Bless the Beasts & Children (1971)

Director:

Stanley Kramer

Writers:

Glendon Swarthout (novel)
Mac Benoff (screenplay)

Release Date:

30 July 1971 (West Germany)

Genre:

Comedy | 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 | Singing | Flashback | Song

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 3 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Bill Mumy	...	Lawrence Teft
Barry Robins	...	Cotton
Miles Chapin	...	Shecker
Darel Glaser	...	Goodenow
Bob Kramer	...	Lally 1
Marc Vahanian	...	Lally II
Jesse White	...	Sid Shecker
Ken Swofford	...	Wheaties
David Ketchum	...	Camp Director (as Dave Ketchum)
Elaine Devry	...	Cotton's Mother
Wayne Sutherlin	...	Hustler
Bruce Glover	...	Hustler
William Bramley	...	Mr. Goodenow
Vanessa Brown	...	Mrs. Goodenow
Charles H. Gray	...	Captain Cotton
Vincent Van Lynn	...	Mr. Teft
June C. Ellis	...	Mom
Frank Farmer	...	Doctor
Jeff Smart	...	Young Shooter
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Edson C. Kurose	...	Moishe - Chauffeur (uncredited)
Earl Rivard	...	Indian Teen (uncredited)
Jeff Sherman	...	Extra (uncredited)

Directed by
Stanley Kramer

Writing credits
Glendon Swarthout		(novel)
Mac Benoff		(screenplay)

Produced by
George Glass	....	associate producer
Stanley Kramer	....	producer

Original Music by
Perry Botkin Jr.
Barry De Vorzon

Cinematography by
Michel Hugo

Film Editing by
William A. Lyon

Casting by
Billy Gordon

Art Direction by
Lyle R. Wheeler

Production Management
Ivan Volkman	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Paul J. Crossey	....	dga trainee
Leonard Kunody	....	second assistant director
John M. Poer	....	second assistant director
Sheldon Schrager	....	assistant director

Art Department
Joe LaBella	....	property master

Sound Department
Les Fresholtz	....	sound
Joe Kenworthy	....	boom operator
Dean Salmon	....	boom operator

Special Effects by
Ira Anderson Jr.	....	special effects

Stunts
John Hudkins	....	stunt coordinator
Jesse Wayne	....	stunt double
George Orrison	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Al Ducharme	....	grip
Patrick Fennell	....	assistant camera
Dutch Hogue	....	electrician
Don Jacobson	....	grip
Victor King	....	assistant camera
John Livesley	....	key grip
Ralph McCarthy	....	gaffer
John Monte	....	still photographer
Harold Rabuse	....	best boy
Roger Shearman	....	camera operator (as Roger Sherman Jr.)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Seth Banks	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Florence Williamson	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Jack Hayes	....	orchestrations
Leo Shuken	....	orchestrations

Transportation Department
Omar Dierkins	....	driver
Vern Jacobs	....	driver
Jim Morris	....	driver
Bruce Petty	....	transportation captain
Ronald Stinton	....	driver

Other crew
Wayne Fitzgerald	....	title designer
Ron Hall	....	craft service
Al Jank	....	wrangler
Harry Kohoyda Jr.	....	location auditor
Marshall Schlom	....	script supervisor
Paul Stufloten	....	first aid
Edson C. Kurose	....	assistant to the producer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Stanley Kramer Productions

Distributors

• CMV Laservision (2011) (Germany) (DVD)
• Columbia Pictures
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (1995) (USA) (VHS)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2012) (USA) (DVD) (DVD-R)

Special Effects

• Butler-Glouner (photographic effects)

Other Companies

• Edit International  sound effects and music editing
• Independent Casting  extras casting

Also Known As:

Runtime:

109 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Norway:16 | Argentina:13 | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:GP

Filming Locations:

Hidden Valley Ranch, Prescott, Arizona, USA

Company:

Stanley Kramer Productions

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Gamera vs. Zigra (#4.16)" (1991)

Soundtrack:

Bless the Beasts and Children

A seminal experience for a movie loving teenager

The recent passing of another of the 'great' directors prompted me to look back at Stanley Kramer's career. And that lead me to reflect upon my teenage experience of sitting in one of Melbourne's grand old picture houses one Saturday afternoon and viewing this movie for the first of what has now been many times.

Perhaps it was my age at the time, or my love of the outdoors, or my regular weekend hikes, or my love of animals... whatever it was, that 2 hours looking at the enormous screen was one I can recall with vivid clarity even 30 years on.

I remember how awesome the cinematography was it captured the beauty of the environment in those scenes where the misfit teenagers headed out across the plains to rescue the bison.

The music also evoked the essence of the outdoors for me. For many years after whenever I came up over a hill in the forest the Carpenters' music seemed to play in my head. It is just a shame that someone let the theme be [mis] appropriated to other less noble ends.

I have shown this movie to many teenage groups in the years since it opened. Although time has certainly moved on and much, especially the dress and manners has changed I have rarely found any teenager who has not been able to identify with the movie and the themes it seeks to explore.

Stanley Kramer made some wonderful, no some great movies. And while this may not rank as his greatest, for me it was and 'is' great as it allows this writer to revisit his teen years and relive a truly memorable period of his life.