The Hatfields and the McCoys (1975)

A retelling of the famous feud between two mountain families, the Hatfields and the McCoys, in rural Kentucky in the late 1800s.

Director:

Clyde Ware

Writer:

Clyde Ware

Stars:

Jack Palance, Steve Forrest, Richard Hatch

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jack Palance	...	Devil Anse Hatfield
Steve Forrest	...	Randall McCoy
Richard Hatch	...	Johnse Hatfield
Karen Lamm	...	Rose Ann McCoy
James Keach	...	Jim McCoy
John Calvin	...	Cotton Top
Robert Carradine	...	Bob Hatfield
Gerrit Graham	...	Calvin McCoy
Morgan Woodward	...	Ellison Hatfield
Virginia Baker	...	Levicy Hatfield (as Virginia Baker Palance)
Joan Caulfield	...	Sarah McCoy
Joe Estevez	...	Troy Hatfield
Brooke Palance	...	Mary Hatfield
Jim Bohan	...	Cap Hatfield
Charley Young	...	Allifair McCoy

Storyline

A retelling of the famous feud between two mountain families, the Hatfields and the McCoys, in rural Kentucky in the late 1800s.

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Plot Keywords:

feud | mountain | remake | abc movie of the week | character name in title

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Genres:

Action | Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 January 1975 (USA)

Also Known As:

La lunga faida

Company Credits

Production Co:

Charles Fries Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

The movie makes numerous mentions of "Mingo County West Virginia" as the base of the Hatfields. The Hatfields lived in what was then Logan County - Mingo was not split off from Logan until after the feud was over.

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Connections

Referenced in Mystery Science Theater 3000: Time of the Apes (1991)

User Reviews

Uneven look at the famous feud

The Hatfield - McCoy feud of Appalachia is America's most famous feud, even if others were bloodier and more intense. It started when "Devil" Anse Hatfield, a West Virginia logger and Confederate militia leader, was suspected in the death of Harmon McCoy during the Civil War. Harmon, a Union soldier from across the river in Kentucky, made the mistake of recoperating in the pro-Confederate area and paid with his life. Although there was no proof that Hatfield killed Harmon or ordered such, the suspicion lingered. It rose to the surface later when Randall McCoy, Harmon's brother and family leader in what followed, accused a Hatfield of apprehending a free-feeding McCoy hog. McCoy's claims were refuted at a trial, starting what would be the start of a streak of terrible misfortune.

The suspicions between the families erupted at an Election Day festival in 1882, when three sons of Randall fatally stabbed Ellison Hatfield, Devil Anse's brother during a liquor fueled dispute. Devil Anse forcefully took custody of the three McCoys, and when Ellison expired, had them executed.

"The Hatfields and McCoys" to its credit, treats the two family heads as intelligent men and somewhat reluctant warriors. The late 19th century dialect is well done. The movie starts off fairly close to the real story, but abandons it for heavy dramatic license. For one thing, there was maybe only one real mobilization of the one party against the other - a midnight raid by the Hatfields (less Devil Anse, who begged off) upon the McCoy cabin across the Tug. For some reason, the raid and its terrible consequences - a son and daughter of Randall killed, Randall's wife hurt, and their cabin burned - are skipped over to show male feudists blasting away at each other in broad daylight.

Nor did Randall and Devil Anse end up forgetting things in a deer hunt. The losses the two men took were uneven; Devil Anse lost a brother and a nephew, while Randall lost a brother, five sons and a daughter to violence, plus another daughter to sickness and a broken heart. It goes without saying Randall was just a bit bitter.

Worth seeing if only to watch Jack Palace as Devil Anse, or to invite a reading of a detailed book or a website on the topic.