I would never have found this film if it wasn't for it featuring in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, it had good reviews and a good leading cast, so I hoped it would be worth it, directed by Easy Rider producer, writer and star Peter Fonda. Basically saddle tramps Harry Collings (Peter Fonda) and Arch Harris (Warren Oates) have been wandering through the American Southwest for seven years, and have grown weary. Alongside younger companion Dan Griffen (Robert Pratt) they stop in the middle of nowhere in the ramshackle town of Del Norte, which is run by the corrupt McVey (Severn Darden). Harris and Griffen discuss travelling to California for work, but Collins informs them abruptly he will be returning to his wife who he left behind years ago. Griffen leaves the two in a bar temporarily to go and buy supplies, but he is shot dead, out of pure meanness, by town thugs, Collings and Harris escape, but return at night and McVey is crippled by Collings shooting him. Collings rides hundreds of miles back to his old house, his wife Hannah (Verna Bloom) gives him a cold welcome, but to be allowed to stay he offers his services as a "hired hand", she agrees and quickly puts him to work. Gradually distrust and unease caused from years of being apart slips away, Collings and Hannah become close again, Collings is willing to settle down for the first time, but Harris wants to leaves and "see the ocean". McVey and his gang of hooligans return and interrupt, they kidnap Harris, forcing Collings to leave Hannah again to save his friend, a subsequent brutal shootout between him and the gang takes place, all the villains are killed, but Collings is fatally wounded, and Harris rides alone back to Hannah's house. Also starring Robert Pratt as Dan Griffen, Ted Markland as Luke, Owen Orr as Mace, Gray Johnson as Will, Rita Rogers as Mexican Woman and Al Hopson as Bartender, and Dallas's Larry Hagman as Sheriff (depending which version you are watching). Fonda is good both acting and directing, Oates does well, and Bloom makes an impression in her time on screen, I will admit I agree this is not the traditional film in the genre, there are less gun filled sequences, horse chases and general action, it is certainly more talky than anything else, but it is interesting in its own right, a worthwhile western. Good!
Review of The Hired Hand
