The Gauntlet
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| The Gauntlet | |
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 The Gauntlet movie poster |
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| Directed by | Clint Eastwood |
| Produced by | Robert Daley |
| Written by | Michael Butler Dennis Shryack |
| Starring | Clint Eastwood Sondra Locke |
| Music by | Jerry Fielding |
| Cinematography | Rexford L. Metz |
| Editing by | Joel Cox Ferris Webster |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
| Release date(s) | December 21, 1977 United States |
| Running time | 109 min. |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $5,500,000 (Estimated) |
| All Movie Guide profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
For the Marvel Comics superhero, see Gauntlet (Marvel Comics)
The Gauntlet is the sixth film directed by and starring Clint Eastwood. An action picture about a police officer who must transport a witness from Las Vegas to Phoenix, it also stars Sondra Locke, Pat Hingle, William Prince, Bill McKinney, and longtime personal friend Mara Corday who would appear with Eastwood in another three films.
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[edit] Plot synopsis
Ben Shockley (Clint Eastwood), a cop from Phoenix, is well on his way to becoming a down-and-out when he is given the task to escort witness Gus Mally (Sondra Locke) from Las Vegas. Mally soon reveals herself to be a belligerent prostitute with mob ties and is in possession of incriminating information concerning a high figure in society. Shockley's suspicions are roused when the transport vehicle is bombed and Mally's house is fired upon. The two are forced to face the truth and discover their own inner strengths as they fight their way to Phoenix (from witnessing the murder of a constable in his patrol car, motorcycle gangs, and snipers in a helicopter) finally using an armored bus to run a gauntlet of hundreds of police armed with high-powered weaponry.
References to political corruption and organized crime have been depicted in the film. Although a moderate hit with the viewing public, critics lambasted this film. Eastwood's long time nemesis Judith Keil called it "a tale varnished with foul language and garnished with violence". Even some of Eastwood's fans were rather put off by Locke's unappealing character and limited acting range. They also mentioned the fact the Eastwood basically played a loser who wasn't very bright. The cartoonish violence in the film was also ridiculed. In the climatic scene with the bus under sniper fire, many in the audience reportedly shouted "Shoot out the tires you dummies!".
[edit] Promotion
- Frank Frazetta painted the promotional billboard poster for the movie.
[edit] Trivia
- Steve McQueen and Barbra Streisand were originally cast; however, in-fighting between the two forced McQueen to drop out of the project. Clint Eastwood took over production, later replacing Streisand with Sondra Locke, as well as using his own production crew.
- The constable's patrol car is a 1973 Ford Torino during the road scenes; when the constable meets his demise, the car switches to a Gran Torino.
- The 'armored' bus travels through a hail of bullets without its tires being shot out.
- The helicopter used is an Aerospatiale Gazelle.
[edit] Quotes
- "Next turkey that tries that, I'm gonna shoot him, stuff him, and stick an apple in his ass." - Shockley
- "I got this badge, I got this gun, and I got the love of Jesus right here in my pretty green eyes." -Shockley
- "With all due respect, sir, this is a well-traveled highway. We don't want blood and tennis rackets all over the asphalt." - Feyderspiel
- "On a scale of one to ten, I'd have to give her a two, and that's because I haven't seen a one before."-Shockley
- "Does your wife know you masturbate?" -Gus Mally
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[edit] External resources
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