The Reivers (film)

The Reivers
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Mark Rydell
Written by	Harriet Frank, Jr. Irving Ravetch
Produced by	Irving Ravetch
Starring	Steve McQueen Sharon Farrell Mitch Vogel Rupert Crosse Burgess Meredith Will Geer
Narrated by	Burgess Meredith
Cinematography	Richard Moore
Edited by	Thomas Stanford
Music by	John Williams
Production companies	Cinema Center Films Duo Films Solar Productions
Distributed by	National General Pictures (1969, original) Paramount Pictures (2005, DVD)
Release date	December 25, 1969 (1969-12-25)
Running time	107 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

The Reivers (also known as The Yellow Winton Flyer in the UK) is a 1969 Technicolor film in Panavision starring Steve McQueen and directed by Mark Rydell based on the William Faulkner novel of the same name. The supporting cast includes Sharon Farrell, Rupert Crosse, Mitch Vogel, and Burgess Meredith as the narrator.

Plot

Set in 1905, the film follows the exploits of the likable but raffish Boon Hoggenbeck (Steve McQueen), who takes an interest in a new car, a new 1905 Winton Flyer that is the property of a man named Boss (Will Geer), the patriarch of the McCaslin family, who live in the Mississippi area where Boon lives. When the taking of the car first by Boon and then by Ned (Rupert Crosse) (they show themselves to be reivers, or thieves, in the film's start, hence the title) leads to a public brawl, the local magistrate lets them off by a bond that Boss pays on the condition both men stay out of trouble and far away from the car while he is away with family to attend a funeral. That is soon changed by Boon, who takes the car again to go up to Memphis to see his woman Corrie (Sharon Farrell) and talks his young friend Lucius (Mitch Vogel) into going for the ride. Ned stows away as well, but Boon grudgingly allows him to come. Other characters include a horse that loves sardines and races for them, a friendly bordello madam and her amiable employees, and a man with a horse who lives near an impassable sinkhole full of mud for which he charges expensive rates to get both carts and cars through.

Cast

• Steve McQueen as Boon Hogganbeck
• Sharon Farrell as Corrie
• Mitch Vogel as Lucius
• Rupert Crosse as Ned
• Burgess Meredith as Narrator
• Ruth White as Miss Reba
• Michael Constantine as Mr. Binford
• Clifton James as Butch Lovemaiden
• Juano Hernandez as Uncle Possum
• Lonny Chapman as Maury
• Will Geer as Boss (Lucius' grandfather)
• Allyn Ann McLerie as Alison
• Lindy Davis as Otis
• Diane Shalet as Hannah
• Pat Randall as May Ellen
• Diane Ladd as Phoebe
• Ellen Geer as Sally
• Dub Taylor as Dr. Peabody

Awards

1970 Oscar Nominations:

• Actor in a Supporting Role – Rupert Crosse ("Ned McCaslin")
• Music (Original Score – for a motion picture [not a musical]) – John Williams

DVD

The Reivers was released to DVD by Paramount Home Video on June 14, 2005 as a Region 1 widescreen DVD.

See also

• List of American films of 1969
• Winton Motor Carriage Company

External links

• The Reivers at IMDb
• The Reivers at the TCM Movie Database
• The Reivers at AllMovie
• The Reivers at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films