Sometimes a Great Notion

""Never give a inch" was the motto of the Stampers of Oregon. And live it they did!"

1971 1h 54m EN

👍

6.9

SOLID

★6.9TMDB · 109

ActionAdventureDrama

Synopsis

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Hank Stamper and his father, Henry, own and operate the family business by cutting and shipping logs in Oregon. The town is furious when they continue working despite the town going broke and the other loggers go on strike ordering the Stampers to stop, however Hank continues to push his family on cutting more trees. Hank's wife wishes he would stop and hopes that they can spend more time together. When Hank's half brother Leland comes to work for them, more trouble starts.

“"Never give a inch" was the motto of the Stampers of Oregon. And live it they did!”

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Cast

Paul Newman
Hank Stamper
Henry Fonda
Henry Stamper
Lee Remick
Viv Stamper
Michael Sarrazin
Leland 'Lee' Stamper
Richard Jaeckel
Joe Ben Stamper
Linda Lawson
Jan Stamper
Cliff Potts
Andy Stamper
Sam Gilman
John

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Paul Newman
Writers: John Gay
Languages: 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

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $3.7M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

55 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Paul Newman, shot by Richard Moore. 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 Henry Mancini. 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 Bob Wyman 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

Paul Newman and Henry Fonda and Lee Remick carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: ""Never give a inch" was the motto of the Stampers of Oregon. And live it they did!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0067774 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Paul Newman directs. Richard Moore behind the camera. Henry Mancini scores. Bob Wyman cuts. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $3.7M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
255 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Directed by Paul Newman, shot by Richard Moore. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Henry Mancini. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Bob Wyman shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Paul Newman and Henry Fonda and Lee Remick carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: ""Never give a inch" was the motto of the Stampers of Oregon. And live it they did!".
8IMDB entry: tt0067774 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Richard Moore
Original score: Henry Mancini
Editing: Bob Wyman
Costume design: Edith Head
Makeup / hair: Monty Westmore
Stunt coordinator: M. James Arnett
Runtime: 114 min · 1h 54m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $3,660,000
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG
IMDB: Sometimes a Great Notion (1971)

Also by

Paul Newman

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Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2022-03-26
★ 5/10
For the most part, this is just an excuse for Paul Newman and Henry Fonda to make a movie together. Much of it consists of extended shots of the logging industry at work, as he and his father work hard with their family business despite a strike that is affecting neighbouring outfits and causing local resentment. When younger son "Lee" (Michael Sarrazin) returns home after an indecent with an oven, some weed and the fire department the family, which also includes an underused Lee Remick, have to make some very tough decisions. Of course you just know that some form of sabotage will happen, and also that tragedy is going to follow - and that really robs this of any jeopardy as it floats along towards quite an entertaining conclusion (though that may have as much to do with Henry Mancini's toe-tapping score). As an observation of how grit and determination can sometimes win out, it has it's moments; but otherwise it is a colourful but rather disappointing story.

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