The Spikes Gang
| The Spikes Gang | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster by Tom Jung
|
|
| Directed by | Richard Fleischer |
| Produced by | Richard Fleischer Walter Mirisch |
| Written by | Giles Tippette (novel) |
| Screenplay by |
Irving Ravetch Harriet Frank, Jr. |
| Based on | The Bank Robber |
| Starring |
Lee Marvin Gary Grimes Charles Martin Smith Ron Howard Arthur Hunnicutt Noah Beery, Jr. |
| Music by | Fred Karlin |
| Cinematography | Brian West |
| Edited by |
Frank J. Urioste Ralph E. Winters |
| Distributed by |
United Artists Optimum Releasing |
|
Release date
|
|
|
Running time
|
96 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The Spikes Gang is a 1974 Mirisch Company motion picture adaptation of the Giles Tippette novel The Bank Robber. It was directed by Richard Fleischer and starred Lee Marvin, Gary Grimes, Charles Martin Smith and Ron Howard.
Starring Lee Marvin as an aging bank robber of the American Old West, the film follows his encounters with three coming of age farm boys played by Gary Grimes, Charles Martin Smith, and Ron Howard. Veteran character actors Arthur Hunnicutt and Noah Beery, Jr. both appear in separate "scene stealing" performances.
It was filmed in Tabernas, Almeria, and Andalucia, in Spain.
The production style of director Richard Fleischer received generally favorable reviews. "It was only the second matchup for the director and Marvin and the actor gives a seething, unpredictable performance as the untrustworthy Harry Spikes. You can see why a trio of farmhands, well-played by his co-stars, would want to emulate him; you can also see why they come to resist the lethal charm of his coercion.", wrote one critic.
Ron Howard later praised producer Walter Mirisch saying, "When I...acted in one of his productions, The Spikes Gang, I learned that a prolific and brilliant producer could also be a terrific guy and a wonderful teacher."
Harry Spikes (Lee Marvin) is an aging bank robber of the fading "Old West." Injured and near death, he is found and mended back to health by three impressionable youths who are lifelong friends -- Wil (Gary Grimes), Tod (Charles Martin Smith), and Les (Ron Howard). They refuse any payment from Spikes for their efforts, and when he's healed he leaves saying he won't forget their kindness. Later, after enduring a beating from his father, and encouraged by Spikes's reminiscences of the 'good life', Wil decides to run away from home seeking excitement and easy living, and the other 2 boys decide to follow.
...
Wikipedia