The Whole Shootin' Match
Encyclopedia
The Whole Shootin' Match is a 1978
American
independent film
directed and co-written by Eagle Pennell
and starring Sonny Carl Davis, Lou Perryman
and Doris Hargrave. The Black-and-white
film
was originally shot in 16 mm. The film was restored and distributed on DVD
by Watchmaker Films in 2006
. Production wrapped in December 1977 and Pennell started entering the movie in film festival
s in 1978.
in March 1978. It was well received by the festival audience and the trade publication Hollywood Reporter gave the film good coverage. Pennell made a deal with New Line Cinema
for a limited release in the summer 0f 1978 in New York City
and to art-house theaters
and college campuses.
After the film opened, it was selected for the U.S. Film Festival in Salt Lake City, Utah
in September. It received a special second prize from the jury
. The film left a marked impression on festival attendee, Robert Redford, who remarked years later that the movie was an inspiration for starting the Sundance Institute
.
In April 1979, the film was shown as part of the New Directors/New Films series at the Museum of Modern Art
in New York City. Based on more glowing reviews from the series New Line re-released the movie into theaters that fall.
1978 in film
The year 1978 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* February 1 - Bob Dylan's film Renaldo and Clara, a documentary of the "Rolling Thunder Revue" tour premieres in Los Angeles, California....
American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
independent film
Independent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
directed and co-written by Eagle Pennell
Eagle Pennell
Eagle Pennell was an American independent filmmaker. His film The Whole Shootin' Match is often credited with inspiring Robert Redford to start the Sundance Institute....
and starring Sonny Carl Davis, Lou Perryman
Lou Perryman
Louis Byron "Lou" Perryman , also known as Lou Perry, was an American character actor. He acted in a number of small roles both on television and in films such as The Blues Brothers, Poltergeist, Boys Don't Cry and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2.He was a film crew member on the original Texas...
and Doris Hargrave. The Black-and-white
Black-and-white
Black-and-white, often abbreviated B/W or B&W, is a term referring to a number of monochrome forms in visual arts.Black-and-white as a description is also something of a misnomer, for in addition to black and white, most of these media included varying shades of gray...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
was originally shot in 16 mm. The film was restored and distributed on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
by Watchmaker Films in 2006
Plot
Frank (Davis) and Loyd (Perryman) spend most of their time drinking, flirting with women (even though Frank is married to Paulette (Hargrave)) and thinking of get rich quick schemes since they can't seem to hold down jobs. They tried frog farming and squirrel ranching among other things and now are in a failing roofing business. Finally, Loyd invents a gadget he calls the "Kitchen Wizard," and they each make a thousand dollars selling the rights to a patent attorney who gives them a contract worth much more. However, their idea is stolen and they soon run out of money. Frank contemplates suicide, but Loyd talks him out of it by reminding him of his family and their friendship.Production
Sutherland and Pennell raised $43,000 for production of the movie. Estimates for the actual cost of the movie are less than $30,000 as Pennell used part of the movie's budget for his living expenses. Rehearsals began in September 1977 and filming started in early October. The film was shot on location in Austin, TexasAustin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
. Production wrapped in December 1977 and Pennell started entering the movie in film festival
Film festival
A film festival is an organised, extended presentation of films in one or more movie theaters or screening venues, usually in a single locality. More and more often film festivals show part of their films to the public by adding outdoor movie screenings...
s in 1978.
Release
The film was selected for the USA Film Festival in DallasDallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
in March 1978. It was well received by the festival audience and the trade publication Hollywood Reporter gave the film good coverage. Pennell made a deal with New Line Cinema
New Line Cinema
New Line Cinema, often simply referred to as New Line, is an American film studio. It was founded in 1967 by Robert Shaye and Michael Lynne as a film distributor, later becoming an independent film studio. It became a subsidiary of Time Warner in 1996 and was merged with larger sister studio Warner...
for a limited release in the summer 0f 1978 in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and to art-house theaters
Art film
An art film is the result of filmmaking which is typically a serious, independent film aimed at a niche market rather than a mass market audience...
and college campuses.
After the film opened, it was selected for the U.S. Film Festival in Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
in September. It received a special second prize from the jury
Juried (competition)
A juried competition is a competition in which participants' work is judged by a person or panel of persons convened specifically to judge the participants' efforts, either by the competition's stated rubric or by a subjective set of criteria dependent upon the nature of the competition or the...
. The film left a marked impression on festival attendee, Robert Redford, who remarked years later that the movie was an inspiration for starting the Sundance Institute
Sundance Institute
Sundance Institute is a non-profit organization founded by Robert Redford in 1981 that actively advances the work of filmmakers and storytellers worldwide...
.
In April 1979, the film was shown as part of the New Directors/New Films series at the Museum of Modern Art
Museum of Modern Art
The Museum of Modern Art is an art museum in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, on 53rd Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It has been important in developing and collecting modernist art, and is often identified as the most influential museum of modern art in the world...
in New York City. Based on more glowing reviews from the series New Line re-released the movie into theaters that fall.