Lolly-Madonna XXX (1973)

In the early 1970s, a young woman passing through rural Tennessee unintentionally gets caught in a feud between two local neighboring clans, the Feathers and the Gutshalls.

Director:

Richard C. Sarafian

Writers:

Rodney Carr-Smith, Sue Grafton (novel)

Stars:

Rod Steiger, Robert Ryan, Jeff Bridges

Cast

Cast overview:
Rod Steiger	...	Laban Feather
Robert Ryan	...	Pap Gutshall
Jeff Bridges	...	Zack Feather
Scott Wilson	...	Thrush
Katherine Squire	...	Chickie Feather
Tresa Hughes	...	Elspeth Gutshall
Timothy Scott	...	Skylar Feather
Kiel Martin	...	Ludie Gutshall
Ed Lauter	...	Hawk Feather
Joan Goodfellow	...	Sister E. Gutshall
Season Hubley	...	Roonie Gill
Randy Quaid	...	Finch Feather
Gary Busey	...	Zeb
Paul Koslo	...	Villum Gutshall

Storyline

Two rustic families, headed by patriarchs Laban Feather and Pap Gutshall, are feuding. At first, it is comical, with just the sons of the two families playing tricks on each other. But soon the Feather boys decide to kidnap a girl. She turns out to be innocent bystander Roonie Gill, not the made-up girlfriend "Lolly Madonna." As events escalate, Zack Feather and Roonie fall in love and try to bring the others to their senses. Will Roonie discover Zack's dark secret, the reason for the painful feud between the two families which once were close friends?

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Plot Keywords:

allegory | vietnam war veteran | exploitation | patriarch | inspired by true events | 

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Taglines:

It's about feudin', fussin', fightin'...and lovin' Tennessee hill country style, and Lolly-Madonna started it all.

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

Based on the novel, "The Lolly Madonna War", by Sue Grafton, author of the popular "alphabet mysteries" featuring female Private Investigator Kinsey Millhone.

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Quotes

Roonie Gill: My name is Roonie Gill. I was just changing buses on my way to Nashville. Actually, I didn't care much where I was going. It just felt good to be on my own for the first time. I never heard of the Feather family or the Gutshalls before that. I found out later that Ludie Gutshall had planted a postcard in the Feather mailbox to get them away from the still. He signed it Lolly-Madonna - and that's who they thought I was. By the time I knew what was happening, there wasn't much I could do about it...

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Connections

Featured in The Moviemakers (1973)

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Soundtracks

Peaceful Country
Written by Kim Carnes and David Ellingson
Sung by Kim Carnes

User Reviews

An allegory for war, specifically Vietnam, with touching, memorable performances.

Two rustic families, headed by patriarchs Laban Feather (Rod Steiger)and Pap Gutshall (Robert Ryan), begin a feud. At first, it is comical, with the sons of the two families playing tricks on each other. One such trick gives the Feather boys the idea to kidnap a girl, who turns out to be innocent bystander Roonie, not the made-up girlfriend named Lolly Madonna. As events escalate, Jeff Bridges' character, Zack Feather, and Roonie fall in love and try to bring the others to their senses. What Roonie doesn't know is that Zack has a dark secret, which will explain why there is much real pain between the two families that once were close friends.

The plot really pushes forward in this movie, which I believe is in part an allegory for the mindlessness of war in general, and for Vietnam in particular (the Paris Peace Talks were about to start when the movie was released). The touching performances make you feel for and care about every character, from wannabe "Elvis" Hawk Feather (Ed Lauter) and his sensitive brother, Thrush Feather (Scott Wilson), both patriarchs, each with a different cross to bear, to the patient, wise, quietly suffering matriarchs (Tresa Hughes and Katherine Squire). Relative newcomers Jeff Bridges, Gary Busey and Season Hubley bring focus and hope to the film. Even the simple melodic score is perfect, coming forward at just the right time.

"Lolly-Madonna XXX" brings tears to my eyes every time I see it... and I'm no wimp!

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 December 1974 (Uruguay)

Also Known As:

The Story of Lolly-Madonna

Filming Locations:

Knoxville, Tennessee, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1