Bad Company (1972) 7.0
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 |
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Bad Company (1972) 7.0
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 |
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| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Jeff Bridges | ... | ||
| Barry Brown | ... | ||
| Jim Davis | ... | ||
| David Huddleston | ... | ||
| John Savage | ... | ||
| Jerry Houser | ... |
Arthur Simms
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Damon Douglas | ... |
Jim Bob Logan
(as Damon Cofer)
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Joshua Hill Lewis | ... |
Boog Bookin
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| Geoffrey Lewis | ... |
Hobbs
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Raymond Guth | ... |
Jackson
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| Ed Lauter | ... |
Orin
(as Edward Lauter)
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John Quade | ... |
Nolan
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| Jean Allison | ... |
Mrs. Dixon
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| Ned Wertimer | ... |
Mr. Dixon
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Charles Tyner | ... | |
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. Written by Keith Loh <loh@sfu.ca>
Another reviewer said that this film has been widely ignored and that is a crying shame. I've only seen the once in ten years, it's not on tv/satellite and is unavailable on video in the UK.
But I never forget watching it and being capitivated by its charm and depiction of the real, sometimes very brutal West (I cannot forget one of the young gang getting shot for stealing a chicken). The two leads are excellent, perfectly balancing the other, Bridges as the streetwise tearaway and Brown (RIP) as the well educated, mother's boy lead astray after dodging the draft (Vietnam echoes?).
The final scene is a gem as the two partners, shaped by their experiences in a lawless West, turn to crime.