Steelyard Blues (1973)

User Rating:

5.5/10   

Director:

Alan Myerson

Writer:

David S. Ward (writer)

Release Date:

9 February 1973 (Finland)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime

Plot:

A group of misfits decide to leave for a place that they can all be free. There mode of transportation is a PBY flying boat...

Plot Keywords:

Flying Boat | Release From Prison | Caper Comedy

Awards:

Nominated for BAFTA Film Award.

Cast

Mel Stewart	...	Black Man in Jail
Donald Sutherland	...	Jesse Veldini
Howard Hesseman	...	Frank Veldini
Morgan Upton	...	Police Capt. Bill
Peter Boyle	...	Eagle Thornberry
Jessica Myerson	...	Savage Rose
Dan Barrows	...	Rocky
John Savage	...	Kid
Jane Fonda	...	Iris Caine
Nancy Fish	...	Pool Hall Waitress
Roger Bowen	...	Fire Commisioner Francis
Garry Goodrow	...	Duval Jax
Lynette Bernay	...	Bar Waitress
Richard Schaal	...	Zoo Official Mel
Edward Greenberg	...	Rookie Cop

Also Known As:

The Final Crash (USA) (TV title)

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:M | West Germany:18 (original rating) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:Btl | UK:15 (re-rating) | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Berkeley, California, USA

Company:

Steelyard Blues Productions

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: During the scene at the airfield when Eagle is dressed as a soldier and is shooting arrows, he is heard saying "Up yours, Kraut!" but his lip movements clearly don't match the "up yours" part.

Movie Connections:

Spoofs The Wild One (1953)

Remembrance of things past

"I dunno nothing about climbing... except onto broads and motorcycles." --Peter Boyle replies to Donald Sutherland in a Brando voice when asked to climb into someplace to steal something.

"A '50 Studie!" --Donald Sutherland exclaims when he sees a 1950 Studebaker at a demolition derby, the only model he had yet to crash into in his derby driving days before prison.

Most, if not all, of the members of the comedy group The Committee appear in the movie and there's a great bit that defies description involving Hessman, his henchman, a sort of movie-prop housefront with someone pretending to be an out-of-control guard dog barking at the window while one of the others tries to hold him back.

I think Sutherland said in a Playboy interview that it was during the filming of this movie that Jane Fonda raised his consciousness.

Sigh, I never would have seen most of my favorite movies if it weren't for revival houses that brought this and other classic or off-beat movies back from time to time. Sadly, most of those theaters are long gone too these days.