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The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid (1972)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writer:
Philip Kaufman (writer)
Release Date:
12 May 1972 (Finland)
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Tagline:
The West the way it really was! more
Plot:
The gangs of Jesse James and Cole Younger join forces for a bungled robbery of the bank in Northfield, MN. | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
1 nomination
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NewsDesk:
User Comments:
Robert Duvall shines in this overlooked western
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Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Cliff Robertson | ... | Cole Younger | |
| Robert Duvall | ... | Jesse James | |
| Luke Askew | ... | Jim Younger | |
| R.G. Armstrong | ... | Clell Miller | |
| Dana Elcar | ... | Allen | |
| Donald Moffat | ... | Manning | |
| John Pearce | ... | Frank James | |
| Matt Clark | ... | Bob Younger | |
| Wayne Sutherlin | ... | Charley Pitts | |
| Robert H. Harris | ... | Wilcox | |
| Jack Manning | ... | Heywood | |
| Elisha Cook Jr. | ... | Bunker (as Elisha Cook) | |
| Royal Dano | ... | Gustavson | |
| Mary-Robin Redd | ... | Kate | |
| William Callaway | ... | Calliopist (as Bill Calloway) |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
91 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Westrex Recording System)
Certification:
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Quotes:
[first lines]
Narrator: Even before the wounds of the Civil War had healed in Missouri, the railroads came swarming in to steal the land. Everywhere, men from the railroads were driving poor, defenseless families from their homes. And that's when a fresh wind suddenly began to blow...
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Narrator: Even before the wounds of the Civil War had healed in Missouri, the railroads came swarming in to steal the land. Everywhere, men from the railroads were driving poor, defenseless families from their homes. And that's when a fresh wind suddenly began to blow...
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Movie Connections:
Featured in Gunfighters of the Old West (1992) (V)
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Soundtrack:
Hodie Christus - Natus Est
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FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (19 total)
Message Boards
Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid (1972)| Recent Posts (updated daily) | User |
|---|---|
| Duvall as Jesse James? | jesscclifford333 |
| Story has more holes than swiss cheese | marmac2768 |
| Somewhat entertaining... | lepland55 |
Recommendations
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| Jesse James as the Outlaw | The Long Riders | The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford | Ride the High Country | Adventures of Frank and Jesse James |
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| News articles | IMDb Western section | IMDb USA section |
| Add this title to MyMovies |

The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid is a real good western about the true story of the James-Younger gang's attempted robbery of the First National Bank of Northfield, Minnesota.
I like this film, but it does have a couple snafus. Firstly, there are a few historical inaccuracies. Many of these inaccuracies aren't really 100% inaccuracies though, they are more like representations of things that we don't know about, such as some of the character's motives. But it's a movie - if one wants to actually learn about raid they should go read about it. However, I can understand how the inaccuracies could be considered as a negative point of the film by someone who has an interest in the era. Then there is a 5-10 minute scene featuring a wild and wacky baseball game that I feel deviates away from the already established serious tone of the film. Also, there are some beautiful shots of the landscape - unfortunately, some of it is not actually of Northfield since mountains tend to be absent from the American Midwest. Perhaps a not-so-noticeable flaw to the average viewer, but to a guy who has lived in Minnesota his entire life (like yours truly), it sticks out like a sore thumb.
Despite all that, this is a good western effort if you ask me. The film has a great deep, dark, and dreary western look and feel, no doubt due to Philip Kaufman's direction and Bruce Surtees's cinematography. I found the script interesting and useful in helping to understand the characters - very worthy of it's Writers Guild of America Award nomination. The sets featured in the film are also great, they really take you back to that time period and the reconstruction of the city Northfield is done with a great deal of justice and accuracy. Also, the actual raid turned out to be a very exciting scene indeed with blazing guns and a great sense of desperation they couldn't have made the scene any better.
The performances are what really make the film so watchable. Cliff Robertson's performance as Cole Younger is great, portraying him as a very likable guy and also as kind of the brains of the operation. There are also great supporting actors in the film, John Pearce and Wayne Sutherlin giving the most noteworthy performances amongst the group. Robert Duvall's performance is fantastic and completely steals the show with his seemingly channeled portrayal of the infamous outlaw, Jesse James. Duvall shows James' psychotic side wonderfully and puts a lot of intensity into his performance.
Overall, despite some obvious detractors, The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid is a real good western and definitely worth a viewing.