The Gauntlet (1977)

A hard but mediocre cop is assigned to escort a prostitute into custody from Las Vegas to Phoenix, so that she can testify in a mob trial. But a lot of people are literally betting that they won't make it into town alive.

Director:

Clint Eastwood

Writers:

Michael Butler, Dennis Shryack

Stars:

Clint Eastwood, Sondra Locke, Pat Hingle

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Clint Eastwood	...	Ben Shockley
Sondra Locke	...	Gus Mally
Pat Hingle	...	Josephson
William Prince	...	Blakelock
Bill McKinney	...	Constable
Michael Cavanaugh	...	Feyderspiel
Carole Cook	...	Waitress
Mara Corday	...	Jail Matron
Doug McGrath	...	Bookie (as Douglas McGrath)
Jeff Morris	...	Desk Sergeant
Samantha Doane	...	Biker
Roy Jenson	...	Biker
Dan Vadis	...	Biker
Carver Barnes	...	Bus Driver
Robert Barrett	...	Paramedic

Storyline

In Phoenix, the alcoholic and mediocre detective Ben Shockley is assigned by the Chief Commissary Blakelock to bring the witness Gus Mally from Las Vegas for a minor trial. Shockley travels to Vegas and finds that Gus Mally is an aggressive and intelligent prostitute with a college degree and she tells him that the odds are against her showing up in court. Shockley learns that she will actually testify against a powerful mobster and the mafia is chasing them trying to kill them both. He calls Blakelock and request a police escort from Phoenix to protect them. But soon he discovers that someone is betraying him in the police department. Now, Shockley and Malley hijack a bus and Shockley welds thick steel plates and transforms the cabin in an armored bus trying to reach the Forum. But they will need to drive through a gauntlet of police officers armed with heavy weapons.

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Plot Keywords:

road movie | cowboy hat | motorcycle chase | tough guy | one against many | 

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Taglines:

Clint Eastwood is the man in the middle of The Gauntlet

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 December 1977 (USA)

Also Known As:

Gauntlet

Filming Locations:

Florence, Arizona, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$5,500,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$35,400,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros.,The Malpaso Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

109 min

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film was originally set to star Marlon Brando and Barbra Streisand. Brando subsequently withdrew and was replaced by Steve McQueen, who later dropped out.

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Goofs

Whilst rousting the motorbike gang Eastwood's character claims to have 'my pretty green eyes', but as has been made famous in many a western close-up, Eastwood has blue-grey eyes.

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Quotes

Ben Shockley: On a scale of one to ten, I'd have to give her a two, and that's because I haven't seen a one before.

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Crazy Credits

A disclaimer at the end reads: "Law enforcement procedures depicted in this film do not necessarily represent those of any law enforcement agency mentioned herein."

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Connections

Referenced in True Romance (1993)

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Soundtracks

Just A Closer Walk with Thee
(uncredited)
Traditional

User Reviews

Unbelievable

There's only one small problem with this movie. It couldn't possibly happen.

What am I referring to specifically?

EVERYTHING!

Not one scene, not one line, not one event, not one moment of this movie, from the first frame to the last, is credible. None of this stuff could happen in the real world.

Hey Clint, if you wanted to give your lady friend an expensive present, you should have just bought her a car.