Jeremiah Johnson (1972)

A mountain man who wishes to live the life of a hermit becomes the unwilling object of a long vendetta by Indians, and proves to be a match for their warriors in one-on-one combat on the early frontier.

Director:

Sydney Pollack

Writers:

Vardis Fisher (novel), Raymond W. Thorp (story "Crow Killer")

Stars:

Robert Redford, Will Geer, Delle Bolton

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Robert Redford	...	Jeremiah Johnson
Will Geer	...	Bear Claw
Delle Bolton	...	Swan
Josh Albee	...	Caleb
Joaquín Martínez	...	Paints His Shirt Red (as Joaquin Martinez)
Allyn Ann McLerie	...	Crazy Woman
Stefan Gierasch	...	Del Gue
Richard Angarola	...	Chief Two-Tongues Lebeaux
Paul Benedict	...	Reverend Lindquist
Charles Tyner	...	Robidoux
Jack Colvin	...	Lieutenant Mulvey
Matt Clark	...	Qualen

Storyline

During the mid-nineteenth century, Jeremiah Johnson, after a stint in the US Army, decides that he would prefer a life of solitude and more importantly peace by living with nature in the mountains of the frontier of the American west. This plan entails finding a piece of land upon which to build a house. This quest ends up being not quite what he envisioned as he does require the assistance of others to find his footing, and in turn he amasses friends and acquaintances along the way, some who become more a part of his life than he would have imagined. Perhaps most importantly, some of those people provide him with the knowledge of how to co-exist with some of the many Indian tribes, most importantly the Crow, on whose land in Colorado Jeremiah ultimately decides to build his home. But an act by Jeremiah upon a request by the US Cavalry leads to a chain of events that may forever change the peaceful relationship he worked so hard to achieve with his neighbors and their land.

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Plot Keywords:

native american | mountain man | trapper | hermit | rocky mountains | 

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Taglines:

His Mountain. His Peace. His Great Hunts. His Young Bride. With All That, It Should Have Been Different.

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | Western

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Certificate:

GP

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Crow French

Release Date:

10 September 1972 (Sweden)

Also Known As:

Crow Killer

Filming Locations:

Kayenta, Arizona, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$3,100,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$47,742,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Sanford Productions (III), Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min 116 min (long)

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) Mono (35 mm prints) Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to Sydney Pollack, in the original script, Johnson was a "Paul Bunyan type who ate trees."

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Goofs

Throughout the film gunshots are heard as a modern high velocity (crack sound as the bullet is supersonic) rather than the boom of a subsonic blackpowder firearm. Also, the firearm smoke is minimal (modern smokeless powder) modern smokless powder wasn't available until about 1890.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Narrator: His name was Jeremiah Johnson, and they say he wanted to be a mountain man. The story goes that he was a man of proper wit and adventurous spirit, suited to the mountains. Nobody knows whereabouts he come from and don't seem to matter much. He was a young man and ghosty stories about the tall hills didn't scare him none. He was looking for a Hawken gun, .50 caliber or better. He settled for a .30, but damn, it was a genuine Hawken, and you couldn't go no better. Bought him a good ...

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Alternate Versions

DVD release restores the overture and the exit music which were deleted from the VHS releases.

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Connections

Referenced in Orphan Black: The Few Who Dare (2017)

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Soundtracks

Shall We Gather at the River
(uncredited)
Written by Robert Lowry
Performed by Allyn Ann McLerie and Robert Redford

User Reviews

Great Father and Son Movie

This is one of my all time favorite movies and evokes so much emotion from my childhood. My father and I have watched this movie at least 10 times together and it never gets boring. It reminds me of my days when we used to go on hikes in the woods and we would sing the theme song with me in my little coonskin (it's fake for all you animal lovers) cap. I just cannot get enough of this movie. It grows on my every time I watch it. It is one of if not the best Robert Redford movie ever. He does a fantastic job in this movie. The scenery is beautiful and makes me wish I was there in that unspoiled area. The dialogue, though there is very little compared to other movies, is brilliant. The old adage quality not quantity fits this movie to a tee. There are numerous one liners that have been incorporated into my everday vocabulary. "You cook good rabbit pilgrim." "....the Rocky Mountains are the marrow of the world..." "Watch your top notch." "Watch Yur'n." I could go on and on. Each character is colorful in it's own distinct way, making even the most insignificant ones unforgettable. The theme music is both haunting and beautiful and I've been looking to buy or download the soundtrack so if anyone knows where I could send me an e-mail. Not only does this movie have great characters,acting, dialogue, music, and scenery, but it also is filled with action and has several interjections of humor. I feel as though this is one of the greatest movies of all time and the special moments you share with your family watching it, just make this movie even better. (A 9/10).