Sometimes a Great Notion (1970)

Director:

Paul Newman

Writers:

Ken Kesey (novel)
John Gay (writer)

Release Date:

31 December 1970 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Action | Adventure

Tagline:

"Never give an inch" was the motto of the Stampers of Oregon. And live it they did!

Plot:

A family of fiercely-independent Oregon loggers struggle to keep the family business alive amidst changing times.

Plot Keywords:

Logger | Strike | Family Relationships | Mouth To Mouth Air Exchange Underwater | Lumberjack

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars.

Cast

Paul Newman	...	Hank Stamper
Henry Fonda	...	Henry Stamper
Lee Remick	...	Viv Stamper, Hank's Wife
Michael Sarrazin	...	Leland Stamper
Richard Jaeckel	...	Joe Ben Stamper
Linda Lawson	...	Jan Stamper, Joe Ben's Wife
Cliff Potts	...	Andy Stamper
Sam Gilman	...	John Stamper
Lee de Broux	...	Willard Eggleston
Jim Burk	...	Biggy Newton
Roy Jenson	...	Howie Elwood
Joe Maross	...	Floyd Evenwrite
Roy Poole	...	Jonathan Stamper
Charles Tyner	...	Les Gibbons
Bennie E. Dobbins	...	Bit Part (as Bennie Dobbins)
Alan Gibbs	...	Bit Part
Mickey Gilbert	...	Bit Part
Dick Hudkins	...	Bit Part
Terry Leonard	...	Bit Part
Fred Lerner	...	Bit Part
Gary McLarty	...	Bit Part
Hal Needham	...	Bit Part
J.N. Roberts	...	Bit Part
Dean Smith	...	Bit Part
Fred M. Waugh	...	Bit Part (as Fred Waugh)
Fred Zendar	...	Bit Part
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jon Morgan Woodward	...	A logger (uncredited)

Directed by
Paul Newman

Writing credits
Ken Kesey		(novel)
John Gay		(writer)

Produced by
Frank Caffey	....	associate producer
John Foreman	....	producer
Paul Newman	....	co-executive producer

Original Music by
Henry Mancini

Cinematography by
Richard Moore

Film Editing by
Bob Wyman

Art Direction by
Philip M. Jefferies		(as Philip Jefferies)

Set Decoration by
William Kiernan

Costume Design by
Edith Head

Makeup Department
Jim Markham	....	hair designer: men
Monty Westmore	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Arthur S. Newman Jr.	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Mickey McCardle	....	assistant director
Michael D. Moore	....	second unit director
Paul J. Crossey	....	dga trainee (uncredited)
Harvey S. Laidman	....	second assistant director (uncredited)
Gene Marum	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
James R. Alexander	....	sound
Waldon O. Watson	....	sound

Stunts
M. James Arnett	....	stunt coordinator (as James Arnett)
Stan Barrett	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jim Burk	....	stunts (uncredited)
Everett Creach	....	stunts (uncredited)
Carol Daniels	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bennie E. Dobbins	....	stunts (uncredited)
Alan Gibbs	....	stunts (uncredited)
Mickey Gilbert	....	stunts (uncredited)
Dick Hudkins	....	stunts (uncredited)
Roy Jenson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Terry Leonard	....	stunts (uncredited)
Fred Lerner	....	stunts (uncredited)
Gary McLarty	....	stunts (uncredited)
Hal Needham	....	stunts (uncredited)
J.N. Roberts	....	stunts (uncredited)
Dean Smith	....	stunts (uncredited)
Fred M. Waugh	....	stunts (uncredited)
Fred Zendar	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Rexford L. Metz	....	camera operator: second unit (uncredited)

Other crew
Dean Fillmore	....	technical advisor
Annabelle King	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Newman-Foreman Company
• Universal Pictures

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1971) (USA) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1976) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Cinéma International Corporation (CIC) (1972) (Sweden) (theatrical)

Other Companies

• Cinematique  cosmetics
• Universal Title  titles and opticals

Also Known As:

Never Give a Inch (USA) (reissue title)
Never Give an Inch (UK)

Runtime:

114 min | Portugal:108 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 | Sweden:15 | USA:GP (original rating) | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Broughton Log Flume, Columbia River Gorge, Washington, USA

Company:

Newman-Foreman Company

Trivia:

Just before its release, there was a love scene between Michael Sarrazin and Lee Remick that was cut. This scene supposedly included nudity. In the final cut, their affair is only insinuated.

Quotes:

Hank Stamper: [singing] Don't ever hit your mother with a shovel. It will leave a dull impression on her mind. Paul Newman said the same line in "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid".

Movie Connections:

References Mirage (1965)

Soundtrack:

All His Children

Bland Family Drama

Based on Ken ("One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest") Kesey's book this family drama struck me as being poor man's Tennessee Williams. The film deals with the Stampers, an Oregonian family of loggers who fight hard to operate outside the changing world that surrounds them. Henry Fonda plays the stubborn "Big Daddy", Paul Newman is his eldest son Hank, Lee Remick is Newman's wife and Michael Sarrazin is the youngest brother who returns home after a long absence. Richard Jaeckel is also in the cast as one of the Stamper brothers. You sense that there are many important elements of the Stamper's strange family dynamic that were left out of the movie. It is frustrating (as least for this viewer) to see how the movie teases you with hints of things that are never explored. It is possible that Kesey's book is good, but considering the great cast, the film is a big let down. Newman's direction is as run of the mill as it gets (Richard Moore's flat cinematography does not help), but the cast is good and I liked the Oscar nominated song titled, "All His Children". Jaeckel received an Oscar Nomination for his work here, but while I like this excellent character actor, I do not understand why he was singled out by the Academy. Also known as "Never Give an Inch", which is the Stamper's family motto.