Boxcar Bertha (1972)

Director:

Martin Scorsese

Writers:

Ben L. Reitman (book)
Joyce Hooper Corrington (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

14 June 1972 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Life made her an outcast. Love made her an outlaw.

Plot:

During the depression, a union leader and a young woman become criminals to exact revenge on the management of a railroad.

Plot Keywords:

Prostitution | 1930s | Train Robbery | Crucifixion | Nudity

Cast

Barbara Hershey	...	'Boxcar' Bertha Thompson
David Carradine	...	'Big' Bill Shelly
Barry Primus	...	Rake Brown
Bernie Casey	...	Von Morton
John Carradine	...	H. Buckram Sartoris
Victor Argo	...	McIver #1
David Osterhout	...	McIver #2 (as David R. Osterhout)
Grahame Pratt	...	Emeric Pressburger
'Chicken' Holleman	...	M. Powell
Harry Northup	...	Deputy Sheriff Harvey Hall (as Harry Northrup)
Ann Morell	...	Tillie Parr
Marianne Dole	...	Mrs. Mailler
Joe Reynolds	...	Joe Cox

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

West Germany:18 (cut) | South Korea:18 | UK:X | Australia:R (re-rating 2005) | Australia:R (original rating) | Australia:MA (cable rating) | Finland:K-16 | France:-16 (re-release) | Sweden:15 | USA:R | France:-16 | Norway:18 | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

Camden, Arkansas, USA

Company:

American International Pictures (AIP)

Trivia:

Director Cameo: [Martin Scorsese]as a john who is just finishing dressing himself when he asks Bertha if he can spend the night.

Goofs:

Continuity: Bertha frees Bill Shelley from the prison gang by faking a punctured tire. The wheel with the flat is left at the side of the road. In the following car chase, the wheel is initially missing from the car. Later the tire is clearly seen fixed to the rear of the car. When the car is being destroyed, the spare tire is gone again.

Quotes:

'Big' Bill Shelly: Hey, Bertha!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Hollywood Uncensored (1987)

Classic Scorsese

This was Martin Scorsese's second full-length feature film and it is a decent one. It's about a young girl in the 1930's who meets and falls in love with a union organizer, who also happens to be a thief. Together, they form a small gang and begin robbing trains as well as anything else they can get their hands on. The fun soon turns to fright when they become fugitives and are hunted down by law enforcement officers. There's action and entertainment but not a movie that you would expect from Martin Scorsese. It has none of his trade marks whatsoever. But do realize that this was one of his first films and try to respect that. I do.