Pale Rider (1985)

A mysterious preacher protects a humble prospector village from a greedy mining company trying to encroach on their land.

Director:

Clint Eastwood

Writers:

Michael Butler, Dennis Shryack

Stars:

Clint Eastwood, Michael Moriarty, Carrie Snodgress

2 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Clint Eastwood	...	Preacher
Michael Moriarty	...	Hull Barret
Carrie Snodgress	...	Sarah Wheeler
Chris Penn	...	Josh LaHood (as Christopher Penn)
Richard Dysart	...	Coy LaHood
Sydney Penny	...	Megan Wheeler
Richard Kiel	...	Club
Doug McGrath	...	Spider Conway
John Russell	...	Stockburn
Charles Hallahan	...	McGill
Marvin J. McIntyre	...	Jagou
Fran Ryan	...	Ma Blankenship
Richard Hamilton	...	Jed Blankenship
Graham Paul	...	Ev Gossage
Chuck Lafont	...	Eddie Conway (as Chuck LaFont)

Storyline

A gold mining camp in the California foothills is besieged by a neighboring landowner intent on stealing their claims. A preacher rides into camp and uses all of his powers of persuasion to convince the landowner to give up his attacks on the miners.

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Plot Keywords:

preacher | gold | miner | sheriff | grave | 

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Taglines:

Hell comes home

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Genres:

Western

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 June 1985 (USA)

Also Known As:

El jinete pálido

Filming Locations:

Columbia State Historic Park - 22708 Broadway, Columbia, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$6,900,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$41,400,000 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Malpaso Company, The

Technical Specs

Runtime:

115 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The highest grossing western at the box-office made and released during the 1980s.

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Goofs

When Barret throws a stick of dynamite into the tent, it lands near the front of the tent. The explosion comes from inside the tent. After the explosion the lit fuse of the thrown dynamite can clearly be seen.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Megan Wheeler: Lindsey.

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Crazy Credits

The credit for catering just says "The Caterers" (including the quotation marks in the credit).

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Connections

Featured in Eastwood... A Star (1992)

User Reviews

"Tell the preacher to meet me here tomorrow morning."

Shot on location in Sun Valley, Idaho, and to some esteem to "Shane," "Pale Rider" succeeded with sweeping landscapes and magnificent cinematography, to be an interesting Western that helps to bring back something from Eastwood's mystique…

In 1850 California, a small group squatters and their families find themselves terrorized by Coy LaHood (Richard Dysart), who are standing win the way of his progress… Desperate, LaHood begins using violence in an unsuccessful attempt to run the peaceful yet determined homesteaders from their land… Leading the homesteaders is a decent man Hull Barret (Michael Moriarty), who dreams of a better life for himself, his girlfriend Sarah Wheeler (Carrie Snodgress) and her lovely daughter from a previous marriage, 14-year-old Meagan (Sydney Penny).

Into the lives of these strong-willed people rides a mysterious man—tall and lean with something strange in his eyes —known only as "The Preacher" (Clint Eastwood). He says little, divulges nothing of his past, but for a man wearing a clerical collar he seems an expert at handling weapons… He pulls the miners together and gives them the confidence to defy LaHood even in the face of mounting violence...

Although both Sarah and her daughter become enamored of the pale preacher, he gently rejects their advances and makes them see that Hull is a less capable but far better man… There is a good scene when Spider Conway—went into town alone and running out of steam—invited LaHood to come out and have a drink with him… But instead Stockburn and his deputies came out asking him to dance…

Richard Dysart creates an all-too-believable villain, and Western veteran John Russell is well-cast as a middle-aged mercenary and his hired guns to face a legendary hero… It's an old score and it's time settle it…