The Hunting Party (1971)

A ruthless rancher, and his gang, use extremely long range rifles to kill the men who kidnapped his infidel wife.

Director:

Don Medford

Writers:

Gilbert Ralston (story) (as Gilbert Alexander), Lou Morheim (story)

Stars:

Oliver Reed, Candice Bergen, Gene Hackman

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Oliver Reed	...	Frank Calder
Gene Hackman	...	Brandt Ruger
Candice Bergen	...	Melissa Ruger
Simon Oakland	...	Matthew Gunn
Ronald Howard	...	Watt Nelson
L.Q. Jones	...	Hog Warren
Mitchell Ryan	...	Doc Harrison
William Watson	...	Jim Loring
G.D. Spradlin	...	Sam Bayard
Rayford Barnes	...	Crimp
Bernard Kay	...	Buford King
Richard Adams	...	Owney Clark
Dean Selmier	...	Collins
Sarah Atkinson	...	Redhead
Francesca Tu	...	Chinese Girl (as Francisca Tu)

Storyline

The rich and ruthless rancher Brandt Ruger keeps his beautiful young wife Melissa like a part of his property, subdued to his will. But one day she's kidnapped by the famous outlaw Frank Calder - just to teach him reading, so he tells her. Calder doesn't know or care who's wife she is. He takes care of her well, and eventually Melissa falls in love with him. But Ruger feels humiliated. Full of hate, he sets out to kill him - and Melissa too, if necessary. Together with his friends and the newest technology in guns, which carry 800 yards, he initiates a battue on Calder and his gang.

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Plot Keywords:

posse | 1970s | 70s | range | scope | 

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Taglines:

You're invited to a party... We'll play the deadliest game of all... Hunting, 26 Men and 1 Woman!

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Genres:

Action | Drama | Western

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 September 1971 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Cacería implacable

Filming Locations:

Guadin, Spain

Box Office

Budget:

$1,600,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Levy-Gardner-Laven, Brighton Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

111 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

UK censorship rules regarding cruelty to animals mean that the opening scene - in which a cow gets its throat cut - is removed from UK prints.

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Goofs

Hackman calls his rifle a Creedmore, when in fact closeups show it to be a Martini-Henry.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Melissa Ruger: Brandt. Stop! Brandt?
Brandt Ruger: Get dressed.
Melissa Ruger: Brandt, why do we...
Brandt Ruger: Get dressed!

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Alternate Versions

The British network version aired on BBC2 in 1999 had several cuts, including a close-up of a cow being slaughtered during the opening sequence, the ending of the scene with Brandt Ruger and the chinese prostitute (he forces her into the bed and tortures her with his cigar), the death of one of Ruger's friends and some horsefalls when Frank Calder ambushes the hunting party and some shots of Hog Warren beating Melissa during the attempted rape.

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Connections

Featured in The Honkers (1972)

User Reviews

metaphor, or how it was in the west?

Others see this film as bland or metaphorical. I saw it after considerable reading about the West as it truly was, not as a Zane Grey work of fiction or morality play. What I saw in this film was a fictional story powerfully based on accurate historical fact. Many of those facts are not pleasant or moral and violence is as much a part of this Western movie as it is of most others. What is unique here is the accurate inclusion of the actual methods and attitudes surrounding that violence. The Lone Ranger it is not. Neither is it metaphorical. My interest in, and modest knowledge of, the methods and technology of that time led me to be strongly involved when watching this movie. Some of the scenes brought out a strong feeling of dread: dreamlike realism. In that way, it is, in my mind, one of the most honest Westerns of all time.