The Wild Bunch (1969)

User Rating:

8.2/10   

Director:

Sam Peckinpah

Writers:

Walon Green (story) and
Roy N. Sickner (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

7 August 1969 (Hong Kong)

Genre:

Action | Western

Tagline:

The land had changed. They hadn't. The earth had cooled. They couldn't.

Plot:

An aging group of outlaws look for one last big score as the "traditional" American West is disappearing around them.

Plot Keywords:

Mexico | Outlaw | Gun | Mexican | Machine Gun

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 5 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

William Holden	...	Pike Bishop
Ernest Borgnine	...	Dutch Engstrom
Robert Ryan	...	Deke Thornton
Edmond O'Brien	...	Freddie Sykes
Warren Oates	...	Lyle Gorch
Jaime Sánchez	...	Angel (as Jaime Sanchez)
Ben Johnson	...	Tector Gorch
Emilio Fernández	...	Gen. Mapache (as Emilio Fernandez)
Strother Martin	...	Coffer
L.Q. Jones	...	T.C
Albert Dekker	...	Pat Harrigan
Bo Hopkins	...	Clarence 'Crazy' Lee
Dub Taylor	...	Rev. Wainscoat
Paul Harper	...	Ross
Jorge Russek	...	Maj. Zamorra
Alfonso Arau	...	Lt. Herrera
Chano Urueta	...	Don Jose
Elsa Cárdenas	...	Elsa (as Elsa Cardenas)
Bill Hart	...	Jess
Rayford Barnes	...	Buck
Stephen Ferry	...	Sgt. McHale (as Steve Ferry)
Sonia Amelio	...	Teresa
Aurora Clavel	...	Aurora
Enrique Lucero	...	Ignacio
Elizabeth Dupeyrón	...	Rocio (as Elizabeth Dupeyron)
Yolanda Ponce	...	Yolis
José Chávez	...	Juan Jose (as Jose Chavez)
René Dupeyrón	...	Juan (as Rene Dupeyron)
Pedro Galván	...	Mr. Benson (as Pedro Galvan)
Graciela Doring	...	Emma
Major Perez	...	Perez
Fernando Wagner	...	Cmdr. Frederick Mohr
Jorge Rado	...	Ernst
Ivan Scott	...	Paymaster
Señora Madero	...	Margaret (as Sra. Madero)
Margarito Luna	...	Luna
Chalo González	...	Gonzalez (as Chalo Gonzalez)
Lilia Castillo	...	Lilia
Elizabeth Unda	...	Carmen
Julio Corona	...	Julio
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Buck Holland	...	Thornton Posse Rider (uncredited)
Matthew Peckinpah	...	Young boy watching robber scoop up moneybag (uncredited)

Directed by
Sam Peckinpah

Writing credits
Walon Green		(story) and
Roy N. Sickner		(story)
Walon Green		(screenplay) and
Sam Peckinpah		(screenplay)

Produced by
Phil Feldman	....	producer
Roy N. Sickner	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Jerry Fielding

Cinematography by
Lucien Ballard		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Lou Lombardo		(as Louis Lombardo)

Art Direction by
Edward Carrere

Makeup Department
Al Greenway	....	makeup artist

Production Management
William D. Faralla	....	production manager (as William Faralla)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Clifford C. Coleman	....	assistant director (as Cliff Coleman)
Fred Gammon	....	assistant director
Robert 'Buzz' Henry	....	second unit director (as Buzz Henry)
John 'Bud' Cardos	....	second unit director (uncredited)
Howard G. Kazanjian	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Robert J. Miller	....	sound
Dan Wallin	....	sound re-recording mixer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Bud Hulburd	....	special effects

Stunts
Denny Arnold	....	stunts (uncredited)
Norman Bishop	....	stunts (uncredited)
Steven Burnett	....	stunts (uncredited)
Archie Butler	....	stunt coordinator (uncredited)
Joe Canutt	....	stunts (uncredited)
Tap Canutt	....	stunts (uncredited)
John 'Bud' Cardos	....	stunts (uncredited)
Gary Combs	....	stunts (uncredited)
Louie Elias	....	stunts (uncredited)
Tony Epper	....	stunts (uncredited)
Chad Evans	....	stunts (uncredited)
Joe Finnegan	....	stunts (uncredited)
Mickey Gilbert	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bill Hart	....	stunts (uncredited)
Robert 'Buzz' Henry	....	stunts (uncredited)
'Chema' Hernandez	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bob Herron	....	stunts (uncredited)
Billy E. Hughes	....	stunts (uncredited)
Whitey Hughes	....	stunts (uncredited)
Gary McLarty	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bob Orrison	....	stunts (uncredited)
Danny Sands	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bill Shannon	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jim Sheppard	....	stunts (uncredited)
Roy N. Sickner	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jack Williams	....	stunts (uncredited)
Joe Yrigoyen	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Bud Gaunt	....	key grip
Bernie Abramson	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Dave Friedman	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Don Stott	....	gaffer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Gordon T. Dawson	....	wardrobe supervisor (as Gordon Dawson)

Editorial Department
Robert L. Wolfe	....	associate film editor
Joel Cox	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Sonny Burke	....	music supervisor
Dan Wallin	....	scoring mixer (uncredited)

Other crew
Crayton Smith	....	script supervisor
Elizabeth Burnette	....	voice-over (uncredited)
'Chema' Hernandez	....	head wrangler (uncredited)
Morrie Nierenberg	....	accountant (uncredited)
Branko Wohlfahrt	....	weapon specialist (uncredited)

Thanks
General de Brigada E.E. Procopio Ortiz R.	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Warner Brothers/Seven Arts (as Warner Bros.- Seven Arts presents)

Distributors

• Warner Brothers/Seven Arts (1969) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1969) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1969) (France) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1973) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Warner Home Video (1986) (USA) (VHS) (pan/scan)
• Lucernafilm - Alfa (1991) (Czechoslovakia) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (1995) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1997) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Warner Home Video (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Bros. Entertainment Finland Oy (2006) (Finland) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD) (special edition)
• Prem'er Video Fil'm
• Warner Home Video (2006) (Germany) (DVD) (special edition)
• Warner Home Video (????) (West Germany) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Blu-Ray Disc) (original director's cut)
• Warner Home Video (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)

Runtime:

134 min | USA:145 min (1995 re-release)

Country:

USA

Language:

German | English | Spanish

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | DTS (1995 re-release) | Dolby Digital (1995 re-release) | Mono (35 mm prints) | SDDS (1995 re-release)

Certification:

Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) (re-rating) (1995) | Canada:AA (Ontario) (re-rating) (1995) | Canada:R (Nova Scotia/Ontario) (original rating) | Canada:R (Manitoba) | UK:18 (re-rating) (1988) (also director's cut) | UK:X (original rating) (cut) | France:-18 (original rating) | Brazil:14 | Finland:K-16 (1998) (uncut) (director's cut) | Finland:K-16 (1988) (cut) | Finland:K-18 (1969) (uncut) | South Korea:18 | Iceland:16 | Malaysia:U (director's cut) | USA:R (re-rating on appeal) | Germany:16 (DVD rating) | Canada:18A (British Columbia) (1999) | Portugal:M/12 | Australia:MA (director's cut) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | France:-12 (director's cut) | Netherlands:12 | New Zealand:R16 (director's cut) | Norway:16 (cut) | Norway:18 | Singapore:NC-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:R (original rating) | West Germany:16 (w) | Ireland:18

Filming Locations:

Durango, Mexico

Company:

Warner Brothers/Seven Arts

Trivia:

Gen. Mapache's headquarters, where the climatic shootout takes place between the Wild Bunch and Mapache's soldiers, was actually an abandoned winery outside the town of Parras in Coahuila, Mexico. The shootout that opened the film, which was when the Wild Bunch was ambushed by bounty hunters while robbing the railroad office in the Texas town of San Rafael, was actually shot on the Main Street of downtown Parras.

Goofs:

Continuity: During the opening shootout, a bald bounty hunter wearing a dark orange shirt and brown vest is killed with a shotgun blast. At the end of the scene, he can be seen exiting the hotel with the other bounty hunters, alive and well.

Quotes:

[the Bunch has just escaped from bounty hunters by blowing up a bridge]
Dutch Engstrom: At least we won't have to worry about Deke Thornton.
Pike Bishop: [laughs] Hell, no; not after ridin' a half a case of dynamite into the *river*!
Sykes: [calmly] Well, don't expect him to *stay* there! He'll be along... and you *know* it!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex, Drugs and Rock 'N' Roll Generation Saved Hollywood (2003)

Wild!

The Western was a staple of the movie industry from it's earliest beginnings until they started to fade from popularity by in the 60's and were becoming increasingly rare by decades end. They never really died of course but good ones became far and few between. This is one the most extravagantly violent shoot-em-up western's ever made. director Sam Peckinpaugh seeing they might be on their way out wanted them to go out with a bang in his film The Wild Bunch. A great ensemble cast here includes William Holden, Ernest Borginine, Robert Ryan, Edmund O' Brien, and Warren Oates with great character actors Strother Martin, Ben Johnson and Dub Taylor. Veteran cinematographer Lucien Ballard who would have a 55 year career as at his best here. Versatile art director ed Carrere worked on his final film in The Wild Bunch and Lou Lombardo who was given the complicated job of film editing this movie turned out a fine product. It received two Academy Award nominations for music, and screenplay but should have received more and especially for sound. May be to overboard on violence for some but I would give this epic western a 9.0 out of 10 and recommend it.