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 | executor | manslaughter | huntsman | danger | 

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Taglines:

Savage pursuit in the wilderness!

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Crime | Thriller | Western

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

The name of the trading post store was the "W.W. Douglas Trading Post". Goods that the shop stocked according to its exterior sign included traps, guns, groceries, crockery, hardware, ammunition, tobacco, drugs, and medicine.

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Goofs

When the posse member puts his arm in the bear trap and it is bleeding you can see the blade bend when he pulls his arm out, because the blades are made of rubber.

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Quotes

Sergeant Edgar Millen: Purer fact is that he's running to save his hide, and every man he killed, he killed to protect himself.
Constable Alvin Adams: What about Hawkins or Sundog or any of them? What did any of them die for, Millen?
Sergeant Edgar Millen: Johnson didn't do anything I wouldn't do if I was in his boots. If I thought the killing would stop here, I'd let him go.

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Connections

Referenced in The Illustrated Man with John Solie (2011)

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Soundtracks

My Darling Clementine
(uncredited)
Traditional

User Reviews

Intriguing true story turned into an OK actioner

Charles Bronson has less than fifty words of dialogue in this film, since he spends most of it running through the snow on his own pursued by the mounties, but it is still one of his better films from the late seventies and early eighties era.

He plays the real life character Albert Johnson, a fur trapper who killed some people in a dispute over dogs and went on the run in territory which had never been crossed during the ferocious Arctic winter. He successfully got away from them, despite the fact that they had many men, dogs and even an aeroplane to help them to track him down.

This movie version is simple blood and thunder stuff, with a starry cast, some strong language and a handful of sparkling action sequences. It has weak points too, such as the wasted character played by Angie Dickinson, and a few slow patches in terms of pacing. However, when you think that Bronson was mainly working on such dross as The Evil That Men Do, Death Wish II, and Ten to Midnight at this point in his career, this is at least a slightly above-average film worthy of his rugged talents.

Details

Country:

Hong Kong USA

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:

1.33 : 1