Prime Cut (1972)

Director:

Michael Ritchie

Writer:

Robert Dillon (written by)

Release Date:

15 September 1972 (West Germany)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

Plot:

A Chicago mob enforcer is sent to Kansas City to settle a debt with a cattle rancher who not only grinds his enemies into sausage...

Plot Keywords:

Business | Corruption | Kansas City | Farm | Murder

Cast

Lee Marvin	...	Nick Devlin
Gene Hackman	...	Mary Ann
Angel Tompkins	...	Clarabelle
Gregory Walcott	...	Weenie
Sissy Spacek	...	Poppy
Janit Baldwin	...	Violet
William Morey	...	Shay
Clint Ellison	...	Delaney
Howard Platt	...	Shaughnessy
Les Lannom	...	O'Brien
Eddie Egan	...	Jake
Therese Reinsch	...	Jake's Girl
Bob Wilson	...	Reaper Driver
Gordon Signer	...	Brockman
Gladys Watson	...	Milk Lady
Hugh Gillin	...	Desk Clerk (as Hugh Gillin Jr.)
E. Lund	...	Mrs. O'Brien
David Savage	...	Ox-Eye
Craig Chapman	...	Farmer Bob
Jim Taksas	...	Big Jim
Wayne Savagne	...	Freckle Face
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jerry Tracey	...	Orphan Sold at Auction (uncredited)
Judy Williams	...	Orphan Sold at Auction (uncredited)

Directed by
Michael Ritchie

Writing credits
Robert Dillon		(written by)

Produced by
Mickey Borofsky	....	associate producer
Kenneth L. Evans	....	executive producer
Joe Wizan	....	producer

Original Music by
Lalo Schifrin

Cinematography by
Gene Polito		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Carl Pingitore

Casting by
Hoyt Bowers

Art Direction by
Bill Malley

Set Decoration by
James W. Payne		(as James Payne)

Makeup Department
Salli Bailey	....	hairstylist (as Salley Bailey)
Ken Chase	....	makeup artist
Emile LaVigne	....	makeup artist

Production Management
David Salven	....	unit production manager
Les Kimber	....	unit manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Michael Daves	....	assistant director
Ronald R. Grow	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Alan Levine	....	property master (as Allan Levine)
Terry E. Lewis	....	assistant property master (as Terry Lewis)
Tom Jung	....	poster artist (uncredited)
Tom Jung	....	poster designer (uncredited)
Gene Lauritzen	....	construction coordinator (uncredited)

Sound Department
Jack A. Finlay	....	sound effects editor (as Jack Finlay)
Joel Moss	....	dubbing mixer
Barry Thomas	....	sound mixer
John Wilkinson	....	sound (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Logan Frazee	....	special effects

Stunts
Bob Herron	....	stunts (uncredited)
John Hudkins	....	stunt coordinator (uncredited)
Buddy Van Horn	....	stunts (uncredited)
Ted White	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Clifford Hutchison	....	gaffer (as Clifford C. Hutchison)
Charles J. Renaud	....	key grip (as Charles Renaud)
Orlando Suero	....	still photographer
Roger Shearman	....	camera operator (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Patricia Norris	....	costumes
Ray Summers	....	wardrobe: men

Editorial Department
Herb Steinore	....	assistant film editor

Music Department
Ed Forsyth	....	music supervisor (as Ed Forsythe)

Transportation Department
Roy Hollis	....	transportation captain (uncredited)

Other crew
Charlsie Bryant	....	script supervisor
Betty Gumm	....	production assistant
Les Kimber	....	location consultant
Don Record	....	title designer
Dolores Harris	....	secretary: Mr. Ritchie (uncredited)
Vivien Holt	....	production secretary (uncredited)
Dennis Judd	....	location manager (uncredited)
Elton MacPherson	....	location auditor (uncredited)
Joe Thornton	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Cinema Center Films (presents)

Distributors

• Film International Company (????) (Italy) (theatrical)
• National General Pictures (1972) (USA) (theatrical)
• CBS / Fox Video (1986) (Greece) (VHS)
• Explosive-Media (2013) (Germany) (DVD)
• Key Video (1985) (USA) (VHS) (For CBS/Fox Video)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2009) (Australia) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

88 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-18 | Norway:16 (1972) | Sweden:15 | USA:R | UK:18 (video rating) (1987) | Iceland:16 | Australia:MA (2009) | UK:X (original rating) | West Germany:18 | Germany:16 (re-rating) (2013)

Filming Locations:

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Company:

Cinema Center Films

Trivia:

All of the "orphan girls" are named after flowers.

Quotes:

Poppy:I never knew a man before; not even to talk to.
Nick Devlin:Well where did they keep you?
Poppy:In the orphanage with the other girls.
Nick Devlin:And where was that?
Poppy:It was in Missouri. It's the only home I really remember. It was in the country.
Nick Devlin:Then you have nobody?
Poppy:Just Violet.
Nick Devlin:Who?
Poppy:Violet, the other girl that was with me. She's my sister... well, not truly but we're closer than that. Violet and me we'd climb into each other's bed when it was really cold in the winter time and hug each other really close. Sometimes we'd touch each other and dream how a man's hands would feel on us...

Movie Connections:

References The Revengers (1972)

Barons of beef

Two legendary Hollywood hard men, Lee Marvin and Gene Hackman, go head-to-head in this interesting thriller from director Michael Ritchie. Hackmann can act, Marvin just plays his stock character, but it's actually the latter to exudes more charisma, although the script is on his side: this is very much a Lee Marvin vehicle, structured not unlike 'Point Blank'. But that film had a distinctive, alienating air and ultimately showed clearly that its hero was no different, no better, to those he was pursuing. In 'Prime Cut', however, the villains of piece are (more typically, and more disappointingly) shown to be so depraved that Marvin is justified in sub-machining them down. Moreover, the sub-plot that explains this, their involvement in the trafficking of women to the sex trade, is presented in such a way as to seem sexist in itself. In other ways too the film appears dated: the editing is stuck somewhere between naturalistic and slick (not quite feeling like either), and the undeniably effective soundtrack is also horrid. What's more interesting is the setting: the story takes place in rural Missouri, but this is not America the beautiful. Instead, its the land of agribusiness and as such portrayed with an element of truth: although Ritchie does appear caught between emphasising its differences from the city, and its similarities.

'Point Blank' was a film ahead of its time in terms of style and tone. 'Prime Cut' is more like a typical thriller from the early 1970s. But either way, they don't make men like Marvin any more.