Themes: Sheriffs and Outlaws, Obsessive Quests, Bank Robbery
Main Cast: David Carradine, Keith Carradine, Robert Carradine, Stacy Keach, James Keach, Dennis Quaid
Release Year: 1980
Country: US
Run Time: 100 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
The hook in Walter Hill's mythic retelling of the James-Younger outlaw legend is in the casting; the James, Younger, Miller, and Ford Brothers are played by a string of acting brothers, the Keachs, the Carradines, the Quaids and the Guests. The film begins as outlaws are robbing a bank. After the robbery, Ed Miller (Dennis Quaid) finds himself kicked out of the gang for needlessly killing a man during the robbery. Jesse James (James Keach) hands over Ed's share of the money and tells him to leave, a feeling held mutually by Ed's brother Clell (Randy Quaid). After the killing the gang decides to split up for awhile. The James boys return to their wives and farms, while Cole Younger (David Carradine) travels to Texas with his prostitute girlfriend Belle Starr (Pamela Reed). After the brief respite, the gang reunites to rob a well-stocked bank in Northfield, Minnesota. The robbery turns out disastrously, with most of the gang either wounded or dying. The James boys are the only ones not seriously hurt, and they leave the rest of the gang behind, escaping while they can. After the James boys leave, the remnants of the gang are captured. But trailing the Jameses is a relentless posse. Frank and Jesse manage to keep one step ahead until the Ford brothers (Christopher Guest and Nicholas Guest) make a deal with the Pinkerton detectives trailing the outlaws. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
Review
Walter Hill's colorful account of the waning days of the James-Younger gang has its moments but doesn't make much of an impact. The film tracks the four sets of brothers who formed the gang through their final period together, concluding with the fateful Northfield, MN, raid. Hill's gimmick of using actual brothers to play the characters is amusing for the first five minutes, but once the novelty wears off, a sense of detachment sets in. The director, while far more knowledgeable historically than many of his predecessors with this material, has opted for a neutral approach to the story with minimal characterization and the result is largely uninvolving. Nonetheless, as is usually the case with Hill, the art direction is excellent and the details of the period carefully observed. Ric Waite's camera work is often spectacular, and the editing of the Northfield robbery is superb. Given how little the cast has to work with, the acting is also top-notch, particularly James Keach as Jesse James, David Carradine as Cole Younger, and Pamela Reed as his prostitute/girlfriend, Belle Starr. ~ Michael Costello, All Movie Guide
Randy Quaid - Clell Miller; Kevin Brophy - John Younger; Harry Carey, Jr. - George Arthur; Christopher Guest - Charlie Ford; Nicholas Guest - Bob Ford; Shelby Leverington - Annie Ralston; Felice Orlandi - Mr. Reddick; Pamela Reed - Belle Starr; James Remar - Sam Starr; Fran Ryan - Mrs. Samuel; Savannah Smith - Zee; Amy Stryker - Beth; James Whitmore, Jr. - Mr. Rixley; John Bottoms - Mortician; West Buchanan - McCorkindale; Savannah Smith Boucher; Edward Bunker; Steve Chambers; Luis Contreras; J. Don Ferguson; Peter Jason; Tim Rossovich; Lin Shaye; William Traylor; Gary Watkins; Alan Lee Graf; Chris Mulkey; Duke Stroud; Martina Deignan; Prentiss Rowe; Hugh McGraw; Glenn Robards; Thomas J. Sauber
Credit
Peter Romero - Art Director, Tom Bronson - Costume Designer, Vincenzo Mannino - Costume Designer, Walter Hill - Director, Freeman Davies, Jr. - Editor, David Holden - Editor, Stacy Keach - Executive Producer, James Keach - Executive Producer, Ry Cooder - Composer (Music Score), Jack T. Collis - Production Designer, Ric Waite - Cinematographer, Stacy Keach - Producer, James Keach - Producer, Tim Zinnemann - Producer, Richard C. Goddard - Set Designer, James Webb - Sound/Sound Designer, Chris McLaughlin - Sound/Sound Designer, Stacy Keach - Screenwriter, Bill Bryden - Screenwriter, James Keach - Screenwriter, Steven Phillip Smith - Screenwriter
Type: Soundtrack, Lyrics are included with the album
Genre: Rock
Review
Ry Cooder's soundtrack for The Long Riders received a top-notch treatment from Warner Bros. (Japan), who not only did an excellent remastering job, but backed it up with English lyrics to the songs, notes, and a Japanese insert. Cooder was in fine form with this score, using original material, unusual and anachronistic instruments (saz, tamboura, electric guitar), and elements of traditional songs from the Civil War period. As a result, the album can be appreciated as a unique entity, away from the film -- and bonded to the film, the music provides grace and power to the onscreen events. ~ Steven McDonald, All Music Guide
The Long Riders is a 1980 western film directed by Walter Hill. It was produced by James Keach, Stacy Keach and Tim Zinnemann and featured an original soundtrack by Ry Cooder. Cooder won the Best Music award in 1980 from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards for this soundtrack. The film was entered into the 1980 Cannes Film Festival.[1]
It also features an uncredited appearance by Ever Carradine, daughter of Robert Carradine and niece to David and Keith Carradine. Additionally James Keach's son, Kalen Keach, is cast as little Jesse James. Savannah Smith Boucher played Zee, or Jesse James' wife, Zerelda.
Production
Some of the movie, especially the Northfield scene was shot in Parrott, Georgia.
