The Hallelujah Trail

Cinephile deep dive

The take

John Sturges directs. Robert Surtees behind the camera. Elmer Bernstein scores. Ferris Webster cuts. A long sit — settle in. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

• 1Clocks in at 165 minutes — on the longer side of feature-length cinema.
• 2Earned back only 57% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
• 361 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
• 4Directed by John Sturges, shot by Robert Surtees. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
• 5Original score by Elmer Bernstein. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
• 6Editor Ferris Webster shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
• 7Burt Lancaster and Lee Remick and Jim Hutton carry the top of the cast.
• 8Marketing tagline: "Cinerama sends you roaring with laughter and adventure down that wide and wonderful fun-trail!".
• 9IMDB entry: tt0059250 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography

Robert Surtees

Original score

Elmer Bernstein

Editing

Ferris Webster

Costume design

Edith Head

Makeup / hair

Robert J. Schiffer

Runtime

165 min · 2h 45m

Aspect ratio (typical)

1.37:1 (Academy)

Status

Released

Budget

$7,000,000

Box office

$4,000,000

Return

57% of budget

Original language

EN

Certification (US)

NR

IMDB

The Hallelujah Trail (1965) ↗

Rotten Tomatoes

33% 🥫 Rotten

IMDB rating

6.5/10 · 4,534 votes

MPAA

Approved

Also by

John Sturges

• 
  Keeper of the Bees

  1947 · ★ 10.0
• 
  The Great Escape

  1963 · ★ 7.9
• 
  The Magnificent Seven

  1960 · ★ 7.5
• 
  Fast Company

  1953 · ★ 7.5
• 
  Shadowed

  1946 · ★ 7.3
• 
  Right Cross

  1950 · ★ 7.3

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

• 

  ▶
  Michael Schlesinger on THE HALLELUJAH TRAIL

  Featurette
• 

  ▶
  The Hallelujah Trail (1965) Original Trailer [HD]

  Trailer

Community reviews

What people are saying

• John Chard2017-06-25
  ★ 5/10

  Quirks, Quandaries and Quicksand. The Hallelujah Trail is directed by John Sturges and adapted to screenplay by John Gay from the novel written by Bill Gulick. It stars Burt Lancaster, Lee Remick, Jim Hutton, Pamela Tiffin, Brian Keith, John Anderson, Martin Landau and Donald Pleasence. Music is by Elmer Bernstein and cinematography by Robert Surtees. Depending on who you talk to about The Hallelujah Trail, it will either be called an ass numbing bore or a misunderstood gem, such is the reputation of it, it kinda demands to be seen so as to evaluate why so divisive. It flopped on release and was savaged by critics, while it was a tough production from the off, one that badly over ran and was expensive to film. Cast members not getting on, bad weather, bad location provisions for cast, and the awful death of stuntman Bill Williams during one particular scene. Add in that lead man Lancaster looks bored - working at a time that he called his slavery period - then it felt doomed at an early stage. Its failure has been contributed to a number of things, such as timing (comedy Western, and an epic one at that, too early? too late?) but really it's takes too many bites of the pie, rendering the whole as something resembling a garbled mess. The thin plot is stretched unbearably to fifteen minutes shy of three hours, thrusting a number of character groups to trudge around with a screenplay that ironically - given the temperance/alcoholic basis of story - feels like it was written by an inebriate. Yet I personally would be a born liar if I said there wasn't a lot to like in the mix. Filmed not just in Technicolor and Panavision, but Ultra Panavision 70 no less! Pic looks terrific, with Surtees bringing the Gallup locales to vivid life, and Bernstein provides another technical highlight with his rambunctious score, big bold brass and percussion thunders around the settings. Some of the comedy works, when the cast get chance to come alive, and even though some aspects no doubt give the PC brigade kittens, the likes of Martin Landau as an Indian called Chief Walks-Stooped-Over are a joy. While for the red blooded among us, the huge running time at least allows for plenty of the positively yummy Remick... So it's a tough call, I think its harsh to call it a bore, yet it's awfully messy. So with that I sit on the fence, where just one of my butt cheeks gets numb... 5/10

  Read full review ↓

Production companies

Who made it

• KA

  Kappa

• TH

  The Mirisch Company

  US

• 

  United Artists

  US

Key crew

• NovelWilliam Gulick
• Associate ProducerRobert E. Relyea
• Art DirectionCary Odell
• Set DecorationHoyle Barrett
• Makeup ArtistRobert J. Schiffer
• HairstylistFae M. Smith
• Production ManagerNate H. Edwards
• Unit ManagerPatrick J. Palmer
• Production SupervisorAllen K. Wood
• Assistant DirectorJack N. Reddish
• Sound Effects EditorWayne Fury
• Sound Effects EditorGilbert D. Marchant
• SoundRobert Martin
• Sound RecordistClem Portman
• Special EffectsA. Paul Pollard
• Wardrobe DesignerWesley Jeffries
• Assistant EditorMarshall M. Borden
• Music EditorRichard Carruth
• Script SupervisorJohn Franco
• ProducerJohn Sturges
• EditorFerris Webster
• CastingLynn Stalmaster
• Costume DesignEdith Head
• Assistant DirectorPaul Cameron

Themes & keywords

What it's about, really

• native american
• quicksand
• cavalry
• wagon train

Release history · US

When it landed

• Theatrical1965-06-23NR

Also known as

International titles

• 40 Wagen westwärtsDE
• A Batalha das Colinas do WhiskyPT