Will Penny (1967)

Aging cowboy Will Penny gets a line camp job on a large cattle spread and finds his isolated cabin is already occupied by a husbandless woman and her young son.

Director:

Tom Gries

Writer:

Tom Gries

Stars:

Charlton Heston, Joan Hackett, Donald Pleasence

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Charlton Heston	...	Will Penny
Joan Hackett	...	Catherine Allen
Donald Pleasence	...	Preacher Quint
Lee Majors	...	Blue
Bruce Dern	...	Rafe Quint
Ben Johnson	...	Alex - Flat Iron Ranch Foreman
Slim Pickens	...	Ike Walterstein
Clifton James	...	Catron
Anthony Zerbe	...	Dutchy
Roy Jenson	...	Boetius Sullivan
G.D. Spradlin	...	Anse Howard
Quentin Dean	...	Jennie
William Schallert	...	Dr. Fraker
Lydia Clarke	...	Mrs. Fraker
Robert Luster	...	Shem Bodine

Storyline

Will Penny, an aging cowpoke, takes a "line-rider" job on a vast cattle ranch requiring him to keep trespassers and squatters moving until they're off the property. Ironically, he discovers that the mountain cabin reserved for the line rider has been appropriated by Catherine Allen and her young son, Horace, whose guide has deserted them en route to Oregon to join Catherine's husband. Too soft-hearted and ashamed to kick mother and child out just as the bitter Rocky Mountains winter sets in, he agrees to share the cabin until the spring thaw. But it isn't just the snow that slowly thaws; lonely man and woman soon forget their considerable dissimilarities and start developing a deep, if awkward and unstated, love for each another. Beyond this, Horace finds in Will the father he's never known, and Will finds in Horace the son he's never known he's wanted. The trio's little refuge is then invaded by Bible-quoting preacher Quint and his murderous family of "rawhiders", who'd earlier ...

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Plot Keywords:

west | cow | long night | leather | long underwear | 

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Taglines:

Grizzled. Tough. A Rawhider. A Loner. Look at him. You'd never know he could love... just as hard as he could hate!

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Genres:

Romance | Western

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

Various people said to Charlton Heston, as outlined in his 1995 autobiography, "In the Arena: An Autobiography", "That's maybe the best movie you ever made, Chuck, but if you'd taken the girl with you at the end, it would've made a ton of money, too."

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Goofs

When "preacher" Quint is shot in front of the line shack the rope attached to him to pull him backwards is very obvious and very noticeable.

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Quotes

Will Penny: I'm sure glad no one seen me do that. I'd be laughed off the place.
Catherine Allen: What? Milking?
Will Penny: No self-respectin' cowhand'd be caught dead milkin' a cow!
Catherine Allen: I won't tell anyone.
Will Penny: I sure won't go braggin' on it none.

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Connections

Referenced in 'Halloween': A Cut Above the Rest (2003)

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Soundtracks

The Lonely Rider
Music by David Raksin
Lyrics by Robert Wells
Sung by Don Cherry

User Reviews

Beautiful locations, natural acting and a very powerful script.

Charlton Heston gives a truly varied performance as the title character in a beautifully set film. Locations are stunning, and it shows the harsh and lonely existence of a true cowboy. Joan Hackett plays a restrained support and complements Heston wonderfully, with such a naturally acted film. Strong tension and unusual nerve and risqueness combine to produce a superb film which breaks away from the traditional cowboy image.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 April 1968 (USA)

Also Known As:

Will Penny

Filming Locations:

Old Tucson - 201 S. Kinney Road, Tucson, Arizona, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,400,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1