Death Hunt (1981)

In 1931 Canada, Yukon trapper Johnson has a feud with a dog owner who later retaliates by publicly accusing Johnson of murder and thus triggering a police manhunt in the wilderness.

Director:

Peter R. Hunt (as Peter Hunt)

Writers:

Michael Grais, Mark Victor

Stars:

Charles Bronson, Lee Marvin, Andrew Stevens

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Charles Bronson	...	Albert Johnson
Lee Marvin	...	Millen
Andrew Stevens	...	Alvin
Carl Weathers	...	Sundog
Ed Lauter	...	Hazel
Scott Hylands	...	The Pilot
Angie Dickinson	...	Vanessa McBride
Henry Beckman	...	Bill Luce
William Sanderson	...	Ned Warren
Jon Cedar	...	Hawkins
James O'Connell	...	Hurley
Len Lesser	...	Lewis
Richard Davalos	...	Beeler (as Dick Davalos)
Maury Chaykin	...	Clarence
August Schellenberg	...	Deak De Bleargue

Storyline

Canada 1931: The unsociable trapper Johnson lives for himself in the ice-cold mountains near the Yukon river. During a visit in the town he witnesses a dog-fight. He interrupts the game and buys one of the dogs - almost dead already - for $200 against the owner's will. When the owner Hasel complains to Mountie Sergeant Millen, he refuses to take action. But then the loathing breeder and his friends accuse Johnson of murder. So Millen, although sympathetic, has to try to take him under arrest - but Johnson defends his freedom in every way possible.

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Plot Keywords:

fur | landscape | executor | manslaughter | huntsman | 

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Taglines:

The Saga Of Two Rivals Who Clash As Enemies And Triumph As Heroes.

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Crime | Thriller | Western

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA Hong Kong

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 May 1981 (USA)

Also Known As:

Arctic Rampage

Filming Locations:

Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Golden Harvest Company, Northshore Investments Ltd.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Because the word 'Death' appeared in this movie's Death Hunt (1981) title, the film evoked Charles Bronson's controversial earlier movie, Death Wish (1974). This movie was actually Bronson's first of two consecutive pictures to feature the word 'Death' in the title. Death Wish II (1982) was his next picture. Bronson made seven movies with this word in the title, five of them being in the 'Death Wish' franchise. "Messenger of Death" (aka "Avenging Angels") was another example [See: Messenger of Death (1988)]. The final time would be in Death Wish V: The Face of Death (1994), where the word "death" appeared twice.

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Goofs

When the plane is shot, it's sunny. When it crashes a few seconds later, it's much cloudier and darker, like late afternoon. After the crash, it's all sunny again.

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Quotes

Hawkins: [Playing "My Darling Clementine" on an accordion]
Deak De Bleargue: Hope you can fuck better than you can play.

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Connections

Featured in Death Hunt with Executive Producer Albert Ruddy (2013)

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Soundtracks

For You
Lyrics by Al Dubin
Music by Joseph A. Burke (as Joe Burke)
(c) 1930 Warner Bros. Inc.

User Reviews

Your father said the best part of you ran down your mamas leg.

Death Hunt is directed by Peter Hunt and written by Michael Grais and Mark Victor. It stars Charles Bronson, Lee Marvin, Carl Weathers, Ed Lauter, Andrew Stevens, Scott Hyland, Maury Chaykin and Angie Dickinson. Music is by Jerrold Immel and cinematography by James Devis.

Film is loosely based on the real "Mad Trapper" man hunt that occurred in the Yukon Territory, Canada, 1931.

Directed by the man who helmed On Her Majesty's Secret Service, and starring two of the iconic stars of The Dirty Dozen, it's no surprise to find Death Hunt full of machismo. What transpires is a two part movie, where time is afforded the set up for the first half, and the second half features the man hunt across the Yukon landscapes.

Plot basically sees Bronson as nomadic loner Albert Johnson (The Mad Trapper of lore), who rescues a severely injured dog from a dog fight held by baying locals, much to their displeasure. Unwisely tracking Johnson down and taking him on, one of their number is shot and killed. So in come the legal guys, the RCMP, led by grizzled old pro Edgar Millen (Marvin), who desperately tries to keep things in order as the situation quickly spirals out of control. As Johnson takes to the snowy terrain, with Millen and co in pursuit, a respect begins to form between the two wise heads, with Millen very much aware that there will be only one winner in this hunt.

So it goes, framed by lovely location photography, and with Bronson and Marvin doing what they do best, film plays out as a snowy chase and survive adventure. It's very much fictionalised from the real story, but some instances are real, including the incredible journey that Johnson undertook whilst fleeing his pursuers. Violence slots in and out of proceedings, as does moments of humour, and there's a nice grey area in the narrative that questions who you should be rooting for. In fact Marvin's characterisation of Millen is very enjoyable because he is irked by the cretins he finds himself hunting with.

Some of the support players are under written, so therefore underused, while Dickinson pops in only briefly and purely as a bit of sexy relief from the machismo on show. All told it's a safe and enjoyable movie for fans of the stars and fans of outdoor action/adventure/thrillers. Kind of like First Blood meets The Fugitive who then take Seraphim Falls out for a drink. Only, remember, this was before all those and it has Bronson and Marvin in the locker! 7/10