Death Hunt (1981)

In 1931 Canada, Yukon trapper Johnson has a feud with a dog owner who later retaliates by publicly accusing Johnson of murder and thus triggering a police manhunt in the wilderness.

Director:

Peter R. Hunt (as Peter Hunt)

Writers:

Michael Grais, Mark Victor

Stars:

Charles Bronson, Lee Marvin, Andrew Stevens

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Charles Bronson	...	Albert Johnson
Lee Marvin	...	Millen
Andrew Stevens	...	Alvin
Carl Weathers	...	Sundog
Ed Lauter	...	Hazel
Scott Hylands	...	The Pilot
Angie Dickinson	...	Vanessa McBride
Henry Beckman	...	Bill Luce
William Sanderson	...	Ned Warren
Jon Cedar	...	Hawkins
James O'Connell	...	Hurley
Len Lesser	...	Lewis
Richard Davalos	...	Beeler (as Dick Davalos)
Maury Chaykin	...	Clarence
August Schellenberg	...	Deak De Bleargue

Storyline

Canada 1931: The unsociable trapper Johnson lives for himself in the ice-cold mountains near the Yukon river. During a visit in the town he witnesses a dog-fight. He interrupts the game and buys one of the dogs - almost dead already - for $200 against the owner's will. When the owner Hasel complains to Mountie Sergeant Millen, he refuses to take action. But then the loathing breeder and his friends accuse Johnson of murder. So Millen, although sympathetic, has to try to take him under arrest - but Johnson defends his freedom in every way possible.

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Plot Keywords:

mountain | sergeant | murder | world war one veteran | death | 

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Taglines:

The Saga Of Two Rivals Who Clash As Enemies And Triumph As Heroes.

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Crime | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA Hong Kong

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 September 1981 (West Germany)

Also Known As:

Arctic Rampage

Filming Locations:

Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Golden Harvest Company, Northshore Investments Ltd.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The story for this movie has actually been filmed twice before making this the third version. The first time was The Mad Trapper (1972) and the second time was Challenge to Be Free (1975). A fourth version will be The Mad Trapper (2017).

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Goofs

When Millen takes his revolver out of the suitcase he opens it and you can see that it is loaded. Then he closes it and without cocking it he sights along the gun. You then hear the sound of a cocked gun being dry fired, even though the gun was not cocked and was loaded.

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Quotes

Sergeant Edgar Millen: [about Albert Johnson] We've been hunting a man who knows how to live off the land and use it to reign.

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Connections

Remake of Challenge to Be Free (1975)

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Soundtracks

For You
Lyrics by Al Dubin
Music by Joseph A. Burke (as Joe Burke)
(c) 1930 Warner Bros. Inc.

User Reviews

The Mounties get their man...or do they?

This is an almost forgotten film, a status which is undeserved. Loosely based on a true story, it is the tale of a lone, mysterious trapper who irks some thugs in the Canadian wilderness, leading to a massive manhunt by the Mounties. Bronson (virtually silent throughout and thus quite effective) is a resourceful target, at once gentle and violent. Marvin is the grizzled head of the mounted police who has the task of tracking down and capturing a man with whom he can identify. Their unspoken understanding is fascinating to see. Marvin is aided by a wet-behind-the-ears, by-the-book officer played by Stevens. It would be hard to imagine a more adorable sight than fresh-scrubbed Stevens in his red uniform entering the grungy town where the police are stationed. He is gorgeous.....and quite a fine actor. It is a shame that he wasn't able to get to a better place with his acting career. The film is peppered with a ton of familiar (if dirty) faces from old westerns of TV and film. All of the lynch mob look like people who've been guest villain on "Bonanza" or "The Big Valley". One major drawback is Dickinson. It's hard to believe that someone can be miscast in a role as tiny as this one, but she is. Her anachronistic teased hair drains what little 1930's period flavor there is from the film and she is wooden in all her scenes. Apparently, she was stunt-cast because of her previous work with Marvin, but it failed miserably. There is a bit of a connection to "Dances with Wolves" in this film, Maury Chaykin and Tantoo Cardinal appear in both films and Bronson even develops a similar relationship with a vicious dog as Costner does with his wolf. The film is something like "First Blood" + "The Fugitive" x snow - 40 years. It is a great example of the "Bronson versus the world" type of film and offers a solid Marvin performance as well. There is more going on here than one might think. The final showdown is quite dramatic and suspenseful. The scenery is also great.