Straw Dogs (1971)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

Sam Peckinpah

Writers:

David Zelag Goodman (screenplay) and
Sam Peckinpah (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

29 December 1971 (USA)

Genre:

Thriller

Tagline:

The knock at the door meant the birth of one man and the death of seven others!

Plot:

A young American and his English wife come to rural England and face increasingly vicious local harassment.

Plot Keywords:

Violence | Rural | House | Mathematician | Fight

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win

Cast

Dustin Hoffman	...	David Sumner
Susan George	...	Amy Sumner
Peter Vaughan	...	Tom Hedden
T.P. McKenna	...	Major John Scott
Del Henney	...	Charlie Venner
Jim Norton	...	Chris Cawsey
Donald Webster	...	Riddaway
Ken Hutchison	...	Norman Scutt
Len Jones	...	Bobby Hedden
Sally Thomsett	...	Janice Hedden
Robert Keegan	...	Harry Ware
Peter Arne	...	John Niles
Cherina Schaer	...	Louise Hood
Colin Welland	...	Reverend Barney Hood
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
June Brown	...	Mrs. Hedden (scenes deleted)
Chloe Franks	...	Emma Hedden (scenes deleted)
Michael Mundell	...	Bertie Hedden (scenes deleted)
David Warner	...	Henry Niles (uncredited)

Directed by
Sam Peckinpah

Writing credits
David Zelag Goodman		(screenplay) and
Sam Peckinpah		(screenplay)
Gordon Williams		(novel "The Siege of Trencher's Farm") (as Gordon M. Williams)

Produced by
Daniel Melnick	....	producer
James Swann	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Jerry Fielding

Cinematography by
John Coquillon		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Paul Davies
Tony Lawson
Roger Spottiswoode

Casting by
Miriam Brickman

Production Design by
Ray Simm

Art Direction by
Ken Bridgeman

Makeup Department
Harry Frampton	....	makeup artist
Bobbie Smith	....	hairdresser
Peter Frampton	....	makeup assistant (uncredited)

Production Management
Derek Kavanagh	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Terry Marcel	....	assistant director
Nick Farnes	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Michael Murray	....	third assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Peter James	....	set dresser
Julia Trevelyan Oman	....	production design consultant

Sound Department
John Bramall	....	sound recordist
Garth Craven	....	sound editor
Michael Ellis	....	sound dialogue editor (uncredited)
Norman Savage	....	sound editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
John Richardson	....	special effects
Peter Hutchinson	....	special effects assistant (uncredited)

Stunts
Bill Cornelius	....	stunt coordinator
Peter Brayham	....	stunts (uncredited)
Joe Dunne	....	stunts (uncredited)
Sue Longhurst	....	stunt double: Susan George (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Herbert Smith	....	camera operator
John Jay	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Tiny Nicholls	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Robert L. Wolfe	....	editorial consultant (as Robert Wolfe)

Music Department
Jerry Fielding	....	conductor (uncredited)
Lennie Niehaus	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Pamela Davies	....	continuity
Anthony Goldschmidt	....	title designer
Katherine Haber	....	dialogue director (as Katy Haber)
George Davis	....	production accountant (uncredited)
Brian Doyle	....	unit publicist (uncredited)
Susan Shaw	....	body double: Susan George (uncredited)

Production Companies

• ABC Pictures (presents) (as ABC Pictures Corp.)
• Talent Associates (as Talent Associates Films, Ltd.)
• Amerbroco (as Amerbroco Films, Ltd.)

Distributors

• Anchor Bay Entertainment (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• British Film Institute (BFI) (1995) (UK) (theatrical)
• Buena Vista Pictures (1995) (worldwide) (all media)
• Centfox (1972) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Cinerama Releasing Corporation (USA)
• Cinerama Releasing UK (1971) (UK) (theatrical)
• Criterion Collection, The (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Editora Europa (200?) (Brazil) (DVD)
• EuroVideo (1982) (West Germany) (VHS)
• Guild Home Video (UK) (video)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• MRA Entertainment Group (2004) (Australia) (DVD)
• Pearson Television International (2002) (UK) (DVD)
• Thorn-Emi Video (????) (West Germany) (VHS)
• Transvídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Video Collection International (1999) (UK) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Lee Lighting  grip and lighting equipment (uncredited)

Also Known As:

Sam Peckinpah's Straw Dogs (UK) (complete title)
Perros de paja (Argentina) (Spain) [es]
Adespota skylia (Greece) [el]
Cães de Palha (Portugal) [pt]
Cane di paglia (Italy) [it]
De galna hundarna (Sweden) [sv]
Köpekler (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Køterne (Denmark) [da]
Les chiens de paille (France) [fr]
Nedzne psy (Poland) [pl]
Olkikoirat (Finland) [fi]
Psi od slame (Croatia) [hr]
Psi od slame (Serbia) [sr]
Sob o Domínio do Medo (Brazil) [pt]
Straw Dogs - det galna gänget (Sweden) [sv]
Straw dogs - De galna hundarna (Sweden) [sv]
Szalmakutyák (Hungary) [hu]
Wer Gewalt sät (West Germany) [de]

Runtime:

118 min | USA:113 min (R-rated version)

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor) (uncredited)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-18 (uncut) (1981) | Finland:K-18 (cut) (1971) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Iceland:16 | Germany:16 (re-rating) (2007) | West Germany:18 (original rating) | USA:R (cut) | USA:Unrated (uncut) | Brazil:18 | South Korea:18 | Argentina:18 | Australia:MA (DVD re-rating) (2004) | Australia:R (original rating) | France:-16 | Hong Kong:III | Ireland:18 | Italy:VM14 (re-rating) | Italy:VM18 (original rating) | Japan:R-15 | New Zealand:R18 | Norway:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:(Banned) (video rating) (1999) | UK:18 (video re-rating) (2002) (uncut) | UK:X (original rating) | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Lamorna Cove, Lamorna, Cornwall, England, UK

Company:

ABC Pictures

Trivia:

The movie's poster was as #12 of "The 25 Best Movie Posters Ever" by Premiere.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: As David and Amy Sumner drive up to their house for the first time, the camera crew is reflected in the car's side window.

Quotes:

David Sumner: Ok, you've had your fun. I'll give you one more chance, and if you don't clear out now, there'll be real trouble. I mean it.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue (2008) (TV)

Everyone betrays everyone

It is certainly possible to look at STRAW DOGS as nothing more than a simple story of a man defending his house, his animalistic insides unleashed by a group of Cornish hoodlums. On that level alone it is a terrific piece of film-making backed up with highly textured acting from the two principals. But there are layers and layers and layers in this film, and that is what makes it art, and a masterpiece. Peckinpah himself told people that Dustin Hoffman was the heavy, and the movie was a portrait of a bad marriage. Try watching with those two facts in mind, and the film takes on a whole new complexion. The Criterion Collection two-disc set of STRAW DOGS is excellent, from the Peckinpah documentary to interviews with Susan George and the producer, to the audio commentary track. I agree with other reviewers who stressed that Peckinpah wasn't interested in "solving" problems; he wanted us to look at ourselves, and cringe.