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The Scalphunters [1968]
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Editorial
Synopsis
Sydney Pollack directs this amiable comic Western in which fur trapper Joe Bass (Burt Lancaster) is returning from a successful expedition only to find himself ambushed by a small group of Indians. The Indians force Joe to trade his pelts for Joseph, an educated runaway slave, played brilliantly by Ossie Davis. The two then set off in an uneasy alliance in pursuit of Bass's pelts. The ironic narrative gets turned around again when the Indians are themselves ambushed by a gang of scalphunters. This band of outlaws, led by Jim Howie (Telly Savalas), once again takes Bass's pelts, after murdering the entire tribe. Joe and Joseph then embark on a mission to retrieve Bass's furs from Howie and his vicious sidekicks. Any potential racial antagonism and interdependence issues are handled deftly by William Norton's screenplay. The solid comedic ensemble includes a raucous turn by Shelley Winters as Kate.
"Scalp hunters. The wickedest, crookedest trade to ever turn a dollar."
Review date: 2007-06-08 Rating: 6 out of 10
Once quietly groundbreaking for its racial politics - OssieDavies' escaped slave is by far smarter than any of the film's white characters, quite a bold move for a mainstream movie even in 1967 - seen today The Scalphunters is one of those films that's enjoyable but never quite as good as it could be. Former IRA gunrunner turned screenwriter William Norton's almost Dickensian dialogue in the first third of the movie is so good that it's a shame that the plot separates Burt Lancaster and Ossie Davies for so long and while it makes some smart points about racism along the way there's a feeling of the film almost running down rather than building up to a climax. Still, Elmer Bernstein's score is one of the best ever written for a Western, alternatively rousingly vivid, jauntily amusing and lyrically likeable, and the film has its charms.
While MGM/UA's US DVD includes the theatrical trailer, as usual for their back-catalogue titles, MGM/UA's Region 2 PAL DVD comes devoid of any extras but does have a decent 2.35:1 widescreen transfer.
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Reviews
The Scalphunters
Review date: 2004-07-12 Rating: 10 out of 10
A funny, clever film with Burt Lancaster at his very best in this western comedy. Joe Bass (Lancaster) is a trapper/frontiersman who after a winter of gathering furs is forced to "trade" them for a black slave (Ossie Davis).
The film is then centred on Bass' funny and ingenious efforts to reclaim his beaver pelts.
The exchanges between Davis' cultured slave character, Joseph Lee, and the illiterate Bass are witty and sharp
with the final fight sequence being the funniest I have seen.
A fantastic movie.
Product Details/Specifications
Actor(s):
Ossie Davis
Burt Lancaster
Telly Savalas
Shelley Winters
Dabney Coleman
Creators:
Burt Lancaster (Primary Contributor)
Shelley Winters (Primary Contributor)
Director(s):
Recording label: MGM Entertainment
Manufacturer: MGM Entertainment
EAN: 5050070021479
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: PAL,
Release date: 2004-07-05
Number of discs: 1
Audience rating: Parental Guidance
Region code: 2
Running time: 99 minutes
Theatrical release date: 1968-04-02
Language: English (Original Language)