Man in the Wilderness (1971)

Left for dead after a bear attack, a fur-trapper exacts revenge on his fellow companions who abandoned him in dangerous Indian territory.

Director:

Richard C. Sarafian

Writer:

Jack DeWitt (as Jack De Witt)

Stars:

Richard Harris, John Huston, Henry Wilcoxon

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Richard Harris	...	Zachary Bass
John Huston	...	Captain Henry
Henry Wilcoxon	...	Indian Chief
Percy Herbert	...	Fogarty
Dennis Waterman	...	Lowrie
Prunella Ransome	...	Grace
Sheila Raynor	...	Grace's Mother
Norman Rossington	...	Ferris
James Doohan	...	Benoit
Bryan Marshall	...	Potts
Ben Carruthers	...	Longbow
Robert Russell	...	Smith
John Bindon	...	Coulter
Bruce M. Fischer	...	Wiser
Dean Selmier	...	Russell

Storyline

In the early 1800's, a group of fur trappers and Indian traders are returning with their goods to civilisation and are making a desperate attempt to beat the oncoming winter. When guide Zachary Bass is injured in a bear attack, they decide he's a goner and leave him behind to die. When he recovers instead, he swears revenge on them and tracks them and their paranoiac expedition leader down.

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Plot Keywords:

tracks | fur | fur trapper | winter | 1800s | 

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Taglines:

He's dead, they thought. He's dead, they hoped.

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | Western

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Certificate:

GP

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 December 1971 (Sweden)

Also Known As:

Ein Mann in der Wildnis

Filming Locations:

Coconino National Forest, Arizona, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Limbridge, Wilderness Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Zachary (Richard Harris (I)) is based on real-life mountain man Hugh Glass. One of the two men left behind to await Glass' death was a very young Jim Bridger.

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Goofs

There is a closeup (two, possibly) of the younger of the two men who were left with Zach Bass. They are hiding from the Indians, before Bass is left for dead. He is looking down the barrel of his flintlock musket (or rifle) and there is no flint in the cock, which would make it impossible for the arm to fire.

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Quotes

Fogarty: Look at him up there. I tell ya, it gives me the creeps. The way he keeps staring off, like he was expecting Zach Bass' ghost to come walkin' out of them woods. It ain't natural, I tell ya.

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Connections

Version of The Revenant (2015)

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Soundtracks

Zach Makes His Bed
Composed by Johnny Harris
Courtesy of Warner Bros. Records

User Reviews

raw and gutsy

I was very saddened to read that Richard Harris died. He was a very fine actor who left an outstanding body of work. Man In The Wilderness really showcases this remarkable actors talent. Its based on a true story about Hugh Glass (here called Zack Bass) a man on a trapping expedition torn apart by a bear and left for dead. He travels miles and miles to get revenge(Jim Bridger was one of the men who left him). I'm amazed this man lived after such a savage attack and being left to die. Bass did some unusual first aid on himself, he rolled in maggots so they would eat the dead flesh off his body. This film has got an outstanding opening score. Its one of the best I ever heard. Harris's challenge is that he doesn't have a lot of dialogue and has to act like he is crippled and in pain for most of the film. John Huston is also fine as the sinister leader of the expedition who leaves him for dead.