The Quick and the Dead (1987)

A mysterious stranger rides into a homesteading family's life when they are attacked by a ruthless gang.

Director:

Robert Day

Writers:

Louis L'Amour (novel), James Lee Barrett (teleplay)

Stars:

Sam Elliott, Tom Conti, Kate Capshaw

2 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Sam Elliott	...	Con Vallian
Tom Conti	...	Duncan McKaskel
Kate Capshaw	...	Susanna McKaskel
Kenny Morrison	...	Tom McKaskel
Matt Clark	...	Doc Shabitt
Patrick Kilpatrick	...	The Ute
Jerry Potter	...	Red Hayle
Billy Streater	...	Ike Mantle
Del Shores	...	Purdy Mantle
R.L. Tolbert	...	Johnny Dobbs
Jeffrey Meyer	...	Butcher McCloud (as Jeffrey M. Meyer)
Kurt D. Lott	...	Lenny Shabitt
Hardy Rawls	...	Joy the Blacksmith
Larry Sellers	...	Running Wolf
Bill Stedman	...	Bartender

Storyline

Duncan and Susanna McKaskel are a young married couple travelling to the West with their son, hoping to start a new life. Along the way, they stop in a small town where they meet a gang of bandits led by Doc Shabitt. After Duncan unintentionally angers the gang, he and Susanna flee the town, but Shabitt leads his men in pursuit of revenge. A mysterious stranger by the name of Con Vallian soon begins helping the family as they try to find a new home and protects them from Shabitt's gang.

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Plot Keywords:

holed up in shack | man with no name | mysterious stranger | stranger | mysterious | 

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Genres:

Western

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 February 1987 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Quick and the Dead

Filming Locations:

Flagstaff, Arizona, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

HBO Pictures, Home Box Office (HBO), Joseph Cates Company

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Shot in the Coconino National Forest in Arizona, where The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams (1977) was also filmed.

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Goofs

Wend Con kills the man in the red rock cliffs, he is still breathing when Doc Shabitt and his gang find him, he is still breathing.

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Quotes

Con Vallian: You shoulda made sure, Injun.

User Reviews

Hackneyed plot with mature insights and surprises

RELEASED IN 1987 and directed by Robert Day, "The Quick and the Dead" is a made-for-HBO Western starring Sam Elliott as Con Vallian, a mysterious stranger who helps a family heading West with their conflict with a group of ne'er-do-wells. Vallian's desire is piqued by the wife (Kate Capshaw) and the interest seems mutual. Will the family make it to the Bighorn Mountains alive-and-well or will violence and adultery destroy them?

If you don't remember Kate Capshaw, she was the blond in 1984's "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" and later married director Steven Spielberg.

In any event, I was impressed with this little-known Western. Although made for cable, it's based on a Louis L'Armour book and is actually better than some theatrically released Westerns. There are some flaws, like the kid's questionable acting skills and the fact that the film was noticeably shot in Northern Arizona rather than Eastern Wyoming, but -- all things considered -- this is a solid realistic Western in the tradition of "Shane" and "Will Penny." Don't expect the mythic spaghetti tone of 1995's big-budget Western of the same name.

Highlights include the breathtaking cinematography, a believable and mature tone, Kate's beauty, a hackneyed plot redeemed by quality characters (like Tom Conti as the settler husband/father), insightful drama & plot surprises and, of course, Sam Elliott as the quintessential Westerner. Really, Elliott is as good or – more likely – better than any Western icon you care to name (Wayne, Eastwood, Cooper, Scott, Stewart, Costner, etc.).

There are mature and insightful themes, like the undeniable connection of Vallian and Susanna. Most of us can relate: You stumble across someone of the opposite sex and instinctively sense a palpable connection, some kind of profound mutual fascination, yet—for whatever reason—pursuing an intimate relationship is not an option. In an entire lifetime you will only experience a handful such 'connections,' or less. These exchanges are permanent because they are so potent they are forever burned into one's psyche.

"The Quick and the Dead" may not be a top-notch Western like "Dances With Wolves" or "The Outlaw Josey Wales," but it's certainly a quality Western and well worth your time.

THE MOVIE RUNS 91 minutes.

GRADE: B