Lolly-Madonna XXX
| Lolly-Madonna XXX | |
|---|---|
 Alternative movie poster | |
| Directed by | Richard C. Sarafian |
| Screenplay by | Rodney Carr-Smith Sue Grafton |
| Produced by | Rodney Carr-Smith |
| Starring | Jeff Bridges Rod Steiger Robert Ryan |
| Cinematography | Philip H. Lathrop |
| Music by | Fred Myrow |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
Release date | February 21, 1973 (US) |
Running time | 103 min. |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Lolly-Madonna XXX (a.k.a. The Lolly-Madonna War) is a 1973 film directed by Richard C. Sarafian. The film was co-written by Rodney Carr-Smith and Sue Grafton, based on the novel The Lolly-Madonna War by Grafton.[1]
The movie was filmed in rural Union County, Tennessee.[2]
Plot
Two families in rural Tennessee, headed by patriarchs Laban Feather (Rod Steiger) and Pap Gutshall (Robert Ryan) are at odds with each other. The sons of the two families play harmless tricks on each other but soon the Feather boys decide to kidnap a girl, escalating the rivalry. She turns out to be innocent bystander Roonie Gill (Season Hubley), not the made-up girlfriend "Lolly Madonna." As events escalate, Zack Feather (Jeff Bridges) and Roonie fall in love and try to bring the others to their senses. The two families kill one another, until only the patriarchs are left.
Cast
- Rod Steiger as Laban Feather
- Robert Ryan as Pap Gutshall
- Jeff Bridges as Zack Feather
- Scott Wilson as Thrush
- Katherine Squire as Chickie Feather
- Joan Goodfellow as Sister E Gutshall
- Tresa Hughes as Elspeth Gutshall
- Gary Busey as Zeb
- Randy Quaid as Finch Feather
- Season Hubley as Lolly Madonna
Critical reception
The film had a mixed reception from the critics. Vincent Canby of The New York Times starts his review as follows:
Lolly-Madonna XXX is a disaster, but I can't tell whether it's because hillbillies make rotten metaphors or because Richard C. Sarafian has made a rotten movie.[3]
On the other hand, Variety had this to say:
Sue Grafton's novel, The Lolly-Madonna War, has been handsomely and sensitively filmed. Excellent performances abound by older and younger players in a mountain-country clan feud story which mixes extraordinary human compassion with raw but discreet violence.[4]
Reviewing the new Warner Archive Collection DVD release of the movie, Paul Mavis of DVD Talk wrote, "[It's a] strange, hypnotic doom and gloom Southern cult classic, with a one-of-a-kind cast....A real find for lovers of 70s moviemaking." [5]
See also
References
- ^ "'Lolly-Madonna' changed lives". Anchorage Daily News. July 8, 1973. p. 14. Retrieved May 4, 2010.
- ^ Chris Wohlwend, "Revisiting the Nearly Forgotten 'Lolly Madonna War,' Shot in Union County, Tenn.," Knoxville Mercury, 3 August 2016.
- ^ Canby, Vincent (February 22, 1973). "'Lolly-Madonna' Appears on Screen". The New York Times. Retrieved May 4, 2010.
- ^ "Lolly-Madonna XXX - The Lolly-Madonna War (U.K.)". Variety. Retrieved 2 July 2012.
- ^ "Lolly-Madonna XXX (Warner Archive Collection)". DVD Talk. Retrieved 22 April 2015.