Bless the Beasts & Children (1971)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

Stanley Kramer

Writers:

Mac Benoff (writer)
Glendon Swarthout (novel)

Release Date:

30 July 1971 (West Germany)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Who were the misfits? The men who killed for sport... ...or those who fought for the buffalo!

Plot:

A group of social misfits band together and run away from summer camp. Along the way, they take up a...

Plot Keywords:

Bison | Summer Camp | Rifle | Helmet | Station Wagon

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 3 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Bill Mumy	...	Teft
Barry Robins	...	Cotton
Miles Chapin	...	Shecker
Darel Glaser	...	Goodenow
Bob Kramer	...	Lally 1
Marc Vahanian	...	Lally II
Jesse White	...	Shecker's Father
Ken Swofford	...	Wheaties
Elaine Devry	...	Cotton's Mother
David Ketchum	...	Camp Director (as Dave Ketchum)
Vanessa Brown	...	Goodenow's Mother
Wayne Sutherlin	...	Hustler
William Bramley	...	Goodenow's Grandfather
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
June C. Ellis
Frank Farmer	...	Doctor
Bruce Glover
Charles H. Gray	...	Cotton's Father
Jeff Smart
Vincent Van Lynn	...	Teft's Father

Runtime:

109 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Norway:16 | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:GP

Filming Locations:

Hidden Valley Ranch, Prescott, Arizona, USA

Company:

Stanley Kramer Productions

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The 44th Annual Academy Awards (1972) (TV)

A diverse group of teenage boys struggling to find their identities

I saw this movie in our school auditorium, as a high school classroom requirement back in the 1980's. I remember the girls crying, while a few of my male classmates sat quietly; perhaps being able to quickly identify themselves to one or more of the characters. The movie may not have interpreted the true spirit of the book, but I do think Stanley Kramer did as best a job he could in evoking both the struggles of male adolescence and the cultural patterns of the American family in the 1970's. There were many sobering messages despite the redundant metaphors throughout the film. Now, I am more interested in the "Where Are They Now" aspect of the film when I recently came across this title. I've found very little information on any of the main characters, with the exception of Bill Mummy. Also was saddened to hear about the death of Barry Robins (Cotton) back in 1986.