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 engine of the chopper in the motorcycle-helicopter chase sequence was built without an engine for the crash sequence. The scene where the helicopter gets entangled in some cables and crashes into a high-tension tower in the canyons about twenty-five miles outside Las Vegas cost 250,000 dollars. The sequence required about two dozen people to construct a 75-85 foot tower which ended up being exploded by the special effects crew.

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Goofs

When the bus approaches Josephson, his car is in the middle of the right lane. When they leave him, the car is almost over the line dividing the lanes.

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Quotes

Blakelock: Now, can you handle it, or do I have to write it out in braille and shove it up your ass?

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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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Alternate Versions

Back in 1978 Norwegian cinema version was cut to get an 16 rating, later video rental version and DVD version are uncut.

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Connections

Referenced in Skinned Alive (1990)

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Soundtracks

Just A Closer Walk with Thee
(uncredited)
Traditional

User Reviews

Planes, trains, and automobiles, and motorcycles, and a bus .......

Although "The Gauntlet" has maximum firepower, it makes minimum sense, so if you cannot suspend disbelief, skip this one. What I found most entertaining were some sharp conversations, like the motorcycle gang confrontation, and Sondra Locke's job description to the kidnapped constable. Unfortunately there are other less successful dialogs, like Locke's call to her Mother from the motel room, that do nothing but expand an already overlong running time. The stunts are also a mixed bag. There is a spectacular helicopter crash, and a brutal Clint Eastwood box car brawl, but the bus with hundreds of rounds pumped into it without blowing a tire is a real stretch. - MERK