The Hunting Party (1971 film)
Encyclopedia
The Hunting Party is a violent 1971
American western film directed by Don Medford
and starring Oliver Reed
, Gene Hackman
, Candice Bergen
, Simon Oakland
and Ronald Howard
.
) and his wife, Melissa (Candice Bergen
) when he leaves for a two-week hunting trip with some of his wealthy friends.
Mistaking her for a schoolteacher, outlaw Frank Calder (Oliver Reed
) and his band of rustlers and thieves kidnap Melissa, not for ransom but because Calder wants to be taught how to read a book.
Traveling by luxurious private train, the hunting party engages in debauchery with women, one of whom Ruger sadistically abuses. Notified that his wife has been taken captive, Ruger arms his friends with high-powered rifles to begin a hunt not for animals but for men.
Calder twice must keep Melissa from being raped by his men. But eventually he overpowers and rapes her himself. Melissa tries to shoot and stab Calder and to flee, each time in vain. She goes on a hunger strike, but cannot resist the temptation of a jar of peaches. She begins to enjoy Calder's company.
Using rifles with telescopic sights that can allow shooting a target at 800 yards, Ruger and his men begin to pick off the outlaws one by one. Melissa also stabs one, Hog Warren (L.Q. Jones), after he attempts a second time to rape her. Calder charges within close range and is able to shoot one of Ruger's men. Two others quit the hunting party when they see Ruger's lack of concern over their friend's death.
Calder's men become upset to discover that they have kidnapped such a powerful man's wife, placing them in danger for no good reason. The men revolt and Calder kills one. When his own best friend, Doc (Mitchell Ryan
), is gravely wounded, Calder obeys a last request to put Doc out of his misery.
On his death bed, Hog Warren further angers Ruger by telling him Melissa is now Calder's woman. In yet another ambush, Ruger sees for himself that Melissa, rather than trying to escape, leaps onto Calder's horse voluntarily to ride off with him. Ruger's last remaining ally, Matthew (Simon Oakland
), implores him to let her go, but the crazed Ruger pays no mind.
The last of Calder's men are gunned down from long-range at a water hole. Alone now, Calder and Melissa are driven out into the desert. Weak from heat and thirst, their horse dead, they stumble toward an inevitable fate. Ruger materializes on foot. He fatally shoots Calder with his rifle, then does the same to his wife. Ruger collapses in the sand by their side.
1971 in film
The year 1971 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*February 8 - Bob Dylan's hour long documentary film, Eat the Document, premieres at New York's Academy of Music...
American western film directed by Don Medford
Don Medford
Donald Muller , known professionally as Don Medford, is an American television director who directed over 75 TV series between 1951 and 1989, and who also directed three movies....
and starring Oliver Reed
Oliver Reed
Oliver Reed was an English actor known for his burly screen presence. Reed exemplified his real-life macho image in "tough guy" roles...
, Gene Hackman
Gene Hackman
Eugene Allen "Gene" Hackman is an American actor and novelist.Nominated for five Academy Awards, winning two, Hackman has also won three Golden Globes and two BAFTAs in a career that spanned five decades. He first came to fame in 1967 with his performance as Buck Barrow in Bonnie and Clyde...
, Candice Bergen
Candice Bergen
Candice Patricia Bergen is an American actress and former fashion model.She is known for starring in two TV series, as the title character on the situation comedy Murphy Brown , for which she won five Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards; and as Shirley Schmidt on the comedy-drama Boston Legal...
, Simon Oakland
Simon Oakland
Simon Oakland was an American actor of stage, screen, and television.-Early life and career:Oakland was born in Brooklyn, New York City. He began his performing arts career as a musician . He began his acting career in the late 1940s...
and Ronald Howard
Ronald Howard (British actor)
Ronald Howard was an English actor and writer best known in the U.S. for starring in a weekly Sherlock Holmes television series in 1954. He was the son of actor Leslie Howard.- Life and work :...
.
Plot
Relations are strained between cattle baron Brandt Ruger (Gene HackmanGene Hackman
Eugene Allen "Gene" Hackman is an American actor and novelist.Nominated for five Academy Awards, winning two, Hackman has also won three Golden Globes and two BAFTAs in a career that spanned five decades. He first came to fame in 1967 with his performance as Buck Barrow in Bonnie and Clyde...
) and his wife, Melissa (Candice Bergen
Candice Bergen
Candice Patricia Bergen is an American actress and former fashion model.She is known for starring in two TV series, as the title character on the situation comedy Murphy Brown , for which she won five Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards; and as Shirley Schmidt on the comedy-drama Boston Legal...
) when he leaves for a two-week hunting trip with some of his wealthy friends.
Mistaking her for a schoolteacher, outlaw Frank Calder (Oliver Reed
Oliver Reed
Oliver Reed was an English actor known for his burly screen presence. Reed exemplified his real-life macho image in "tough guy" roles...
) and his band of rustlers and thieves kidnap Melissa, not for ransom but because Calder wants to be taught how to read a book.
Traveling by luxurious private train, the hunting party engages in debauchery with women, one of whom Ruger sadistically abuses. Notified that his wife has been taken captive, Ruger arms his friends with high-powered rifles to begin a hunt not for animals but for men.
Calder twice must keep Melissa from being raped by his men. But eventually he overpowers and rapes her himself. Melissa tries to shoot and stab Calder and to flee, each time in vain. She goes on a hunger strike, but cannot resist the temptation of a jar of peaches. She begins to enjoy Calder's company.
Using rifles with telescopic sights that can allow shooting a target at 800 yards, Ruger and his men begin to pick off the outlaws one by one. Melissa also stabs one, Hog Warren (L.Q. Jones), after he attempts a second time to rape her. Calder charges within close range and is able to shoot one of Ruger's men. Two others quit the hunting party when they see Ruger's lack of concern over their friend's death.
Calder's men become upset to discover that they have kidnapped such a powerful man's wife, placing them in danger for no good reason. The men revolt and Calder kills one. When his own best friend, Doc (Mitchell Ryan
Mitchell Ryan
Mitchell Ryan is an American actor most recently known for playing Edward Montgomery on the sitcom Dharma & Greg. He also worked with his on-screen wife from Dharma & Greg, Susan Sullivan, in the short-lived series Julie Farr, M.D..Ryan was born in Cincinnati, Ohio and raised in Louisville,...
), is gravely wounded, Calder obeys a last request to put Doc out of his misery.
On his death bed, Hog Warren further angers Ruger by telling him Melissa is now Calder's woman. In yet another ambush, Ruger sees for himself that Melissa, rather than trying to escape, leaps onto Calder's horse voluntarily to ride off with him. Ruger's last remaining ally, Matthew (Simon Oakland
Simon Oakland
Simon Oakland was an American actor of stage, screen, and television.-Early life and career:Oakland was born in Brooklyn, New York City. He began his performing arts career as a musician . He began his acting career in the late 1940s...
), implores him to let her go, but the crazed Ruger pays no mind.
The last of Calder's men are gunned down from long-range at a water hole. Alone now, Calder and Melissa are driven out into the desert. Weak from heat and thirst, their horse dead, they stumble toward an inevitable fate. Ruger materializes on foot. He fatally shoots Calder with his rifle, then does the same to his wife. Ruger collapses in the sand by their side.
Cast
| Frank Calder | |
| Gene Hackman Gene Hackman Eugene Allen "Gene" Hackman is an American actor and novelist.Nominated for five Academy Awards, winning two, Hackman has also won three Golden Globes and two BAFTAs in a career that spanned five decades. He first came to fame in 1967 with his performance as Buck Barrow in Bonnie and Clyde... |
Brandt Ruger |
| Candice Bergen Candice Bergen Candice Patricia Bergen is an American actress and former fashion model.She is known for starring in two TV series, as the title character on the situation comedy Murphy Brown , for which she won five Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards; and as Shirley Schmidt on the comedy-drama Boston Legal... |
Melissa Ruger |
| Simon Oakland Simon Oakland Simon Oakland was an American actor of stage, screen, and television.-Early life and career:Oakland was born in Brooklyn, New York City. He began his performing arts career as a musician . He began his acting career in the late 1940s... |
Matthew Gunn |
| Ronald Howard Ronald Howard (British actor) Ronald Howard was an English actor and writer best known in the U.S. for starring in a weekly Sherlock Holmes television series in 1954. He was the son of actor Leslie Howard.- Life and work :... |
Watt Nelson |
| L.Q. Jones | Hog Warren |
| Mitchell Ryan Mitchell Ryan Mitchell Ryan is an American actor most recently known for playing Edward Montgomery on the sitcom Dharma & Greg. He also worked with his on-screen wife from Dharma & Greg, Susan Sullivan, in the short-lived series Julie Farr, M.D..Ryan was born in Cincinnati, Ohio and raised in Louisville,... |
Doc Harrison |
| William Watson William Watson William Watson may refer to:*W. Marvin Watson , U.S. Postmaster General*William E. Watson, military historian*William H. Watson , Mexican-American War soldier from Maryland*William J. Watson... |
Jim Loring |
| G.D. Spradlin | Sam Bayard |
| Rayford Barnes Rayford Barnes Rayford Barnes was an American film and TV character actor from Whitesboro, Texas who appeared in films, mainly westerns, such as Hondo, The Young Guns, The Burning Hills, The Wild Bunch, Fort Massacre, and Cahill U.S. Marshal... |
Crimp |
| Bernard Kay Bernard Kay Bernard Kay is a British actor with an extensive theatre, television and film repertoire.Kay began his working life as a reporter on Bolton Evening News, and a stringer for The Manchester Guardian. He was conscripted in 1946 and started acting in the army... |
Buford King |
| Richard Adams | Owney Clark |
| Dean Selmier | Collins |
| Sarah Atkinson Sarah Atkinson Sarah Atkinson was an Irish writer, biographer, essayist and philanthropist.-Biography:She was the eldest daughter of John and Anne Gaynor, of Athlone, County Roscommon. At the age of fifteen she moved with her family to Dublin... |
Redhead |
| Fransesca Tu | Chinese girl |