Mr. Majestyk (1974)

Director:

Richard Fleischer

Writer:

Elmore Leonard (written by)

Release Date:

17 July 1974 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

He didn't want to be hero... until the day they pushed him too far.

Plot:

A melon farmer battles organized crime and a hit man who wants to kill him.

Plot Keywords:

Organized Crime | Watermelon | Farm Worker | Neo Noir | Hitman

Cast

Charles Bronson	...	Vince Majestyk
Al Lettieri	...	Frank Renda
Linda Cristal	...	Nancy Chavez
Lee Purcell	...	Wiley
Paul Koslo	...	Bobby Kopas
Taylor Lacher	...	Gene Lundy
Frank Maxwell	...	Det. Lt. McAllen
Alejandro Rey	...	Larry Mendoza
Jordan Rhodes	...	Deputy Harold Richie
Bert Santos	...	Julio Tomas

Also Known As:

Mister Majestyk (International: English title) (poster title)

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Germany:16 | Iceland:16 | West Germany:16 (nf) | Finland:K-15 (uncut) (2004) | Finland:K-16 (heavily cut) (1974) | Australia:M | Norway:15 | Norway:16 (1974) | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:PG | UK:15 (TV rating)

Filming Locations:

Buckskin Joe Frontier Town & Railway - 1193 Fremont County Road 3A, Canon City, Colorado, USA

Company:

Mirisch Corporation, The

Trivia:

The owner of the watermelon farm where exterior scenes were filmed was initially paid $1,000 for the use of his land. However, upon learning that this movie had "Hollywood stars" in it, he upped the price to $10,000.

Goofs:

Continuity: Just prior to the big chase in which the Ford truck does all of the big jumps, Majestyk pulls the truck into the driveway and parks in front of the house. He then unhooks the trailer and leaves it behind the truck. When he runs out of the house and jumps into the back of the truck as the woman drives it away, the truck is facing the other direction and the trailer is not in sight.

Quotes:

Nancy Chavez: If you want to go to bed with me, why don't you say so?
Vince Majestyk: I don't want to talk about it, I want to do it.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004)

The DVD cover shows Bronson aiming his shotgun...

Promising another great action drama!

Richard Fleisher's tight direction, Bronson's sheer force of presence, and above all Elmore Leonard's excellent dialog combine to make this one terrific piece of entertainment – and one of Bronson's best films. Also worthy of note is Al Lettieri as Frank Renda (another excellent performance), a fearsome, explosively violent antagonist who perfectly compliments Bronson's cool-yet-tough demeanor. Bronson plays Vince Majestyk, a watermelon farmer who wants nothing more than to get his harvest in and mind his own business. He is interrupted by the weasel-like Bobby Kopas, who is quickly set straight by Majestyk – but Kopas soon joins forces with the vengeance-seeking Renda, whom Majestyk tried to send back to jail. Renda is just itching to get at Majestyk, and what follows is an action packed battle of wits between two determined foes – with only one left standing at the end…

Mr. Majestyk also manages to combine great action with some especially sharp, funny dialog. For instance, Majestyk overhears a gas station attendant claim the bathrooms are out of service: `Hey, I was the last one to use that men's room - you saying I busted the toilet?' Overall, Mr. Majestyk is highly recommended to fans of the great Charles Bronson, action movies, or just great movies in general.