Monte Walsh (1970)

An aging cowboy realizes that the West he knew and loved will soon be no more--and that there will be no room for him, either.

Director:

William A. Fraker

Writers:

Lukas Heller (screenplay), David Zelag Goodman (screenplay)

Stars:

Lee Marvin, Jeanne Moreau, Jack Palance

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Lee Marvin	...	Monte Walsh
Jeanne Moreau	...	Martine Bernard
Jack Palance	...	Chet Rollins
Mitchell Ryan	...	Shorty Austin
Jim Davis	...	Cal Brennan
G.D. Spradlin	...	Hal Henderson
John Hudkins	...	Sonny Jacobs
Raymond Guth	...	Sunfish Perkins (as Ray Guth)
John McKee	...	Petey Williams (as John R. McKee)
Michael Conrad	...	Dally Johnson
Tom Heaton	...	Sugar Wyman
Ted Gehring	...	Skimpy Eagans
Bo Hopkins	...	Jumpin' Joe Joslin
John McLiam	...	Fightin' Joe Hooker
Allyn Ann McLerie	...	Mary Eagle

Storyline

Monte Walsh is an aging cowboy facing the ending days of the Wild West era. As barbed wire and railways steadily eliminate the need for the cowboy, Monte and his friends are left with fewer and fewer options. New work opportunities are available to them, but the freedom of the open prairie is what they long for. Eventually, they all must say goodbye to the lives they knew, and try to make a new start.

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Plot Keywords:

revisionist western | arizona territory | arizona | two word title | horse riding | 

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Taglines:

Monte Walsh is what the West was all about.

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Genres:

Western

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Certificate:

PG-13

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 October 1970 (USA)

Also Known As:

Monty Walsh

Filming Locations:

Circle Z Ranch - 1476 Highway 82, Patagonia, Arizona, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$5,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cinema Center Films, Landers-Roberts Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Cinematographer William A. Fraker's directorial debut.

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Goofs

When Monte is breaking the Gray that Shorty never could break, a flank strap appears and disappears throughout the ride.

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Quotes

Monte Walsh: Cowboys don't get married, unless they stop being cowboys.

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Crazy Credits

"Introducing Mitchell Ryan"

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Connections

Edited into Go West, Young Man! (2003)

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Soundtracks

The Good Times Are Comin
Music by John Barry
Lyrics by Hal David
Sung by Cass Elliot (as Mama Cass)

User Reviews

I ain't spitting on my whole life.

Monte Walsh is the debut feature of cameraman-turned-director William A.Fraker. It stars Lee Marvin (Monte Walsh) & Jack Palance (Chet Rollins) as two ageing cowboys who find that the era of the cowpoke is coming to an end; and that work for them is now very hard to come by. Adapted by David Zelag Goodman & Lukas Heller from Jack Schaefer's novel, Monte Walsh is a gentle but astute telling of men who have outlived their time (think Will Penny/Ride The High Country). Though very sedate in pacing, and almost elegiac in tone, the film constantly remains interesting because the characters are so well written. That they are given quality portrayals by Marvin & Palance, the latter of which is nicely cast against type, is possibly of no surprise to most genre fans. But both actors push themselves to really make the film work, even exuding believability in the process. Thus when the story takes its potent laced turns we are with them all the way, for better or worse.

John Barry provides the music and the film opens with a delightful and ironic tune called "The Good Times Are Comin" sung by Mama Cass. The cinematography is by David M. Walsh, where he nicely manages to make the Tuscon part of the shoot blend with the emotional state of our protagonists. And decent support comes from Mitch Ryan too. There's also much humour in the piece, such as a cooks revenge that is laugh out loud funny. While there's action moments like a taming a bronco sequence to ensure the story is not solely interested in playing out as a sad atmospheric tale. But it's really all about Marvin and the character he plays, with Fraker guiding him to emotional depth, Marvin makes Monte Walsh an essential viewing for fans and interested newcomers alike. 7/10