The Onion Field (1979)

Greg Powell is a disturbed ex-con who recruits Jimmy Smith (aka Jimmy Youngblood), a petty thief, as his partner in crime. Powell panics one night when the two of them are pulled over by a ... See full summary »

Director:

Harold Becker

Writers:

Joseph Wambaugh (book), Joseph Wambaugh (screenplay),

Stars:

John Savage, James Woods, Franklyn Seales

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 2 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
John Savage	...	Det. Karl Francis Hettinger
James Woods	...	Gregory Ulas Powell
Franklyn Seales	...	Jimmy Lee 'Youngblood' Smith
Ted Danson	...	Det. Ian James Campbell
Ronny Cox	...	Det. Sgt. Pierce R. Brooks
David Huffman	...	Dist. Atty. Phil Halpin
Christopher Lloyd	...	Jailhouse lawyer
Dianne Hull	...	Helen Hettinger (as Diane Hull)
Priscilla Pointer	...	Chrissie Campbell
Beege Barkette	...	Greg's woman (as Beege Barkett)
Richard Herd	...	Beat Cop
Le Tari	...	Emmanuel McFadden
Richard Venture	...	Det. Glenn Bates
Lee Weaver	...	Billy
Pat Corley	...	Jimmy's Lawyer #2

Storyline

Greg Powell is a disturbed ex-con who recruits Jimmy Smith (aka Jimmy Youngblood), a petty thief, as his partner in crime. Powell panics one night when the two of them are pulled over by a pair of cops for broken brake-lights. Powell decides to kidnap the cops and Smith, as always, reluctantly goes along with Powell's crazy scheme. The group drives out to a deserted onion field in Bakersfield, California and one officer is shot while the other escapes. The remainder of the film explores the nature of the American justice system, as well as the devastating psychological effects of this event and the trial on the surviving officer.

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Plot Keywords:

trial | police | robbery | thief | suicidal | 

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Taglines:

What Happened In The Onion Field Is True. But The Real Crime Is What Happened After.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 April 1980 (Spain)

Also Known As:

Anthropokynigi sto Los Angeles

Filming Locations:

Boskovich Farms, Valencia, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Black Marble Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

122 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Franklyn Seales' screaming during the murder was unscripted and improvised.

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Goofs

Just before Powell's arrest on March 9, 1963, he is shown driving on a road marked with "Botts Dots". The lane markers were not used statewide until September 1966.

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Quotes

Gregory Ulas Powell: Don't waste bullets!

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Connections

References The Night of the Hunter (1955)

User Reviews

Great movie....

Great true life movie of two L.A. police officers whose lives were changed forever in on onion field on the outskirts of Bakersfield, CA. As always, I will not set here and go over the entire movie. I will say that James Woods did an excellent job portraying Powell, and of course, Ted Danson was his usual best as officer Ian Campbell. This story grips you right from the minute that the two officers are taken hostage. I can only imagine the terror that Campbell and Hettinger went through on the ride from L.A. to Bakersfield. The scene in the onion field and what transpired after the murder of officer Campbell, with Hettinger fleeing the maniac Powell through the fields at night, is breath taking. It is just so sad that in reality, all this really happened, and a good man lost his life at the hands of a crazed-ass lunatic.