The Mountain Men
| The Mountain Men | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster |
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| Directed by | Richard Lang |
| Produced by | Andrew Scheinman (producer) Martin Shafer (producer) Richard R. St. Johns (executive producer) Cathleen Summers (executive producer) |
| Written by | Fraser Clarke Heston |
| Starring | Charlton Heston Brian Keith Seymour Cassel |
| Music by | Michel Legrand |
| Cinematography | Michel Hugo |
| Editing by | Eva Ruggiero |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
| Release date(s) | 1 June 1980 |
| Running time | 102 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The Mountain Men is a 1980 Adventure/Western film starring Charlton Heston and Brian Keith.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
Charlton Heston stars as an argumentative, curmudgeonly mountain man by the name of Bill Tyler. His co-star, Brian Keith, in the role of Henry Frapp, is Bill's good friend and fellow trapper. Together, they trap beaver, fight Indians, and become classicly inebriated at a mountain man rendezvous while trying to sell their "plews", or beaver skins, to a cutthroat French trader named Fontenelle.
Bill Tyler looks for a legendary valley, in Blackfoot territory, "so full of beaver that they just jump in the traps." Running Moon leaves her abusive husband, a ruthless Blackfoot warrior named Heavy Eagle, and comes across the two trappers in the dying days of the fur trapping era. While at first Bill only wants to take her to safety at the rendezvous, she eventually becomes his woman. While trapping Bill and Henry are attacked by Blackfeet and Henry is scalped by Heavy Eagle in front of Bill. Bill runs back to camp and he and Running Moon flee only to be caught. Later, Bill (thinking Running Moon has also been killed) is given a chance to run (similar to the real life event of John Colter) and is chased by warriors whom he initially eludes by hiding in a beaver den. They pursue him until he and Heavy Eagle fall into a raging river. Heavy Eagle makes it to shore and Bill goes over a waterfall. Heavy Eagle tries to make Running Moon his women again which he cannot do. He knows Bill Tyler survived and will come for her as he had done.
On his survival trek Bill comes across Henry who had survived the scalping and eventually learns that Running Moon is still alive. He and Henry set out to rescue her while they are followed by a pair of trappers (Cassell and Lucking) also looking for the valley of beavers.
The story takes place during 1838, although it's never stated in the film, based on the fact that the beaver market was declining and the rendezvous was held on the Popoagie River. The "Era of the Mountain Man" ended two years later.
The story was written by Heston's son. The film was Lang's directorial debut. This was Victor Jory's last film.
[edit] Locations
The movie is full of beautiful scenery filmed in Wyoming at Bridger-Teton National Park, Grand Teton National Park, Shoshone National Park and Yellowstone National Park.
[edit] Main cast
- Charlton Heston ... Bill Tyler
- Brian Keith ... Henry Frapp
- Victoria Racimo ... Running Moon
- Stephen Macht ... Heavy Eagle
- John Glover ... Nathan Wyeth
- Seymour Cassel ... La Bont
- Cal Bellini ... Cross Otter
- Victor Jory ... Chief Iron Belly
- David Ackroyd ... Medicine Wolf
- William Lucking ... Jim Walter (billed as Bill Lucking)
[edit] External links
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