The Grey Fox (film)
Encyclopedia
The Grey Fox is a 1982
Canadian film written by John Hunter and directed by Phillip Borsos
. It is based on the true story of Bill Miner
, an American
stagecoach
robber
who staged Canada's first train robbery
on September 10, 1904. The film stars Richard Farnsworth
as Miner. The cast also features Jackie Burroughs
, Ken Pogue
, Wayne Robson
, Gary Reineke and Timothy Webber.
, and is inspired to copy it in real life. After several unsuccessful attempts, he achieves his goal and hides out in a mining town in British Columbia
, becoming a respectable resident. There, he meets and falls in love with early feminist and photographer Katherine Flynn (Jackie Burroughs). He considers settling down with her, but one last robbery proves to be his downfall.
, a charitable non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the preservation of Canada’s audio-visual heritage. However, it is still not available on DVD.
At the 4th Genie Awards
in 1983, The Grey Fox was nominated for thirteen awards and won seven:
Further recognition for Farnsworth included a Golden Globe Award
nomination for "Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama".
It has also been listed in the Toronto International Film Festival
's TIFF List of Canada's Top Ten Films of All Time in 1984 and 1993.
praised the film as "a lovely adventure" and gave it 3 stars. Rotten Tomatoes
gave it a rare 100% fresh rating.
1982 in film
-Events:* March 26 = I Ought to Be in Pictures, starring Walter Matthau, Ann-Margret and Dinah Manoff is released. Manoff would not appear in another movie until 1987's Backfire.* June = PG-rated film E.T...
Canadian film written by John Hunter and directed by Phillip Borsos
Phillip Borsos
Phillip Borsos was Canadian film director and film producer.Borsos showed an early interest in film-making while attending high school in Maple Ridge, B.C...
. It is based on the true story of Bill Miner
Bill Miner
Ezra Allen Miner , more popularly known as Bill Miner, was a noted American criminal, originally from Bowling Green, Kentucky, who served several prison terms for stagecoach robbery. Known for his unusual politeness while committing robberies, he was widely nicknamed The Gentleman Robber or The...
, an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
stagecoach
Stagecoach
A stagecoach is a type of covered wagon for passengers and goods, strongly sprung and drawn by four horses, usually four-in-hand. Widely used before the introduction of railway transport, it made regular trips between stages or stations, which were places of rest provided for stagecoach travelers...
robber
Robbery
Robbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take something of value by force or threat of force or by putting the victim in fear. At common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the person of that property, by means of force or fear....
who staged Canada's first train robbery
Train robbery
Train robbery is a type of robbery, in which the goal is to steal money or other valuables being carried aboard trains.-History:Train robberies were more common in the past than today, and often occurred in the American Old West. Trains carrying payroll shipments were a major target...
on September 10, 1904. The film stars Richard Farnsworth
Richard Farnsworth
Richard W. Farnsworth was an American actor and stuntman. His film career began in 1937; however, he achieved his greatest success for his performances in The Grey Fox and The Straight Story , for which he received a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Actor.- Early life :Farnsworth was born...
as Miner. The cast also features Jackie Burroughs
Jackie Burroughs
Jacqueline "Jackie" Burroughs was an English-born Canadian actress.-Life and career:Born in Lancashire, England, Burroughs acted in live theatre at Ontario's Stratford Festival...
, Ken Pogue
Ken Pogue
Ken Pogue is a Canadian actor.He is married to the actress Diana Barrington. His first motion picture role in 1973 was in The Neptune Factor. He almost drowned in SCUBA gear. He worked at the Stratford Festival and St. Lawrence Centre in the 1960s through 1980s before moving to television and film...
, Wayne Robson
Wayne Robson
Wayne Robson was a Canadian television, film and stage actor best known for playing the part of Mike Hamar, an ex-convict and sometime thief, on the Canadian sitcom The Red Green Show from 1993 to 2006, as well as in the 2002 film Duct Tape Forever.Robson was born in Vancouver, British Columbia...
, Gary Reineke and Timothy Webber.
Plot
Stagecoach robber Bill Miner (Richard Farnsworth) is caught and sent to prison for 33 years. He is finally released in 1901. He wanders around, a man out of place in the new century, until he sees one of the first movies, The Great Train RobberyThe Great Train Robbery (1903 film)
The Great Train Robbery is a 1903 American action Western film by Edwin S. Porter. Twelve minutes long, it is considered a milestone in film making, expanding on Porter's previous work Life of an American Fireman. The film used a number of innovative techniques including cross cutting, double...
, and is inspired to copy it in real life. After several unsuccessful attempts, he achieves his goal and hides out in a mining town in British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, becoming a respectable resident. There, he meets and falls in love with early feminist and photographer Katherine Flynn (Jackie Burroughs). He considers settling down with her, but one last robbery proves to be his downfall.
Cast
- Richard FarnsworthRichard FarnsworthRichard W. Farnsworth was an American actor and stuntman. His film career began in 1937; however, he achieved his greatest success for his performances in The Grey Fox and The Straight Story , for which he received a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Actor.- Early life :Farnsworth was born...
as Bill Miner / George Edwards - Jackie BurroughsJackie BurroughsJacqueline "Jackie" Burroughs was an English-born Canadian actress.-Life and career:Born in Lancashire, England, Burroughs acted in live theatre at Ontario's Stratford Festival...
as Katherine 'Kate' Flynn - Ken PogueKen PogueKen Pogue is a Canadian actor.He is married to the actress Diana Barrington. His first motion picture role in 1973 was in The Neptune Factor. He almost drowned in SCUBA gear. He worked at the Stratford Festival and St. Lawrence Centre in the 1960s through 1980s before moving to television and film...
as Jack Budd - Wayne RobsonWayne RobsonWayne Robson was a Canadian television, film and stage actor best known for playing the part of Mike Hamar, an ex-convict and sometime thief, on the Canadian sitcom The Red Green Show from 1993 to 2006, as well as in the 2002 film Duct Tape Forever.Robson was born in Vancouver, British Columbia...
as Shorty (William) Dunn - Timothy Webber as Sergeant Fernie
- Gary Reineke as Pinkerton Detective Seavy
Awards
The Grey Fox has been designated and preserved as a "masterwork" by the Audio-Visual Preservation Trust of CanadaAudio-Visual Preservation Trust of Canada
The Audio-Visual Preservation Trust of Canada was a charitable non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the preservation of Canada’s audio-visual heritage, and to facilitating access to regional and national collections through partnerships with members of Canada's audio-visual community...
, a charitable non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the preservation of Canada’s audio-visual heritage. However, it is still not available on DVD.
At the 4th Genie Awards
4th Genie Awards
The 4th annual Genie Awards were held March 23, 1983 at the Royal Alexandra Theatre in Toronto. There ceremony was hosted by comedian Dave Thomas.-Award winners:Best PictureWinner: The Grey Fox, Peter O'BrianOther Nominees:...
in 1983, The Grey Fox was nominated for thirteen awards and won seven:
- Best Picture
- Best Director (Borsos)
- Best Foreign Actor (Farnsworth)
- Best Supporting Actress (Burroughs)
- Best Original Screenplay (Hunter)
- Best Art Direction (Bill Brodie)
- Best Musical Score (Michael Conway BakerMichael Conway BakerMichael Conway Baker is a Canadian composer and music educator of American birth. He became a naturalized Canadian citizen in 1970 and has resided more or less continuously in the Vancouver area since....
)
Further recognition for Farnsworth included a Golden Globe Award
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign...
nomination for "Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama".
It has also been listed in the Toronto International Film Festival
Toronto International Film Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival is a publicly-attended film festival held each September in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In 2010, 339 films from 59 countries were screened at 32 screens in downtown Toronto venues...
's TIFF List of Canada's Top Ten Films of All Time in 1984 and 1993.
Critical reaction
Roger EbertRoger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
praised the film as "a lovely adventure" and gave it 3 stars. Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
gave it a rare 100% fresh rating.