Eddie Macon's Run

Last updated
Eddie Macon's Run
Eddie macon.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Jeff Kanew
Written byJeff Kanew
Based onEddie Macon's Run
by James McLendon
Produced by Martin Bregman
Louis A. Stroller
Starring Kirk Douglas
John Schneider
Lee Purcell
Cinematography James A. Contner
Edited byJeff Kanew
Music by Norton Buffalo
Mike Hinton
Distributed by Universal Pictures
Release date
  • March 23, 1983 (1983-03-23)
Running time
95 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$5 million [1]
Box office$1.2 million

Eddie Macon's Run is a 1983 American action thriller drama film written and directed by Jeff Kanew, based on the 1980 novel of the same name by James McLendon. It stars Kirk Douglas and John Schneider, and also includes John Goodman in his feature film debut. [2]

Contents

Plot

The movie opens with Eddie Macon escaping from prison. The first half of the film then relates the backstory through a series of flashbacks.

Eddie is a man that has relocated from Florida to Texas in order to better provide for his wife Chris and their young son Bobby, who suffers from a blood disorder. His temper leads him into a few minor infractions that land him in jail, but after an unsuccessful escape attempt, he finds himself with an excessively harsh prison sentence in light of his original offences.

Feeling that they are facing injustice, Eddie and Chris devise an elaborate escape plan. After initially becoming involved with the prison rodeo and stowing away in a cattle truck, he begins a long, cross-country run across the Texas wilderness in an attempt to reach the U.S./Mexico border in Laredo, Texas where they have planned their rendezvous and permanent escape, south of the border.

Along the way, he is being chased by Carl Marzack, an inmate transfers detective who had already re-captured Eddie after his earlier escape attempt. Marzack is able to successfully track Eddie, but is thwarted when Eddie encounters new players along the way. First, Eddie is captured, and nearly hanged for rustling, by a dysfunctional ranching family, the Potts, until he escapes. Next, he encounters Jilly Buck, niece of the governor, whom Eddie initially kidnaps. Jilly is sympathetic to Eddie's story and quickly agrees to assist him with his plan, escaping to a hotel in Laredo.

Marzack eventually catches up with Eddie and Jilly in their hotel room where he taunts Eddie for continuously stopping in his attempts to escape; which is how he was able to piece the clues together and track him down. After Eddie taunts Marzack to kill him, Jilly knocks Marzack unconscious and Eddie steals his gun, leading to Marzack pursuing him and Jilly in a car chase until Eddie shoots at Marzack's car, causing it to topple over. Ultimately, an injured Marzack captures Eddie, but has a change of heart and decides to let him go.

With no one pursuing him any longer, Eddie is able to meet his wife and son on a bridge over the Rio Grande and the three begin their journey to the border into Mexico for freedom.

Cast

Kirk Douglas (right) and John Schneider (left) on the set of the movie Eddie Macon's Run during its filming in 1983 Kirk Douglas on the set of Eddie Macon's Run (1983).jpg
Kirk Douglas (right) and John Schneider (left) on the set of the movie Eddie Macon's Run during its filming in 1983

In addition, three actors made their first film appearances, in minor roles: J. T. Walsh and Dann Florek are two guys in a bar, while John Goodman plays Mr. Hebert.

Reception

The film was a star vehicle for John Schneider after he achieved fame in The Dukes of Hazzard television show, [3] but Hal Ericson of the All Movie Guide commented, "the title character (John Schneider) takes a back seat during most of the proceedings. Most of the footage is devoted to Eddie's chief nemesis, small-town lawman Marzack (Kirk Douglas)." Ericson concludes the film is a "lively (if pointless) adaptation of James McLendon's novel." [2] Leonard Maltin gave the film two and a half stars out of four, calling it "bumpy." [3]

Related Research Articles

<i>The Big House</i> (1930 film) 1930 film directed by George W. Hill

The Big House is a 1930 American pre-Code prison drama film directed by George Hill, released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and starring Chester Morris, Wallace Beery, Lewis Stone and Robert Montgomery. The story and dialogue were written by Frances Marion, who won the Academy Award for Best Writing Achievement. As one of the first prison movies, it inspired many others of this genre.

<i>The Toxic Avenger</i> (1984 film) 1984 American superhero black comedy splatter film by Michael Herz and Lloyd Kaufman

The Toxic Avenger is a 1984 American superhero black comedy splatter film produced and directed by Michael Herz and Lloyd Kaufman from a screenplay by Joe Ritter, based on a story by Kaufman. The film was produced and released by Troma Entertainment. It is the first installment in The Toxic Avenger film series and generated a media franchise.

<i>Gunfight at the O.K. Corral</i> (film) 1957 film by John Sturges

Gunfight at the O.K. Corral is a 1957 American Western film starring Burt Lancaster as Wyatt Earp and Kirk Douglas as Doc Holliday, and loosely based on the actual event in 1881. The film was directed by John Sturges from a screenplay written by novelist Leon Uris. It was a remake of the 1939 film Frontier Marshall starring Randolph Scott and of John Ford's 1946 film My Darling Clementine.

Mousey is a 1974 Canadian thriller action drama film directed by Daniel Petrie, and starring Kirk Douglas, Jean Seberg and John Vernon.

<i>Carbine Williams</i> 1952 film by Richard Thorpe

Carbine Williams is a 1952 American drama film directed by Richard Thorpe and starring James Stewart, Jean Hagen and Wendell Corey. The film follows the life of its namesake, David Marshall Williams, who invented the operating principle for the M1 Carbine while in a North Carolina prison. The M1 Carbine was used extensively by the U.S. military during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.

<i>Animal Factory</i> 2000 film by Steve Buscemi

Animal Factory is a 2000 neo-noir film directed by Steve Buscemi and starring Willem Dafoe, Edward Furlong, Danny Trejo, John Heard, Mickey Rourke, Tom Arnold, Seymour Cassel, Shell Galloway and Mark Boone, Jr. Set in San Quentin, the film is about life in prison. It is based on the novel of the same name by Eddie Bunker who plays the part of Buzzard in the film.

<i>Powder</i> (1995 film) 1995 American film by Victor Salva

Powder is a 1995 American science fiction drama film written and directed by Victor Salva and starring Sean Patrick Flanery in the title role, with Jeff Goldblum, Mary Steenburgen, Lance Henriksen, and Bradford Tatum in supporting roles.

<i>Tarzans New York Adventure</i> 1942 film by Richard Thorpe

Tarzan's New York Adventure is a 1942 American adventure film from Metro Goldwyn Mayer, produced by Frederick Stephani, directed by Richard Thorpe, that stars Johnny Weissmuller and Maureen O'Sullivan. This was the sixth and final film in MGM's Tarzan series and was the studio's last Tarzan feature until 1957's Tarzan and the Lost Safari. Although Tarzan's New York Adventure includes scenes set in New York, as well as the customary jungle sequences, it is yet another Tarzan production primarily shot on MGM's back lots.

<i>The Great Waldo Pepper</i> 1975 film by George Roy Hill

The Great Waldo Pepper is a 1975 American drama film directed, produced, and co-written by George Roy Hill. Set during 1926–1931, the film stars Robert Redford as a disaffected World War I veteran pilot who missed the opportunity to fly in combat, and examines his sense of postwar dislocation in 1920s America. The cast includes Margot Kidder, Bo Svenson, Edward Herrmann and Susan Sarandon. The Great Waldo Pepper depicts barnstorming during the 1920s and the accidents that led to aviation regulations by the Air Commerce Act.

<i>Lock Up</i> (1989 film) 1989 film by John Flynn

Lock Up is a 1989 American prison action film directed by John Flynn, and starring Sylvester Stallone, Donald Sutherland, John Amos and Tom Sizemore. It was released in the United States on August 4, 1989.

<i>The Killer Shrews</i> 1959 film by Ray Kellogg

The Killer Shrews is a 1959 American independent science fiction film directed by Ray Kellogg, and produced by Ken Curtis and Gordon McLendon. The story follows a group of researchers who are trapped in their remote island compound overnight by a hurricane and find themselves under siege by their abnormally large and venomous mutant test subjects. The film stars James Best, Ingrid Goude, Ken Curtis, McLendon, Baruch Lumet and "Judge" Henry Dupree.

<i>Miss Julie</i> (1951 film) 1951 film by Alf Sjöberg

Miss Julie is a 1951 Swedish drama film directed by Alf Sjöberg and starring Anita Björk and Ulf Palme, based on the 1888 play of the same name by August Strindberg. The film deals with class, sex and power as the title character, the daughter of a Count in 19th century Sweden, begins a relationship with one of the estate's servants. The film won the Grand Prix du Festival International du Film at the 1951 Cannes Film Festival.

<i>The Brotherhood</i> (1968 film) 1968 American film by Martin Ritt

The Brotherhood is a 1968 Technicolor mafia crime film, directed by Martin Ritt. It stars Kirk Douglas, Irene Papas, Alex Cord, and Luther Adler. The script was by Lewis John Carlino. Released by Paramount Pictures, while the film received mixed to positive reviews, the film bombed at the box office, with Paramount deciding not to produce another gangster film until it made The Godfather four years later.

<i>The Unholy Three</i> (1930 film) 1930 American melodrama film

The Unholy Three is a 1930 American Pre-Code melodrama directed by Jack Conway and starring Lon Chaney. Its plot involves a crime spree. The film is a sound remake of the silent 1925 film of the same name, with both films based on the novel The Unholy Three, by Tod Robbins.

<i>Escape from Fort Bravo</i> 1953 film

Escape from Fort Bravo is a 1953 American Anscocolor Western film set during the American Civil War. Directed by John Sturges it stars William Holden, Eleanor Parker, and John Forsythe.

The Flying Serpent is a 1946 American fantasy-horror film based on a story by John T Neville. It follows the deranged archaeologist, Dr Andrew Forbes, as he uses his discovery of a killer bird god, the mythical Quetzalcoatl, to murder his enemies. The film is directed by Sam Newfield and features George Zucco, Ralph Lewis, Hope Kramer and Eddie Acuff. It was telecast to WCBS in New York on Saturday, February 5, 1949.

<i>Coyote Falls</i> 2010 film

Coyote Falls is a 2010 animated Looney Tunes short film featuring the characters Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner. Directed by Matthew O'Callaghan and written by Tom Sheppard, it is the first Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner short to be made into CGI as well as the first theatrically released 3-D animated short since 1953's Lumber Jack-Rabbit. Coyote Falls was first shown in theaters before Warner Bros.' feature-length film Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore. In 2014, Warner Bros. Animation published this short on YouTube.

Pierre of the Plains is a 1942 Northern film set in Saskatchewan, Canada, directed by George B. Seitz and starring John Carroll and Ruth Hussey. The supporting cast features Bruce Cabot, Reginald Owen, Henry Travers, Evelyn Ankers and Sheldon Leonard. The movie is a remake of a 1914 version co-written by and starring Edgar Selwyn.

<i>Phantom Raiders</i> 1940 American film

Phantom Raiders is a 1940 film, the second in the series starring Walter Pidgeon as detective Nick Carter. The film was part of a movie trilogy based on original stories featuring the character from the long-running Nick Carter, Detective literary series. In the heightened tensions prior to World War II, Hollywood produced many films in the spy film genre such as Phantom Raiders.

Rascals and Robbers: The Secret Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn is a 1982 American made-for-television adventure film originally broadcast February 27, 1982 on CBS as the TV Movie of the Week. CBS financed the film with a $2.2 million budget and the working title was The Further Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. The film was shot on location in Natchez, Mississippi in the fall of 1981 where the filmmakers added dirt to the street of the historic town. The movie features early roles for Cynthia Nixon and Anthony Michael Hall. It was the first major role for then-child actor and future award-winning filmmaker Patrick Creadon, who starred as Tom. The teleplay was written by Carlos Davis and David Taylor. It was directed by Dick Lowry and produced by his brother Hunt Lowry.

References

  1. "AFI|Catalog".
  2. 1 2 Hal Erickson (2007). "Eddie Macon's Run". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times . Archived from the original on 2007-10-17.
  3. 1 2 Leonard Maltin (3 September 2013). Leonard Maltin's 2014 Movie Guide. Penguin Publishing Group. ISBN   978-1-101-60955-2.