Little Fauss and Big Halsy (1970)

A story of two motorcycle racers, the inept, unsuspecting Little Fauss (Michael J. Pollard) and the opportunistic, womanizing Halsey Knox (Redford).

Director:

Sidney J. Furie

Writer:

Charles Eastman

Stars:

Robert Redford, Michael J. Pollard, Lauren Hutton

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 2 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Robert Redford	...	Halsy Knox
Michael J. Pollard	...	Little Fauss
Lauren Hutton	...	Rita Nebraska
Noah Beery Jr.	...	Seally Fauss (as Noah Beery)
Lucille Benson	...	'Mom' Fauss
Ray Ballard	...	The Photographer
Linda Gaye Scott	...	Moneth
Erin O'Reilly	...	Sylvene McFall
Ben Archibek	...	Rick Nifty (as Benjamin Archibek)

Storyline

A story of two motorcycle racers, the inept, unsuspecting Little Fauss (Michael J. Pollard) and the opportunistic, womanizing Halsey Knox (Redford).

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Plot Keywords:

bare chested male | hairy chest | homosexual subtext | public nudity | female nudity | 

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Taglines:

He's mean, rotten, thieving, a womanizer. You're going to love Big Halsy.

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 October 1970 (USA)

Also Known As:

L'ultime randonnée

Filming Locations:

Ascot Park Speedway - 18601 S. Vermont Avenue, Gardena, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Alfran Productions,Furie Productions,Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In Robert Redford's biography, he called Little Fauss and Big Halsy "the best script of any film I've ever done." He was, however, somewhat less than thrilled with the film when it did not live up to its expectations at the box-office. However, when the film premiered on television around the time Redford was shooting All the President's Men (1976), he confided in Alan J. Pakula that he resented its television broadcast because, after years of successful films, he was less than enthusiastic about Little Fauss and Big Halsy, which he considered a stain on his filmography. Pakula told Redford that the film showcases one of the best performances the star had ever given, stating that his performance in it was "the last unself-conscious revelation of the actor's real-life edge." The film is also Redford's son Jamie's favorite of all his father's films.

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Goofs

When they are broken down and they are chatting at the back of the pickup, they are shown in profile with Halsey in the background. Past Halsey, deeper in the background, there is a constant stream of vehicles on what is obviously a major thoroughfare. Then the camera pans to a long shot showing them sitting in the rain. This long shot also shows the surrounding countryside and they are on an isolated dirt road with no major thoroughfare around.

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Quotes

Little Fauss: I was going faster than I ever went in my whole life, then I fell off.

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Connections

Referenced in Mystery Science Theater 3000: Master Ninja II (1992)

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Soundtracks

Movin'
Written and Performed by Johnny Cash

User Reviews

A few laughs, though far between

Watch this if you like films where a beloved, sainted, actor in a later days, has gotten to that pinnacle by taking his share of poorly-produced, box-office miss-steps, accepting the part of a genuine heel--a character seeing very little benefit in having any integrity-- maybe Redford saw himself accepting those roles? Johnny Cash sings some vocals written for this film that probably did him about the same amount of good that the film did for Redford. Michael Pollard's part, however, as someone learning not to accept the role of the "blame-catcher" is entirely believable. Parts of movie are amusing, but probably not to women that envision Redford as a likable person.