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Jeremiah Johnson (IB Tech Print)

Cool down with mountain man Jeremiah (Robert Redford) as he flees the ills of 1850s civilization to trek through the snow-covered Rocky Mountains. He does it with the tutelage of an elderly hunter named Bear Claw (Will Geer) and alternately friendly/hostile relations with the Crow Indian tribe. Hardships abound, from the harsh winters and scarce supplies to unexpected massacres, one of which lands him in the role of surrogate husband/father to a pioneer widow woman and son. Warner Brothers had hired John Milius to pen the script, and though other writers such as Edward Anhalt made contributions, Milius’ knack for frontier dialogue insured callbacks for the final rewrite. Originally intended as a vehicle for Clint Eastwood and Sam Peckinpah, the deal fell through when the two hard-chargers clashed. Warners drafted Robert Redford as a replacement, and Redford brought along novice director Sydney Pollack. Redford and Pollack persevered through weather-plagued Utah location shoots and cost overruns, and this gritty pioneer saga was both a critical and box office hit as a result.

“There are moments of great beauty and terror and deeply earned pathos. There are as well… a cast of excellent supporting actors.” – Roger Greenspun, The New York Times

“A very entertaining film that doesn’t flinch about how tough life was for the early settlers.” – Christopher Null, Filmcritic.com

Kim Morgan discusses Jeremiah Johnson on the New Beverly blog.

Garret Mathany explores Jeremiah Johnson on the New Beverly blog.

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