davis	...	Marshal
David Huddleston	...	Big Joe
John Savage	...	Loney
Jerry Houser	...	Arthur Simms
Damon Douglas	...	Jim Bob Logan (as Damon Cofer)
Joshua Hill Lewis	...	Boog Bookin
Geoffrey Lewis	...	Hobbs
Raymond Guth	...	Jackson
Ed Lauter	...	Orin (as Edward Lauter)
John Quade	...	Nolan
Jean Allison	...	Mrs. Dixon
Ned Wertimer	...	Mr. Dixon
Charles Tyner	...	Egg Farmer

Storyline

A group of naive boys find that life as desperadoes in the west is more serious that they understood when they embark on abortive careers in bushwhacking. Violence, betrayal, sombre colours and a Beckettsian whimsy mark this ironic western.

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Plot Keywords:

betrayal | runaway | farmer | outlaw band | marshal | 

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Genres:

Drama | Western

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 October 1972 (USA)

Also Known As:

Banda

Filming Locations:

Wichita, Kansas, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Jaffilms, Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The classic rock band Bad Company named itself after this film.

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Goofs

When Jake is describing what Simms is doing at the stagecoach, he says, "He's opening the door ... he's getting in ... he's closing the door," but when we see the stagecoach, it's driving away and Simms has only just managed to open the door.

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Quotes

Big Joe: [to the runaways] Goodbye, boys. Just think of us as some terrible nightmare that came and went. By nightfall you'll forget we were ever here.

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Connections

References The Rules of the Game (1939)

User Reviews

A Thoughtful Western

A young Jeff Bridges stars in this thought-provoking Western. A well-brought-up boy finds himself alone in the world. He soon discovers that survival without friends is difficult and reluctantly joins a group of boyish outlaws whose morality at first seems questionable. As the film progresses, however, it seems that whatever their backgrounds they are all in a profound sense victims of circumstances. Their journey across the country seems increasingly to be leading nowhere as the film moves towards a poignant finale.