Bad Company (1972 film)
Encyclopedia
Bad Company is a 1972 American Western film directed by Robert Benton
, who also co-wrote the film with David Newman
. It stars Barry Brown and Jeff Bridges
as two of a group of young men that flee the draft
during the American Civil War
to seek their fortune and freedom on the unforgiving American frontier.
This acid western
attempts in many ways to demythologize the American West in its portrayal of young men forced by circumstance and drawn by romanticized accounts to forge new lives for themselves on the wrong side of the law. Their initial eagerness to be outlaws soon abates, however, when the boys are confronted with the realities of preying on others in a nation ravaged by war and exploitation.
In St. Joseph, Missouri, Drew is approached by Jake Rumsey (Jeff Bridges
) who pistol-whips him and takes his money in an alley. Jake runs a gang of petty thieves who steal purses and rob children of their pocket change. While Drew is recovering at a minister's house, Jake arrives to return the purse that one of his gang stole from the minister's wife, hoping to collect a reward. Once inside, he purloins various household items until Drew sees him and attacks, demanding his money back. After a long struggle, Jake finally bests Drew and convinces him that he has no choice but to join his gang, as the Army will catch him if he tries to board a wagon train as is his plan.
Jake introduces Drew to his gang of thieves: the brothers Jim Bob (Damon Cofer) and Loney Logan (John Savage
), Arthur Simms (Jerry Houser
), and the ten-year old Boog Bookin (Joshua Hill Lewis). Loney demands that Drew demonstrate his worth by committing a robbery and bringing in some money. Drew agrees and claims to have robbed a hardware store, when in fact he simply took $12 from his boot where he is hiding his parent's money.
The gang heads West, hoping to improve their fortunes. At night, Drew reads to everyone from Jane Eyre
. When they spy a rabbit, all six of them shoot at it, barely managing to kill it. Jake orders Boog to clean the rabbit, but Boog declines. Jake is stunned to realize that no one in the gang knows how to clean the rabbit. He demonstrates how to do it, but his barely contained disgust reveals that he is skinning his first rabbit. The next day, a settler and his wife are returning from the West, where they went bust. The settler offers his wife to all six boys for $10. Drew declines, citing his morals.
The following morning, Big Joe (David Huddleston
) and his thugs, led by Hobbs (Geoffrey Lewis
), come upon the boys while they are still asleep. During the robbery, Jake aims his gun at Big Joe, but doesn't have the nerve to fire. Flat broke, the gang tries to mount a string of unsuccessful robberies, which eventually grow tragic as Boog is shot while he runs with a pie from a window sill.
The gang finally disintegrates for good when the Logan brothers rob Jake and Drew, taking his brother's watch and the horses. Left with only a mule, Jake and Drew wander aimlessly. Eventually, they come across the Logan brothers' corpses hanging from a tree. Big Joe's gang has killed them, and as Jake and Drew bury their bodies, Hobbs leads the thugs to attack them, despite Big Joe's warning that they would bungle the job. Sure enough, Jake and Drew manage to kill all four thugs, and as Drew leans over Hobbs to retrieve his watch, he reveals a hole in his boot. Jake sees a $10 bill through the hole and realizes that Drew had lied about robbing the hardware store. He pistol-whips Drew again and takes the money.
When Drew awakens, he wanders alone, swearing that he'll kill Jake if he ever sees him again. Seeing smoke on the horizon, he investigates, only to find that it was the result of a burning barn, set afire during a raid by Big Joe. Before he is hanged for taking part in the raid, one of Joe's men confirms to Drew that Jake has joined up with the gang. Drew joins the posse in order to get his revenge on Jake.
The posse captures Big Joe's gang, and as Drew guards Jake, he realizes how guilty he is by lying about his money. Jake offers to split $1,000 that the gang has buried. Drew helps him escape during the night, but after a few days of riding, he realizes that there is no buried money. Jake assumes that Drew will kill him, but Drew swears instead to stick with Jake until he has repaid every cent that he owes Drew.
In the final scene, as they approach a town, Jake asks Drew, "So how'd that Jane Eyre
turn out in the end?" Drew replies, "Fine. Just fine." The two boys walk into the Wells Fargo
and rob it.
liked the film and wrote, "The movie is built as a series of more-or-less self-contained episodes, and the episodes that work are worth the effort. But we get the feeling the movie doesn't know where it's headed and the last scene (one of those freeze-frames that's supposed to crystallize a significant moment for us) left me suspended in midair. If there were ever a movie that just plain stopped, instead of arriving at a conclusion, this is it. Still, there were some good moments along the trail.
Film critic Dennis Schwartz also liked the film and wrote, "Revisionist Western that questions heroes and America as the land of opportunity, as is the want of many hipster films from the turbulent 1970s. It's the directorial debut for the co-screenwriter with David Newman of Bonnie and Clyde
(1967), Robert Benton (Kramer vs. Kramer
/The Late Show
/Nadine
), who again teams with the writer Newman. I thought this was the best film Benton ever directed, including his Oscar winning Kramer vs. Kramer, and he disappointed me by never coming close again to being as subversive and hard-hitting as he was in this film. The ironic comical Western prides itself in taking on the Horatio Alger myth by debunking the belief that going West would lead adventurers to the land of plenty, as it bitterly points out the harsh realities of life and that taking to the road will more than likely mean meeting with bad company and hardship rather than good company and fortune."
Robert Benton
Robert Douglas Benton is an American screenwriter and film director.Benton was born in Waxahachie, Texas, the son of Dorothy and Ellery Douglass Benton, a telephone company employee. He attended the University of Texas and Columbia University. Benton has won numerous awards for both writing and...
, who also co-wrote the film with David Newman
David Newman (filmmaker)
David Newman was an American filmmaker. From the late 1960s through the early 1980s he frequently collaborated with Robert Benton. He was married to fellow writer Leslie Newman, with whom he had two children, until the time of his death...
. It stars Barry Brown and Jeff Bridges
Jeff Bridges
Jeffrey Leon "Jeff" Bridges is an American actor and musician. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Otis "Bad" Blake in the 2009 film Crazy Heart....
as two of a group of young men that flee the draft
Conscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
to seek their fortune and freedom on the unforgiving American frontier.
This acid western
Acid Western
Acid Western is a sub-genre of the Western film that emerged in the 1960s and 1970s that combined the metaphorical ambitions of top-shelf Westerns, like Shane and The Searchers, with the excesses of the Spaghetti Westerns and the outlook of the counter-culture...
attempts in many ways to demythologize the American West in its portrayal of young men forced by circumstance and drawn by romanticized accounts to forge new lives for themselves on the wrong side of the law. Their initial eagerness to be outlaws soon abates, however, when the boys are confronted with the realities of preying on others in a nation ravaged by war and exploitation.
Plot
A group of soldiers pulls up to a modest white house and goes inside. Moments later, they exit, dragging a boy in a dress who is frantically resisting them. The soldiers throw the boy in a wagon with other boys, one of whom is also dressed as a woman to avoid conscription. At the Dixon home, the soldiers search for Drew (Barry Brown) despite his mother's protest. She explains that she has already lost one son to the war. When the soldiers leave, Drew emerges from his hiding place. His parents give him $100 and urge him to go West, giving him their picture and his brother's watch as mementos.In St. Joseph, Missouri, Drew is approached by Jake Rumsey (Jeff Bridges
Jeff Bridges
Jeffrey Leon "Jeff" Bridges is an American actor and musician. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Otis "Bad" Blake in the 2009 film Crazy Heart....
) who pistol-whips him and takes his money in an alley. Jake runs a gang of petty thieves who steal purses and rob children of their pocket change. While Drew is recovering at a minister's house, Jake arrives to return the purse that one of his gang stole from the minister's wife, hoping to collect a reward. Once inside, he purloins various household items until Drew sees him and attacks, demanding his money back. After a long struggle, Jake finally bests Drew and convinces him that he has no choice but to join his gang, as the Army will catch him if he tries to board a wagon train as is his plan.
Jake introduces Drew to his gang of thieves: the brothers Jim Bob (Damon Cofer) and Loney Logan (John Savage
John Savage
John Savage may refer to:* John Savage, 2nd Earl Rivers * John F. Savage Hall, the basketball arena for the University of Toledo* John Savage , actor* John Savage , baseball head coach...
), Arthur Simms (Jerry Houser
Jerry Houser
Jerry Houser is an American character actor and voice actor in film and television.-Career:Houser was born in Los Angeles, California. Since 1971, he has appeared in countless films, TV series, animated series, and commercials...
), and the ten-year old Boog Bookin (Joshua Hill Lewis). Loney demands that Drew demonstrate his worth by committing a robbery and bringing in some money. Drew agrees and claims to have robbed a hardware store, when in fact he simply took $12 from his boot where he is hiding his parent's money.
The gang heads West, hoping to improve their fortunes. At night, Drew reads to everyone from Jane Eyre
Jane Eyre
Jane Eyre is a novel by English writer Charlotte Brontë. It was published in London, England, in 1847 by Smith, Elder & Co. with the title Jane Eyre. An Autobiography under the pen name "Currer Bell." The first American edition was released the following year by Harper & Brothers of New York...
. When they spy a rabbit, all six of them shoot at it, barely managing to kill it. Jake orders Boog to clean the rabbit, but Boog declines. Jake is stunned to realize that no one in the gang knows how to clean the rabbit. He demonstrates how to do it, but his barely contained disgust reveals that he is skinning his first rabbit. The next day, a settler and his wife are returning from the West, where they went bust. The settler offers his wife to all six boys for $10. Drew declines, citing his morals.
The following morning, Big Joe (David Huddleston
David Huddleston
David William Huddleston is an American actor, best known for his roles in Blazing Saddles, Santa Claus: The Movie and The Big Lebowski.-Early life:...
) and his thugs, led by Hobbs (Geoffrey Lewis
Geoffrey Lewis
Geoffrey Lewis is an American character actor.His filmography includes television shows such as Law & Order: Criminal Intent and My Name is Earl, as well as films such as Down in the Valley, alongside Edward Norton, The Butcher, alongside Eric Roberts, Maverick, alongside Mel Gibson, and When...
), come upon the boys while they are still asleep. During the robbery, Jake aims his gun at Big Joe, but doesn't have the nerve to fire. Flat broke, the gang tries to mount a string of unsuccessful robberies, which eventually grow tragic as Boog is shot while he runs with a pie from a window sill.
The gang finally disintegrates for good when the Logan brothers rob Jake and Drew, taking his brother's watch and the horses. Left with only a mule, Jake and Drew wander aimlessly. Eventually, they come across the Logan brothers' corpses hanging from a tree. Big Joe's gang has killed them, and as Jake and Drew bury their bodies, Hobbs leads the thugs to attack them, despite Big Joe's warning that they would bungle the job. Sure enough, Jake and Drew manage to kill all four thugs, and as Drew leans over Hobbs to retrieve his watch, he reveals a hole in his boot. Jake sees a $10 bill through the hole and realizes that Drew had lied about robbing the hardware store. He pistol-whips Drew again and takes the money.
When Drew awakens, he wanders alone, swearing that he'll kill Jake if he ever sees him again. Seeing smoke on the horizon, he investigates, only to find that it was the result of a burning barn, set afire during a raid by Big Joe. Before he is hanged for taking part in the raid, one of Joe's men confirms to Drew that Jake has joined up with the gang. Drew joins the posse in order to get his revenge on Jake.
The posse captures Big Joe's gang, and as Drew guards Jake, he realizes how guilty he is by lying about his money. Jake offers to split $1,000 that the gang has buried. Drew helps him escape during the night, but after a few days of riding, he realizes that there is no buried money. Jake assumes that Drew will kill him, but Drew swears instead to stick with Jake until he has repaid every cent that he owes Drew.
In the final scene, as they approach a town, Jake asks Drew, "So how'd that Jane Eyre
Jane Eyre
Jane Eyre is a novel by English writer Charlotte Brontë. It was published in London, England, in 1847 by Smith, Elder & Co. with the title Jane Eyre. An Autobiography under the pen name "Currer Bell." The first American edition was released the following year by Harper & Brothers of New York...
turn out in the end?" Drew replies, "Fine. Just fine." The two boys walk into the Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo & Company is an American multinational diversified financial services company with operations around the world. Wells Fargo is the fourth largest bank in the U.S. by assets and the largest bank by market capitalization. Wells Fargo is the second largest bank in deposits, home...
and rob it.
Cast
- Jeff BridgesJeff BridgesJeffrey Leon "Jeff" Bridges is an American actor and musician. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Otis "Bad" Blake in the 2009 film Crazy Heart....
as Jake Rumsey - Barry Brown as Drew Dixon
- Jim DavisJim Davis (actor)Jim Davis was an American actor, best known for his role as Jock Ewing in the CBS prime-time soap Dallas, a role which he held up until his death in April 1981.-Biography:...
as Marshal - David HuddlestonDavid HuddlestonDavid William Huddleston is an American actor, best known for his roles in Blazing Saddles, Santa Claus: The Movie and The Big Lebowski.-Early life:...
as Big Joe - John SavageJohn SavageJohn Savage may refer to:* John Savage, 2nd Earl Rivers * John F. Savage Hall, the basketball arena for the University of Toledo* John Savage , actor* John Savage , baseball head coach...
as Loney - Jerry HouserJerry HouserJerry Houser is an American character actor and voice actor in film and television.-Career:Houser was born in Los Angeles, California. Since 1971, he has appeared in countless films, TV series, animated series, and commercials...
as Arthur Simms - Damon Cofer as Jim Bob Logan
- Joshua Hill Lewis as Boog Bookin
- Geoffrey LewisGeoffrey LewisGeoffrey Lewis is an American character actor.His filmography includes television shows such as Law & Order: Criminal Intent and My Name is Earl, as well as films such as Down in the Valley, alongside Edward Norton, The Butcher, alongside Eric Roberts, Maverick, alongside Mel Gibson, and When...
as Hobbs - Raymond Guth as Jackson
- Ed LauterEd LauterEdward Lauter is an American actor. He has appeared in numerous movies and was a stand up comic before getting into acting.Lauter was born in Long Beach, Long Island, New York...
as Orin - John QuadeJohn QuadeJohn William Saunders , better known by the stage name John Quade, was an American character actor who starred in film and in television...
as Nolan - Jean Allison as Mrs. Dixon
- Ned Wertimer as Mr. Dixon
- Charles Tyner as Egg Farmer
Critical reception
Film critic Roger EbertRoger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
liked the film and wrote, "The movie is built as a series of more-or-less self-contained episodes, and the episodes that work are worth the effort. But we get the feeling the movie doesn't know where it's headed and the last scene (one of those freeze-frames that's supposed to crystallize a significant moment for us) left me suspended in midair. If there were ever a movie that just plain stopped, instead of arriving at a conclusion, this is it. Still, there were some good moments along the trail.
Film critic Dennis Schwartz also liked the film and wrote, "Revisionist Western that questions heroes and America as the land of opportunity, as is the want of many hipster films from the turbulent 1970s. It's the directorial debut for the co-screenwriter with David Newman of Bonnie and Clyde
Bonnie and Clyde (film)
The film was originally offered to François Truffaut, the best-known director of the New Wave movement, who made contributions to the script. He passed on the project to make Fahrenheit 451. The producers approached Jean-Luc Godard next...
(1967), Robert Benton (Kramer vs. Kramer
Kramer vs. Kramer
Kramer vs. Kramer is a 1979 American drama film adapted by Robert Benton from the novel by Avery Corman, and directed by Benton. The film tells the story of a married couple's divorce and its impact on everyone involved, including the couple's young son...
/The Late Show
The Late Show (film)
The Late Show is a 1977 comedy, neo-noir, romance, mystery film written and directed by Robert Benton and produced by Robert Altman. It stars Art Carney, Lily Tomlin, Bill Macy, Eugene Roche, and Joanna Cassidy...
/Nadine
Nadine (1987 film)
Nadine is a 1987 comedy film directed by Robert Benton that stars Jeff Bridges and Kim Basinger.It is the story of a woman living in 1950's Austin, Texas who persuades her ex-husband into helping her break into a photographer's studio to retrieve embarrassing cheesecake pictures...
), who again teams with the writer Newman. I thought this was the best film Benton ever directed, including his Oscar winning Kramer vs. Kramer, and he disappointed me by never coming close again to being as subversive and hard-hitting as he was in this film. The ironic comical Western prides itself in taking on the Horatio Alger myth by debunking the belief that going West would lead adventurers to the land of plenty, as it bitterly points out the harsh realities of life and that taking to the road will more than likely mean meeting with bad company and hardship rather than good company and fortune."
External links
- Bad Company film trailer at TCMTurner Classic MoviesTurner Classic Movies is a movie-oriented cable television channel, owned by the Turner Broadcasting System subsidiary of Time Warner, featuring commercial-free classic movies, mostly from the Turner Entertainment and MGM, United Artists, RKO and Warner Bros. film libraries...
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