Sam Whiskey

Last updated

Sam Whiskey
Sam Whiskey (film poster).jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Arnold Laven
Screenplay by William W. Norton
Produced by Jules V. Levy
Arthur Gardner
Arnold Laven
Starring Burt Reynolds
Angie Dickinson
Clint Walker
Ossie Davis
CinematographyRobert C. Moreno
Edited byJohn Woodcock
Music by Herschel Burke Gilbert
Production
companies
Brighton Pictures
Levy-Gardner-Laven
Distributed by United Artists
Release date
  • April 1, 1969 (1969-04-01)(United States)
Running time
96 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Sam Whiskey is a 1969 American Western comedy film directed in DeLuxe Color by Arnold Laven and starring Burt Reynolds, Angie Dickinson, Clint Walker and Ossie Davis. [1] [2] "Way ahead of its time," said Reynolds of the film. "I was playing light comedy and nobody cared." [3]

Contents

Plot

Sam Whiskey, an adventurer and rogue in the Old West, is seduced by Laura Breckenridge, a wealthy widow and daughter of a prominent Oklahoma political family, into promising to retrieve $250,000 in gold bars from a riverboat that recently sank in Colorado's Platte River. The gold had been stolen by Laura's late husband, Congressman Phillip Breckenridge, from the Denver Mint during an official visit and replaced with plated lead fakes. Once the mint receives its next inspection, due in one week, it will resume minting coins and discover the theft. Laura offers Sam $20,000 to recover and return the gold before her family name is ruined and she is convicted as an accomplice to her husband's crime. Sam enlists the help of Jedidiah Hooker, a blacksmith, and O. W. Bandy, an Army friend turned inventor, offering them shares of the reward.

They locate the sunken riverboat, unaware that they are being watched by Fat Henry Hobson and his gang. The gold is fifteen feet below the river's surface, so Bandy fashions a diving helmet for Sam out of a bucket and bellows, but Fat Henry and his gang capture Jed and Bandy. Thinking they have drowned Sam, who hides in the riverboat's half-submerged smokestack, they recover the gold and prepare to kill their captives, but Sam turns the tables with the help of one of Bandy's homemade machine guns. As Sam and his partners travel to Denver with the gold, they consider absconding to Mexico, but rein in the temptation when Laura rendezvous with them to provide blueprints of the mint.

After kidnapping and assuming the identity of government inspector Thorston Bromley, Sam enters the mint and deliberately damages a gold-plated bronze bust of George Washington displayed in the lobby. He then insists on having it repaired and takes it to a local smithy, where Jed makes a mold of the bust and recasts the recovered gold. Again, they are spied on by Fat Henry's gang. While Sam and company bring the new bust to the mint, the gang breaks into the shop and steals the bronze original, mistaking it for the gold one. Sam continues his false inspection of the mint, and Jed and Bandy infiltrate the premises as plumbers and hide when the mint closes at nightfall. Under the noses of the guards, the trio use the mint's smelter to recast the bust back into gold bars and restock the vault. They then escape via the roof just as the mint's manager, who realized the plumbers were a sham, rushes back and notices the bust is missing from its plinth. Elsewhere, Fat Henry despairs upon discovering his pilfered bust is worthless. On a train leaving Denver the next morning, Sam splits the $20,000 with Jed and Bandy, but keeps Laura for himself.

Cast

Production

The film was made by the producing team of Levy-Gardner-Laven, who had collaborated on numerous films and TV movies. [4]

It was based on an original screenplay by William Norton. It was originally called The Renegades, and then Whiskey's Renegades, and was acquired by Levy Gardner Laven in July 1967, along with another Norton script, Lions, Tigers and Bears. [5] Norton had previously written The Scalphunters for the producers. [6]

Burt Reynolds was signed in February 1968. [7] Angie Dickinson was the female lead; she did a nude scene which she was reluctant to do but said the script required it. [8]

Filming began 22 April 1968 at Universal Studios (although the film was released through United Artists). [9]

Mary McCarty

Throughout the film bits and pieces of a song about a saucy lady named Mary McCarty are revealed by Sam Whiskey (Burt Reynolds) with the final verse given to the viewers by Jed Hooker (Ossie Davis).

Whiskey and Gin

Release

Film Rating

The film was one of the first to have a scene cut under the newly introduced MPAA rating system. The version submitted by director Laven to the MPAA included "a bare-from-the-waist-up shot" of Angie Dickinson. [10] When faced with the prospect of an "R" rating (at the time an entirely new concept), Laven substituted a tighter shot of Dickinson from the shoulders up to avoid the "R" rating. [10]

Reception

Critical response

Film critic Vincent Canby wrote of the film, "Comedy Westerns aren't my favorite form of entertainment and Sam Whiskey is certainly not one of the best of the breed, but its pleasures are so unexpected that they deserve some modest appreciation ... The movie, written by William Norton ( The Scalphunters ) and directed by Arnold Laven, has a kind of clumsy charm, most of it contributed by the performances of Reynolds, who bears a creepy resemblance to Marlon Brando; Miss Dickinson, and Ossie Davis and Clint Walker, who help Reynolds execute a reversal on the usual movie heist." [11]

More recently film critic Dennis Schwartz gave the film a mixed review, writing, "An amiable Western, whose tagline is "Don't mix with Sam Whiskey. It's risky!", that nevertheless proves tiresome under the belabored direction of Arnold Laven ... The cornball antics, the uninspired acting and the wearisome plot so slackly handled all add up leaving this dull Western in a state of mediocrity. This one might appeal only to die-hard fans of Reynolds." [12]

Legacy

Although the film was not a commercial success, it helped establish Burt Reynold's on-screen persona as a cocky hero, which he would use to great success in the 1970s. Norton would write several Reynolds films including White Lightning and Gator. [13]

Related Research Articles

<i>Oceans 11</i> 1960 heist film directed by Lewis Milestone

Ocean's 11 is a 1960 American heist film directed and produced by Lewis Milestone from a screenplay by Harry Brown and Charles Lederer, based on a story by George Clayton Johnson and Jack Golden Russell. The film stars an ensemble cast and five members of the Rat Pack: Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop. Centered on a series of Las Vegas casino robberies, the film also stars Angie Dickinson, Richard Conte, Cesar Romero, Patrice Wymore, Akim Tamiroff, and Henry Silva. It includes cameo appearances by Shirley MacLaine, Red Skelton, and George Raft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burt Reynolds</span> American actor (1936–2018)

Burton Leon Reynolds Jr. was an American actor and director, considered a sex symbol and icon of 1970s American popular culture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angie Dickinson</span> American actress (born 1931)

Angie Dickinson is a retired American film and television actress. She began her career on television, appearing in many anthology series during the 1950s, before gaining her breakthrough role in Gun the Man Down (1956) with James Arness and the Western film Rio Bravo (1959) with John Wayne and Dean Martin, for which she received the Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year.

<i>Cannonball Run II</i> 1984 film by Hal Needham

Cannonball Run II is a 1984 action comedy film starring Burt Reynolds and an all-star cast, released by Warner Bros. and Golden Harvest. Like the original Cannonball Run, it is set around an illegal cross-country race.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ossie Davis</span> American actor, director, writer, and activist (1917–2005)

Raiford Chatman "Ossie" Davis was an American actor, director, writer, and activist. He was married to Ruby Dee, with whom he frequently performed, until his death. He and his wife were named to the NAACP Image Awards Hall of Fame; were awarded the National Medal of Arts and were recipients of the Kennedy Center Honors. He was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 1994.

<i>Catlow</i> 1971 film

Catlow is a 1971 American Western film, based on a 1963 novel of the same name by Louis L'Amour. It stars Yul Brynner as a renegade outlaw determined to pull off a Confederate gold heist. It co-stars Richard Crenna and Leonard Nimoy. Nimoy mentioned this film in both of his autobiographies because it gave him a chance to break away from his role as Spock on Star Trek. He mentioned that the time he made the film was one of the happiest of his life, even though his part was rather brief. The film contains a lot of tongue-in-cheek and sardonic humor, especially between Brynner and Crenna's characters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clint Walker</span> American actor (1927–2018)

Norman Eugene "Clint" Walker was an American actor. He played cowboy Cheyenne Bodie in the ABC/Warner Bros. western series Cheyenne from 1955 to 1963.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frances Conroy</span> American actress

Frances Hardman Conroy is an American actress. She is best known for playing Ruth Fisher on the television series Six Feet Under (2001–2005), for which she won a Golden Globe and three Screen Actors Guild Awards, and received four Primetime Emmy Awards nominations for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. She is also known for playing the older version of Moira O'Hara in season one of the television anthology series American Horror Story, which garnered Conroy her first Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress on Television nomination, and as well a Primetime Emmy Awards nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie. Conroy subsequently portrayed The Angel of Death, Myrtle Snow, Gloria Mott, Mama Polk, Bebe Babbitt, and Belle Noir on seven further seasons of the show: Asylum, Coven, Freak Show, Roanoke, Cult, Apocalypse, and Double Feature, respectively. Conroy is the fourth actor who has appeared in most seasons of the show. For her performance in Coven, she was nominated again for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie.

The Golden Boot Awards were an American acknowledgement of achievement honoring actors, actresses, and crew members who made significant contributions to the genre of Westerns in television and film. The award was sponsored and presented by the Motion Picture & Television Fund. Money raised at the award banquet was used to help finance various services offered by the Fund to those in the entertainment industry.

Once Upon a Texas Train is a 1988 American comedy Western television film, directed by Burt Kennedy and starring Willie Nelson and Richard Widmark.

<i>White Lightning</i> (1973 film) 1973 film by Joseph Sargent

White Lightning is a 1973 American action film directed by Joseph Sargent, written by William W. Norton, and starring Burt Reynolds, Jennifer Billingsley, Ned Beatty, Bo Hopkins, R. G. Armstrong and Diane Ladd. It marked Laura Dern's film debut.

"Ain't Misbehavin'" is a 1929 stride jazz/early swing song. Andy Razaf wrote the lyrics to a score by Thomas "Fats" Waller and Harry Brooks for the Broadway musical comedy play Connie's Hot Chocolates.

<i>The Scalphunters</i> 1968 film

The Scalphunters is a 1968 American Western film starring Burt Lancaster, Ossie Davis and Telly Savalas. The film was directed by Sydney Pollack, with the score written by Elmer Bernstein. Davis was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in the film. Filming took place in Sierra de Órganos National Park in the town of Sombrerete, Mexico.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arnold Laven</span> American film director

Arnold Laven was an American film and television director and producer. He was one of the founders and principals of the American film and television production company Levy-Gardner-Laven. Laven was a producer of, among other things, the western television series The Rifleman and The Big Valley. He also directed motion pictures, including Without Warning!, The Rack, The Monster That Challenged the World, Geronimo, Rough Night in Jericho, and Sam Whiskey. In the 1970s and early 1980s, Laven directed dozens of episodes of television series, including episodes of Mannix, The A-Team, Hill Street Blues, The Six Million Dollar Man, Fantasy Island, The Rockford Files and CHiPs.

Levy-Gardner-Laven Productions was an American film production company based in Beverly Hills, California. The principals, Jules V. Levy, Arthur Gardner, and Arnold Laven, met while serving in the Air Force's First Motion Picture Unit during World War II. While serving, they decided to form their own production company after the war ended. The three men formed Levy-Gardner-Laven in 1951.

<i>Rent-a-Cop</i> 1988 film by Jerry London

Rent-a-Cop is a 1987 American thriller comedy starring Burt Reynolds and Liza Minnelli. Reynolds plays a disgraced police officer, now working as a security guard, who falls in love with Minnelli, who plays a prostitute.

<i>Impasse</i> (film) 1969 American film by Richard Benedict

Impasse is a 1969 American film about a group of adventurers trying to recover gold lost in the Philippines during World War II. It stars Burt Reynolds, Anne Francis, Vic Diaz, Lyle Bettger and Rodolfo Acosta.

<i>Skullduggery</i> (1970 film) 1970 adventure film by Gordon Douglas

Skullduggery is a 1970 American adventure film directed by Gordon Douglas produced by Saul David and starring Burt Reynolds, Susan Clark. It is based on the French novel Les Animaux dénaturés (1952) by Jean Bruller.

William Wallace "Bill" Norton, Jr. was an American screenwriter particularly notable for his collaborations with Burt Reynolds Later in life, he was convicted of gun running in France when he tried to send arms from the United States to the Irish National Liberation Army in Northern Ireland. After being released from prison, he moved to Nicaragua, where he shot and killed an intruder in his Managua home. He later spent a year living in Cuba but became disillusioned with Communism and was reportedly smuggled from Mexico into the U.S. by his ex-wife.

<i>The Devils 8</i> 1969 film by Burt Topper

The Devil's 8 is a 1969 film directed by Burt Topper and starring Christopher George, Fabian, Tom Nardini and Leslie Parrish. It was produced and distributed by American International Pictures.

References

  1. ↑ SAM WHISKEY. Monthly Film Bulletin; London Vol. 36, Iss. 420, (Jan 1, 1969): 150.
  2. ↑ Burt Reynolds, Who Plays Haff-Breeds Stoic About Roles. Clifford, Terry. Chicago Tribune 6 Apr 1969: f14.
  3. ↑ Workaholic Burt Reynolds sets up his next task: Light comedy. Siskel, Gene. Chicago Tribune 28 Nov 1976: e2.
  4. ↑ Trio Pleads Guilty to 'Hunting Party: Guilty of 'Hunting Party'. Warga, Wayne. Los Angeles Times 25 July 1971: s1.
  5. ↑ Producers Go 'Underground'. Martin, Betty. Los Angeles Times 5 Aug 1967: 18.
  6. ↑ MOVIE CALL SHEET: Kershner to Direct 'Indian'. Martin, Betty. Los Angeles Times 7 Oct 1967: 17.
  7. ↑ MOVIE CALL SHEET: 'Story' Role for Farentino. Martin, Betty. Los Angeles Times 2 Feb 1968: c14.
  8. ↑ Angie Dickinson Agrees to Nude Scenes in Westerns. Norma Lee Browning. Chicago Tribune 21 July 1968: e13.
  9. ↑ MOVIE CALL SHEET: Angie Dickinson Signed. Martin, Betty. Los Angeles Times 28 Mar 1968: e25.
  10. 1 2 Dick Kleiner (November 6, 1968). "Movie Producers Hope For The Best". The Coshocton Tribune (NEA story).
  11. ↑ Canby, Vincet, film review, The New York Times , "Sam Whiskey on Double Bill: Burt Reynolds an Asset to Comedy Western, The First Time Also Begins Run at Lyric", June 12, 1969. Accessed: July 4, 2013.
  12. ↑ Schwartz, Dennis Archived 2011-05-19 at the Wayback Machine , film review, Ozus' World Movie Reviews, May 25, 2008. Accessed: July 4, 2013.
  13. ↑ William Norton, a Writer Wilder Than His Films, 85: [Obituary (Obit); Biography] Weber, Bruce. New York Times 9 Oct 2010: A.22.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.