Monte Walsh

"Monte Walsh is what the West was all about."

1970 1h 39m EN

😐

6.3

MID

★6.3TMDB · 67

Western

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Monte Walsh is an aging cowboy facing the ending days of the Wild West era. As barbed wire and railways steadily eliminate the need for the cowboy, Monte and his friends are left with fewer and fewer options. New work opportunities are available to them, but the freedom of the open prarie is what they long for. Eventually, they all must say goodbye to the lives they knew, and try to make a new start.

“Monte Walsh is what the West was all about.”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Cast

Lee Marvin
Monte Walsh
Jeanne Moreau
Martine Bernard
Jack Palance
Chet Rollins
Mitchell Ryan
Shorty Austin
Jim Davis
Cal Brennan
G.D. Spradlin
Hal Henderson
John Hudkins
Sonny Jacobs
Raymond Guth
Sunfish Perkins

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: William A. Fraker
Writers: David Zelag Goodman, Lukas Heller
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

ERA

Did you know

56 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by William A. Fraker, shot by David M. Walsh. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 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#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Lee Marvin and Jeanne Moreau and Jack Palance carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Monte Walsh is what the West was all about.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0066093 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 67 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

William A. Fraker directs. David M. Walsh behind the camera. John Barry scores. Richard K. Brockway cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

156 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Directed by William A. Fraker, shot by David M. Walsh. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by John Barry. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Richard K. Brockway shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Lee Marvin and Jeanne Moreau and Jack Palance carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "Monte Walsh is what the West was all about.".
7IMDB entry: tt0066093 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 67 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: David M. Walsh
Original score: John Barry
Editing: Richard K. Brockway
Production design: Albert Brenner
Costume design: Albert Brenner
Makeup / hair: Emile LaVigne
Runtime: 99 min · 1h 39m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $5,000,000
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG-13
IMDB: Monte Walsh (1970)

Also by

William A. Fraker

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

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

Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

John Chard2017-07-02
★ 7/10
I ain't spitting on my whole life. Monte Walsh is the debut feature of cameraman-turned-director William A.Fraker. It stars Lee Marvin (Monte Walsh) & Jack Palance (Chet Rollins) as two ageing cowboys who find that the era of the cowpoke is coming to an end - and that work for them is now very hard to come by. Adapted by David Zelag Goodman & Lukas Heller from Jack Schaefer's novel, Monte Walsh is a gentle but astute telling of men who have outlived their time (think Will Penny/Ride The High Country). Though very sedate in pacing, and almost elegiac in tone, the film constantly remains interesting because the characters are so well written. That they are given quality portrayals by Marvin & Palance, the latter of which is nicely cast against type, is possibly of no surprise to most genre fans. But both actors push themselves to really make the film work, even exuding believability in the process. Thus when the story takes its potent laced turns we are with them all the way, for better or worse. John Barry provides the music and the film opens with a delightful and ironic tune called "The Good Times Are Comin" sung by Mama Cass. The cinematography is by David M. Walsh, where he nicely manages to make the Tuscon part of the shoot blend with the emotional state of our protagonists. And decent support comes from Mitch Ryan too. There's also much humour in the piece, such as a cooks revenge that is laugh out loud funny. While there's action moments like a taming a bronco sequence to ensure the story is not solely interested in playing out as a sad atmospheric tale. But it's really all about Marvin and the character he plays, with Fraker guiding him to emotional depth, Marvin makes Monte Walsh an essential viewing for fans and interested newcomers alike. 7/10
Wuchak2022-11-19
★ 7/10
The fun and challenges of the dwindling cowboy way-of-life As the open-range West dies in the 1890s with corporations taking over the ranches, two aging cowhands try to survive in the new era of fenced-in land (Lee Marvin and Jack Palance). While they set their eyes on women and possible marriage (e.g. Jeanne Moreau), out-of-work cowboys become desperate (e.g. Mitchell Ryan). "Monte Walsh" (1970) is similar to Charlton Heston’s “Will Penny” from 2.5 years earlier, but it cost almost four times as much and yet “Penny” is arguably the better Western. They’re at least on par, although “Penny” is hampered by its subplot of cartoony villains and an ending that leaves a sour taste. This was remade in 2003 with Tom Selleck, Keith Carradine and Isabella Rossellini in the key roles, the difference being that this version was shot in Arizona whereas the newer one was filmed in Alberta. Each locale fits the story but they offer dissimilar milieus, which makes both worth checking out. The story starts sorta dull as it shows the everyday mundane life of the cowhands mixed with the camaraderie and humor necessary for enduring such an existence. The second half, however, takes a heavy, dark turn and is more compelling with a highlight being the knock-down drag-out bronco busting scene that damages an entire town (back in the day when there was no CGI and so sequences like this were actually staged & shot). I also liked the palpable love displayed between Monte and his woman, as well as the subplot of desperate men doing foolish things in desperate times. The story is nigh elegiac in tone as we witness the limited opportunities for tough Westerners as their way of life is stifled by progress. The film runs 1 hour, 46 minutes. GRADE: B