Bite the Bullet (1975)

Director:

Richard Brooks

Writer:

Richard Brooks (writer)

Release Date:

26 September 1975 (Finland)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Western

Tagline:

A Western Classic in the tradition of 'Shane' and 'High Noon'.

Plot:

A group of ex-rough riders, an ex-prostitute and a gunfighter enter a horse race in the desert.

Plot Keywords:

Horse Race | Mexican | Endurance | Ex Prostitute | Desert

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 1 win

Cast

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

Runtime:

132 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

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:

Carson National Forest, New Mexico, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Charles Bronson turned down the leading role.

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.

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.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Behind the Action: Stuntmen in the Movies (2002) (TV)

A New Old-Fashioned Western

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.