The Hallelujah Trail (1965)

June 23, 1965 (US) • Western, Comedy • 165m

Overview

A wagon train heads for Denver with a cargo of whisky for the miners. Chaos ensues as the Temperance League, the US cavalry, the miners and the local Indians all try to take control of the valuable cargo.

Director

John Sturges

Writers

William Gulick, John Gay

Top Billed

Burt Lancaster

Keywords

native american quicksand cavalry wagon train

Where to watch

Free / Included

ScreenPix Apple TV Channel

ScreenPix Amazon Channel

Rent

Buy

Top Billed Cast

Burt Lancaster

Col. Thaddeus P. Gearhart

Lee Remick

Cora Templeton Massingale

Jim Hutton

Capt. Paul Slater

Donald Pleasence

'Oracle' Jones

Brian Keith

Frank Wallingham

Martin Landau

Chief Walks-Stooped-Over

Pamela Tiffin

Louise Gearhart

John Anderson

Sgt. Buell

Tom Stern

Kevin O'Flaherty

Robert J. Wilke

Chief Five Barrels

Dub Taylor

Clayton Howell

Whit Bissell

Hobbs

Helen Kleeb

Henrietta

Val Avery

Bartender

Noam Pitlik

Interpreter

William Benedict

Simpson

Hope Summers

Mrs. Hasselrad

Ted Markland

Bandmaster

Larry Duran

Brother-in-law

Jerry Gatlin

Brother-in-law 2

Marshall Reed

Lt. Carter

Jim Burk

Elks-Runner

John McKee

Rafe Pike

Bing Russell

Horner

Buff Brady

Bilkins

Carl Pitti

Phillips

Elaine Martone

Loretta (uncredited)

Carroll Adams

Simmons (uncredited)

John Barton

Miner (uncredited)

Oscar Blank

Miner (uncredited)

Bill Borzage

Miner (uncredited)

Danny Borzage

Miner (uncredited)

Mushy Callahan

Miner (uncredited)

Russell Custer

Miner (uncredited)

John Dehner

Narrator (uncredited)

Bobby Gilbert

Miner (uncredited)

Raven Grey Eagle

Indian (uncredited)

Herman Hack

Miner (uncredited)

Carol Henry

Sgt. Henry (uncredited)

Eddie Little Sky

Crow Chief (uncredited)

John Marlin

Miner (uncredited)

Mathew McCue

Miner (uncredited)

Karla Most

Mary Ann (uncredited)

Victor Romito

Miner (uncredited)

Rudy Sooter

Miner (uncredited)

Arthur Tovey

Miner (uncredited)

Bill Williams

Lt. Brady (uncredited)

Chalky Williams

Miner (uncredited)

Harry Wilson

Miner (uncredited)

Crew

William Gulick

Novel

John Sturges

Director

John Gay

Screenplay

Allen K. Wood

Production Supervisor

Jack N. Reddish

Assistant Director

Cary Odell

Art Direction

Nate H. Edwards

Production Manager

Robert E. Relyea

Associate Producer

Hoyle Barrett

Set Decoration

Patrick J. Palmer

Unit Manager

Robert J. Schiffer

Makeup Artist

Fae M. Smith

Hairstylist

Clem Portman

Sound Recordist

John Franco

Script Supervisor

A. Paul Pollard

Special Effects

Robert Martin

Sound

Wayne Fury

Sound Effects Editor

Gilbert D. Marchant

Sound Effects Editor

Wesley Jeffries

Wardrobe Designer

Richard Carruth

Music Editor

Marshall M. Borden

Assistant Editor

Robert Surtees

Director of Photography

Ferris Webster

Editor

Edith Head

Costume Design

Lynn Stalmaster

Casting

John Sturges

Producer

Elmer Bernstein

Music

Tim Zinnemann

Assistant Director

Daniel Hays

Special Effects

May Boss

Stunts

Danny Sands

Stunts

Fred Lemoine

Assistant Director

Thomas J. Schmidt

Assistant Director

John Moio

Stunts

Bill Williams

Stunts

Bruce Surtees

Assistant Camera

Richard Tim Vanik

Assistant Camera

Jerry Gatlin

Stunts

Joe Yrigoyen

Stunts

Tom D. May

Grip

William Mendenhall

Camera Operator

Robert McGinnis

Title Designer

Robert E. Relyea

Second Unit Director

Carl Pitti

Stunts

Philip Crawford

Stunts

Tony Epper

Stunts

Larry Duran

Stunts

Harry Froboess

Stunts

Carol Henry

Stunts

Jim Burk

Stunts

John McKee

Stunts

Paul Cameron

Assistant Director

Steve DeFrance

Stunts

John M. Stephens

Camera Operator

David M. Walsh

Assistant Camera

Jeannie Epper

Stunts

Robert B. Shepard

Playback Singer

Charles Bail

Stunt Double

Reviews

John Chard

⭐ 5/10

June 25, 2017

Quirks, Quandaries and Quicksand.

The Hallelujah Trail is directed by John Sturges and adapted to screenplay by John Gay from the novel written by Bill Gulick. It stars Burt Lancaster, Lee Remick, Jim Hutton, Pamela Tiffin, Brian Keith, John Anderson, Martin Landau and Donald Pleasence. Music is by Elmer Bernstein and cinematography by Robert Surtees.

Depending on who you talk to about The Hallelujah Trail, it will either be called an ass numbing bore or a misunderstood gem, such is the reputation of it, it kinda demands to be seen so as to evaluate why so divisive.

It flopped on release and was savaged by critics, while it was a tough production from the off, one that badly over ran and was expensive to film. Cast members not getting on, bad weather, bad location provisions for cast, and the awful death of stuntman Bill Williams during one particular scene. Add in that lead man Lancaster looks bored - working at a time that he called his slavery period - then it felt doomed at an early stage.

Its failure has been contributed to a number of things, such as timing (comedy Western, and an epic one at that, too early? too late?) but really it's takes too many bites of the pie, rendering the whole as something resembling a garbled mess. The thin plot is stretched unbearably to fifteen minutes shy of three hours, thrusting a number of character groups to trudge around with a screenplay that ironically - given the temperance/alcoholic basis of story - feels like it was written by an inebriate.

Yet I personally would be a born liar if I said there wasn't a lot to like in the mix. Filmed not just in Technicolor and Panavision, but Ultra Panavision 70 no less! Pic looks terrific, with Surtees bringing the Gallup locales to vivid life, and Bernstein provides another technical highlight with his rambunctious score, big bold brass and percussion thunders around the settings. Some of the comedy works, when the cast get chance to come alive, and even though some aspects no doubt give the PC brigade kittens, the likes of Martin Landau as an Indian called Chief Walks-Stooped-Over are a joy. While for the red blooded among us, the huge running time at least allows for plenty of the positively yummy Remick...

So it's a tough call, I think its harsh to call it a bore, yet it's awfully messy. So with that I sit on the fence, where just one of my butt cheeks gets numb... 5/10

show less

Recommended Movies

Apocalypto

Rango

The Revenant

Prey

Status

Released

Original Language

Budget

$7,000,000

Revenue

$4,000,000

Loading…

The Hallelujah Trail (1965)

William Gulick, John Gay

Where to watch

Top Billed Cast

Crew

Reviews

John Chard

Recommended Movies

Apocalypto

Rango

The Revenant

Prey

Status

Original Language

Budget

Revenue

Rate This Movie

Rate This TV Show