The Chase (1966)

Director:

Arthur Penn

Writers:

Horton Foote (play)
Lillian Hellman (writer)

Release Date:

17 February 1966 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

A breathless, explosive story

Plot:

The escape of Bubber Reeves from prison affects the inhabitants of a small Southern town.

Plot Keywords:

Sheriff | On The Run | Party | Decadence | Southerner

Cast

Marlon Brando	...	Sheriff Calder
Jane Fonda	...	Anna Reeves
Robert Redford	...	Charlie 'Bubber' Reeves
E.G. Marshall	...	Val Rogers
Angie Dickinson	...	Ruby Calder
Janice Rule	...	Emily Stewart
Miriam Hopkins	...	Mrs. Reeves
Martha Hyer	...	Mary Fuller
Richard Bradford	...	Damon Fuller
Robert Duvall	...	Edwin Stewart
James Fox	...	Jason 'Jake' Rogers
Diana Hyland	...	Elizabeth Rogers
Henry Hull	...	Briggs
Jocelyn Brando	...	Mrs. Briggs
Katherine Walsh	...	Verna Dee

Runtime:

135 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Canada:14A (Ontario) | UK:15 (1996) | UK:X (1966) | Australia:M | South Korea:15 | West Germany:16 (f) | Finland:K-16 | Norway:15 | Sweden:15 | USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

20th Century Fox Ranch, Malibu Creek State Park - 1925 Las Virgenes Road, Calabasas, California, USA

Company:

Horizon Pictures

Trivia:

Steve McQueen was producer's early choice for role played by Robert Redford.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Bubber is climbing along the roof of the train, it is coming towards the viewer. He then swings down into an open door of a freight car on the right hand side of the screen. The next shots show Bubber with the open door in the background on the right hand of the screen but now the train is going away from the viewer. There is now a road running beside the train and there are orchards of trees that were not there before.

Quotes:

Damon: Well now, Sheriff, it's nice to know that you're out here on patrol.
Sheriff Calder: No, no, I'm not on patrol. Just lookin' for an ice cream cone, that's all.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Brando (2007) (TV)

"Five Miles Long and One Inch Deep"

Hey, ya know what? The emperor has no clothes, and this is an awful movie!

I have been trying to see this for a long time. What a disappointment. I figured with the line-up of acting, directing, and writing personnel here there might have been something to hold on to. There are a few things worth watching here but it's mostly a waste of time. As my mother used to say "It's 5 miles long, and an inch deep"

I feel very sorry for the director Arthur Penn. I have great respect for him and his abilities. He must have been under attack the whole time by the bigger then life egos who never understood what he was trying to do. Too bad, if he had edited it it might have ended up at least a little bit better.

The problem here is the script. It gives absolutely no one the chance to add some depth to the characters. Brando comes the closest, but even he can't keep his head above these waters.

This is a long film, and most of the time is spent trying to build a back story for the characters. By the time the film gets around to making the plot move again in the last 20 minutes, I no longer cared about the characters.

Technically the film has problems too. Many of the close-up shots are out of focus. I am guessing that Panavision was new at the time and needed more light then the DP was willing to put on the set, reducing the depth of field? I don't know. But visually the film has the look of being made very fast indeed. Set-ups looked quick and dirty.

Bad casting was another problem. Brando playing the only good guy in the cast? Come on. How bout that Robert Redford pretty boy with his hair neatly combed in every scene, including the swim in the river and the chase through the swamps? Kinda hard to picture Redford as any kinda bad boy, let alone a criminal escaping from prison.

To be fair most of the actors do the best they can with the drivel they are given on the page. In fact in the later scenes in the junk-yard Redford does quite well at humanizing the character of Bubba. Jane Fonda is good in the small role she has. EG Marshall also is good with a terribly thankless part. Poor Robert Duvall tries hard too. James Fox has the best part and does really well with it. For my money Miriam Hopkins walks away the best performance honors as Bubba's mom. But even she struggles with clichés and predictable lines. God love her, she is trying so hard!

Janice Rule is way over the top as an amoral sex wench.

My goodness but this is a great example of the messed up film-making and I wanted so to like it!