Bad Company (1972)

Director:

Robert Benton

Writers:

David Newman (written by) and
Robert Benton (written by)

Release Date:

8 October 1972 (USA)

Genre:

Western

Plot:

A group of naive boys find that life as desperadoes in the west is more serious that they understood...

Plot Keywords:

Hanged Boy | Hanging | Shot In The Head | Chicken | Child Shot In The Head

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Jeff Bridges	...	Jake Rumsey
Barry Brown	...	Drew Dixon
Jim Davis	...	Marshal
David Huddleston	...	Big Joe
John Savage	...	Loney
Jerry Houser	...	Arthur Simms
Damon Cofer	...	Jim Bob Logan
Joshua Hill Lewis	...	Boog Bookin
Geoffrey Lewis	...	Hobbs
Raymond Guth	...	Jackson
Ed Lauter	...	Orin (as Edward Lauter)
John Quade	...	Nolan
Jean Allison	...	Mrs. Dixon
Ned Wertimer	...	Mr. Dixon
Charles Tyner	...	Egg Farmer
Ted Gehring	...	Zeb
Claudia Bryar	...	Mrs. Clum
John Boyd	...	Prisoner
Monika Henreid	...	Min
Todd Martin	...	Sergeant

Directed by
Robert Benton

Writing credits
David Newman		(written by) and
Robert Benton		(written by)

Produced by
Stanley R. Jaffe	....	producer

Original Music by
Harvey Schmidt

Cinematography by
Gordon Willis

Film Editing by
Ron Kalish
Ralph Rosenblum

Casting by
Hoyt Bowers

Production Design by
Paul Sylbert

Art Direction by
Robert Gundlach

Set Decoration by
Audrey A. Blasdel		(as Audrey Blasdel)

Costume Design by
Anthea Sylbert

Makeup Department
Hank Edds	....	makeup artist (as Hank Eddes)

Production Management
Terry Morse Jr.	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Hawk Koch	....	assistant director (as Howard Koch Jr.)

Sound Department
Gene S. Cantamessa	....	sound mixer (as Gene Cantamessa)
Al Gramaglia	....	sound re-recordist

Special Effects by
Jesse Wayne	....	technical advisor: fast draw/gun (uncredited)

Stunts
Fred M. Waugh	....	stunt coordinator (as Fred Waugh)

Camera and Electrical Department
Arthur Brooker	....	key grip (as Art Brooker)
Michael Chapman	....	camera operator
George Holmes	....	gaffer

Music Department
Harvey Schmidt	....	musician

Transportation Department
Joe Sawyers	....	transportation captain

Other crew
Terry Terrill	....	script supervisor

Production Companies

• Jaffilms
• Paramount Pictures

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1972) (USA) (theatrical)
• Cinéma International Corporation (CIC) (1973) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2003) (UK) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (2002) (USA) (DVD) (widescreen)

Other Companies

• F. Hillsberg  titles

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Norway:16 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:PG

Company:

Jaffilms

Trivia:

The classic rock band Bad Company named itself after this film.

Goofs:

Factual errors: When the boys cross the Missouri River from St. Joseph, one utters the words, "Say goodbye to the U.S.A." After January 29, 1861, what was across the river from St. Joe was the state of Kansas, so they never left the U.S.A. In fact, by the 1850s, to ride out of the U.S.A. they would have needed to have gone to the Canadian or Mexican border.

Quotes:

Big Joe: Damn, Jackson, I wouldn't mind you being so stupid if you was good company, but you ain't even that!

Movie Connections:

References La règle du jeu (1939)

Bad Company till the day I die

Best movie ever, best western ever. It's so superb, it's art. I first saw it over ten years ago and had an actual moving experience. No movie has ever come close at all to give me actual chills and thrills. It affects the psychology, it's visceral and you're taken for a ride. Paul Rodgers loved it so much he named his band at the time, Bad Company and the hit single comes directly from the film itself. Filmed in and around Emporia, Ks. it features a young Jeff Bridges perfectly suited for the role as patsy/predator Jake and the equally suited for his role of Drew Dixon is the elegant Barry Brown. Friends off screen, this was their second pairing in a film, and it just goes to show in their complete dissimilar partnership as they end up the two sole survivors of an initial runaway gang of young boys, most of them fit for the Civil War draft, echoing the Vietnam crisis. John Savage is the perfect brutish snake and all the actors seemed just as born into their parts as the two leads. If for no other reason, watch it for Barry Brown(Drew Dixon) and be prepared to be entranced. But,be careful, he was also too beautiful for words. Don't fall in love like me.