The Gauntlet (1977)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

Clint Eastwood

Writers:

Michael Butler (written by) and
Dennis Shryack (written by)

Release Date:

21 December 1977 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Thriller

Tagline:

Clint Eastwood is the man in the middle of The Gauntlet

Plot:

A hard but mediocre cop is assigned to escort a prostitute into custody from Las Vegas to Phoenix, so that she can testify in a mob trial. But a lot of people are literally betting that they won't make it into town alive.

Plot Keywords:

Prostitute | Betting | Trial | Bus | Police

Cast

Clint Eastwood	...	Ben Shockley
Sondra Locke	...	Gus Mally
Pat Hingle	...	Josephson
William Prince	...	Blakelock
Bill McKinney	...	Constable
Michael Cavanaugh	...	Feyderspiel
Carole Cook	...	Waitress
Mara Corday	...	Jail Matron
Doug McGrath	...	Bookie (as Douglas McGrath)
Jeff Morris	...	Desk Sergeant
Samantha Doane	...	Biker
Roy Jenson	...	Biker
Dan Vadis	...	Biker
Carver Barnes	...	Bus Driver
Robert Barrett	...	Paramedic
Teddy Bear	...	Lieutenant
Mildred Brion	...	Old Lady on Bus (as Mildren J. Brion)
Ron Chapman	...	Veteran Cop
Don Circle	...	Bus Clerk
James W. Gavin	...	Helicopter Pilot
Thomas H. Friedkin	...	Helicopter Pilot (as Tom Friedkin)
Darwin Lamb	...	Police Captain
Roger Lowe	...	Paramedic Driver
Fritz Manes	...	Helicopter Gunman
John Quiroga	...	Cab Driver
Josef Rainer	...	Rookie Cop (as Joe Rainer)
Art Rimdzius	...	Judge
Al Silvani	...	Police Sergeant
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Marneen Fields	...	Biker Chick (uncredited)
Terry D. Seago	...	Cop (uncredited)
Steve Wargo	...	Man in airport (uncredited)

Directed by
Clint Eastwood

Writing credits
Michael Butler		(written by) and
Dennis Shryack		(written by)

Produced by
Robert Daley	....	producer
Fritz Manes	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Jerry Fielding

Cinematography by
Rexford L. Metz		(director of photography) (as Rexford Metz)

Film Editing by
Joel Cox
Ferris Webster

Art Direction by
Allen E. Smith

Set Decoration by
Ira Bates

Makeup Department
Lorraine Roberson	....	hair stylist
Don Schoenfeld	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Joseph C. Cavalier	....	unit production manager (as Joe Cavalier)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Peter L. Bergquist	....	second assistant director (as Peter Bergquist)
Richard Hashimoto	....	assistant director
Lynn M. Morgan	....	second assistant director (as Lynn Morgan)
Al Silvani	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Edward Aiona	....	property master (as Eddie Aiona)
Gerald MacDonald	....	construction coordinator (as Jerry MacDonald)

Sound Department
Les Fresholtz	....	sound re-recording mixer
Bert Hallberg	....	sound
Keith Stafford	....	sound effects editor
Jerry Jacobson	....	adr editor (uncredited)
Michael Minkler	....	sound re-recording mixer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Chuck Gaspar	....	special effects

Stunts
Buddy Van Horn	....	stunt coordinator (as Wayne Van Horn)
Lightning Bear	....	stunts (uncredited)
Steven Burnett	....	stunts (uncredited)
Marneen Fields	....	stunts (uncredited)
Robert F. Hoy	....	stunts (uncredited)
George Orrison	....	stunt double: Clint Eastwood (uncredited)
George Orrison	....	stunts (uncredited)
Sherry Peterson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Buddy Van Horn	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Doug Cook	....	second grip (as Douglas Cook)
Michael Gershman	....	assistant camera
Norman Glasser	....	gaffer
Jack Johnson	....	key grip
Jan Kiesser	....	camera operator
Louis Niemeyer	....	assistant camera
Marcia Reed	....	still photographer
Jim Sullivan	....	best boy
Barry Wexler	....	grip (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Glenn Wright	....	costume supervisor

Music Department
Jon Faddis	....	musician: jazz soloist
Donald Harris	....	music editor (as Don Harris)
Art Pepper	....	musician: jazz soloist

Transportation Department
Tim Hill	....	transportation coordinator
Roger Wooge	....	driver: special effects (uncredited)

Other crew
Eudie Charnes	....	production secretary
Judie Hoyt	....	secretary to producer (as Judie G. Hoyt)
Catalina Lawrence	....	script supervisor
Don Mink	....	auditor
James Moffett	....	first aid
Dominic Santarone	....	caterer
Ruth Santarone	....	caterer
Jim Zemansky	....	armorer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Malpaso Productions

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1977) (USA) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1980) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Argentina Video Home (19??) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Argentina Video Home (2000) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (2000) (Argentina) (VHS) (re-release)
• Warner Bros. (2000) (Argentina) (all media) (re-release)
• Warner Home Video (2001) (Germany) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Warner-Columbia Films (1978) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Warner-Columbia Filmverleih (1978) (West Germany) (theatrical)

Other Companies

• DeLuxe Laboratories  color by (as DeLuxe)
• Pacific Title  titles and opticals

Also Known As:

Ruta suicida (Argentina) (Peru) (Spain) [es]
Der Mann, der niemals aufgibt (Austria) (West Germany) [de]
L'épreuve de force (Canada: French title) (France) [fr]
Barreira de Fogo (Portugal) [pt]
Genom kulregnet (Finland: Swedish title) [sv]
Hetsjakten (Sweden) [sv]
Kanun yolunda (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
L'uomo nel mirino (Italy) [it]
Luotikuja (Finland) [fi]
O anthropos pou den ypekypse pote (Greece) [el]
Pansernæven (Denmark) [da]
Rota Suicida (Brazil) [pt]

Runtime:

109 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo

Certification:

Spain:13 (cut) | Iceland:16 | Netherlands:16 | Finland:K-18 (1978) (cut) | Singapore:NC-16 | Canada:14A (video rating) | Peru:14 | Argentina:16 (original rating) | Argentina:Atp (re-rating) | Australia:MA (DVD rating) | Australia:R (original rating) | Finland:K-16 (DVD rating) (1999) (uncut) | Finland:K-16 (video rating) (1988) (cut) | France:-12 | New Zealand:R16 | Norway:16 (1978) | Spain:(Banned) | Sweden:15 | UK:18 (video rating) (1986) | UK:X (original rating) | USA:R | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Company:

Malpaso Productions

Trivia:

The illustration on the film's original theatrical release poster was by Frank Frazetta.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Josephson gets on the bus to greet Shockley and Gus at the climax of the film, his glasses disappear and reappear between shots.

Quotes:

Ben Shockley: Exactly. Reasonable suspicion. I can go anywhere I please if I have reasonable suspicion. Now if I have suspicion a felony's been committed, I can just walk right in here anytime I feel like it, 'cause I got this badge, I got this gun, and I got the love of Jesus right here in my pretty green eyes.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Remington Steele: Blood Is Thicker Than Steele (#2.14)" (1984)

Clint runs "The Gauntlet" with a lady named Gus.

This baroque and utterly implausible action drama subscribes to the over-the-top theory of movie making. Huge quantities of bullets, bikers and bad apples are unleashed on Mr.Eastwood, Ms. Locke, his remand witness, and us, the audience. Eastwood executes the gauntlet with great resolve and resourcefulness: he even knows how to fortify a bus with armored plates. Clint is in peak form and Locke will never again reach the heights that she does here. Clearly, the two have wonderful screen chemistry and would remain together as a couple for more than a decade. Watching the film today, I think there is a scene that went missing--or was cut. It occurred at the beginning of the movie and involved the sadistic police commissioner and Locke's prostitute. The scene is later described in great detail by Locke when she and Clint are on the lam in a desert cave. So where is it? My dad took me to see this "R" rated film on a bitterly cold night in early February '78--it was released in late '77. I think he was unaware of the rating because I did get an eyeful that night. Make sure you see this movie letterboxed in order to absorb all the destructive power and subtle artistry on display.