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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writer:
Richard Brooks (writer)
Release Date:
26 September 1975 (Finland) more
Tagline:
A Western Classic in the tradition of 'Shane' and 'High Noon'. more
Plot:
A group of ex-rough riders, an ex-prostitute and a gunfighter enter a horse race in the desert. full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 1 win more
NewsDesk:
(2 articles)
Oscar-Winning Actor James Coburn Dies at 74
(From IMDb News. 19 November 2002)
Oscar-Winning Actor James Coburn Dies at 74
(From WENN. 19 November 2002)
User Comments:
A New Old-Fashioned Western more (27 total)
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Gene Hackman | ... | Sam Clayton | |
| Candice Bergen | ... | Miss Jones | |
| James Coburn | ... | Luke Matthews | |
| Ben Johnson | ... | Mister | |
| Ian Bannen | ... | Sir Harry Norfolk | |
| Jan-Michael Vincent | ... | Carbo | |
| Robert Donner | ... | Reporter | |
| Jean Willes | ... | Rosie | |
| Mario Arteaga | ... | Mexican | |
| Dabney Coleman | ... | Jack Parker | |
| John McLiam | ... | Gebhardt | |
| Robert F. Hoy | ... | Lee Christie (as Robert Hoy) | |
| Jerry Gatlin | ... | The Wood Cutter | |
| Sally Kirkland | ... | Honey | |
| Walter Scott Jr. | ... | Steve |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
132 min
Country:
Color:
Color (Metrocolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.33 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Australia:PG | Australia:M (TV rating) | Finland:K-16 | Netherlands:12 | Norway:16 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG (censored version) | USA:PG | West Germany:12 | Iceland:12
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Charles Bronson turned down the leading role. more
Goofs:
Anachronisms: Rosie casually drops the term "Mickey Finn" to refer to a near-toxic combination of whiskey and sleeping medicine. According to the Wikipedia page for this term, Mr. Finn did indeed commit his drug-and-rob crimes about three years prior to the action in this film but also indicates that while the crime was mentioned in Chicago newspapers the term itself wasn't in popular usage as a stand-alone noun until several years later. more
Quotes:
[first lines]
Gebhardt:
I heard your newspaper is running an honest race.
Reporter:
You heard right, Mr. Gebhardt.
Gebhardt:
Who the hell handicapped this owlhead as the favorite?
J.B. Parker:
The smart money!
Gebhardt:
That's what we come to get.
more
Movie Connections:
Featured in Behind the Action: Stuntmen in the Movies (2002) (TV) more
FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (27 total)
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Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Bite the Bullet (1975) moreRecommendations
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| The Professionals | The Treasure of the Sierra Madre | Vengeance - and the Woman | McCabe & Mrs. Miller | The Great Race |
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For whatever reason, critics in the 70s were quick to pronounce dead the western genre whenever a new western opened, but that didn't stop the decade from producing some of my favorites in the category. _Bite the Bullet_ is a fine example. Where other westerns of the decade seemed to pursue the avenue of re-invention, Richard Brooks' gritty movie about a turn-of-the-century horse race/endurance test opts for sweet revival. The cast of characters are the usual suspects: company men vs. real cowboys, kid-looking-for-a-reputation, ballsy hooker-with-a-heart-of-gold, tough-and-noble-oppressed Mexican, and old-hand-on-his-last-hurrah. They all combine to tell a supremely entertaining and satisfying story. As a bonus, we get the chance to consider seriously what impact America's win-win mentality has on the moral character of its people.
At the heart of the picture are the splendid performances by Gene Hackman and James Coburn as old buddies from Teddy Roosevelt's Rough Riders days. The friendship between their characters is the movie's moral glue, and it is portrayed without smearing or stickiness. In these two characters we not only get all of the integrity of upright and rugged individualism inherent in the Western Code, but we get a nice dash of Butch and Sundance to boot.
And I think Candice Bergen makes for a great tomboy. It actually makes her sexier.