The Chase

"A breathless explosive story of today!"

1966 2h 15m EN

👍

7.1

SOLID

★7.1TMDB · 338

CrimeDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

The escape of Bubber Reeves from prison affects the inhabitants of a small Southern town.

“A breathless explosive story of today!”

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Cast

Marlon Brando
Sheriff Calder
Jane Fonda
Anna Reeves
Robert Redford
Charlie 'Bubber' Reeves
E.G. Marshall
Val Rogers
Angie Dickinson
Ruby Calder
Janice Rule
Emily Stewart
Miriam Hopkins
Mrs. Reeves
Martha Hyer
Mary Fuller

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Arthur Penn
Writers: Lillian Hellman
Languages: Spanish, English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

60 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Spanish, English.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Arthur Penn, shot by Joseph LaShelle. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by John Barry. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Gene Milford shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Marlon Brando and Jane Fonda and Robert Redford carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "A breathless explosive story of today!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0060232 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Arthur Penn directs. Joseph LaShelle behind the camera. John Barry scores. Gene Milford cuts. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in Spanish, English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

160 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Spanish, English.
3Directed by Arthur Penn, shot by Joseph LaShelle. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by John Barry. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Gene Milford shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Marlon Brando and Jane Fonda and Robert Redford carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "A breathless explosive story of today!".
8IMDB entry: tt0060232 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Classified under 13 themes, including "prison", "sheriff", "escaped convict", "house party".
10Released under 13 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Joseph LaShelle
Original score: John Barry
Editing: Gene Milford
Production design: Richard Day
Costume design: Donfeld
Makeup / hair: Virginia Jones
Runtime: 135 min · 2h 15m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Box office: $2,300,000
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: The Chase (1966)

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Arthur Penn

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Wuchak2025-08-16
★ 6/10
A Southern town given to drunken revelry & vigilantism with Brando as the voice of reason Bubber Reeves (Robert Redford) escapes from prison and this affects the populace of an East Texas town. Marlon plays the sheriff who tries to track down Bubber's whereabouts while Angie Dickinson is on hand as his supportive wife. Jane Fonda plays Bubber's ex-girlfriend and James Fox her secret beau. Janice Rule appears as a drunken woman of dubious morality, Robert Duvall her hubby, and Richard Bradford one of the men with whom she cheats. "The Chase" is mid-60's Southern Gothic in the manner of "The Fugitive Kind" (1960), "In the Heat of the Night" (1967), "Cape Fear" (1962), "This Property Is Condemned" (1966) and "The Long, Hot Summer" (1958). It's arguably on par with most of these, but is significantly superior to the last one. The first act is weak as it establishes the characters, but the story becomes captivating starting with the second act and the surreal drunken party at the mogul's mansion (and the teens in a neighboring abode). Imagine if "Village of the Giants" (1965) was shot as a serious melodrama, minus the giants, and that's the general vibe. The movie addresses elements of hedonism, racism, sexual revolution (with several of the players involved in affairs), political corruption (the sheriff is wrongly thought to be bought by the town mogul), and vigilante non-justice. The most iconic scene is when the sole voice of reason is viciously beaten by the mogul (E.G. Bradford), along with his buds. Marlon later cited this as an example of his renowned Method approach. The wild last act in an auto graveyard is also notable. Despite the picture's many strengths, it's too meandering and unfocused to be wholly effective as Arthur Penn's great "Bonnie and Clyde" (1967). But you can't beat the cast, especially Brando. Look for a young Paul Williams as one of the partying teens. It runs 2 hours, 13 minutes, and was shot in California (Calabasas, Chico, Agoura & Burbank studios). GRADE: B/B- (6.5/10)

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