The Long Riders

The Long Riders
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Walter Hill
Produced by	Tim Zinnemann Stacy Keach James Keach
Written by	Bill Bryden Steven Phillip Smith Stacy Keach James Keach
Starring	James Keach Stacy Keach David Carradine Robert Carradine Keith Carradine Dennis Quaid Randy Quaid Christopher Guest Nicholas Guest Savannah Smith Boucher
Music by	Ry Cooder
Cinematography	Ric Waite
Editing by	Freeman A. Davies David Holden
Studio	Huka Productions
Distributed by	United Artists
Release dates	May 16, 1980
Running time	99 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Box office	$15,795,189.00[1]

The Long Riders is a 1980 western film directed by Walter Hill. It was produced by James Keach, Stacy Keach and Tim Zinnemann and featured an original soundtrack by Ry Cooder. Cooder won the Best Music award in 1980 from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards for this soundtrack. The film was entered into the 1980 Cannes Film Festival.^[2]

Plot

During the years following the Civil War, banks and trains become the targets of the James-Younger gang, outlaws who terrorize the American Midwest. The band of robbers is led by Jesse James and Cole Younger, along with several of their brothers.

A detective named Rixley from the Pinkerton's agency remains on their trail. By the time the James-Younger gang rides far north in September 1876 to rob a bank in Northfield, Minnesota, word is out about them and the town has been warned.

The holdup goes wrong in every way. The bank's vault has been set on a timer and cannot be opened. A cashier and another citizen are shot and killed. While trying to escape, the gang is fired upon by the townspeople, who have barricaded both ends of the main street. Two outlaws are killed and all of the Youngers are badly wounded.

Jesse and Frank James are forced to leave the Youngers behind when they return home to Missouri. An attempt is made by Rixley to make the Youngers reveal where the Jameses can be found by offering them a more lenient sentence, but the Youngers remain loyal. Former gang members Bob and Charlie Ford, however, go to Jesse James' home and shoot him in the back. Frank James turns himself in to Rixley, but only on the condition that he can first attend his brother's funeral.

Cast

The Long Riders is a notable film in part due to Hill's decision to cast four sets of actor brothers as the real-life sets of brothers:

• The Keaches: Jesse James (James Keach) and Frank James (Stacy Keach)
• The Carradines: Cole Younger (David Carradine), Jim Younger (Keith Carradine) and Bob Younger (Robert Carradine)
• The Quaids: Ed Miller (Dennis Quaid) and Clell Miller (Randy Quaid)
• The Guests: Charley Ford (Christopher Guest) and Robert Ford (Nicholas Guest)

It also features an uncredited appearance by Ever Carradine^{[citation needed]}, daughter of Robert Carradine and niece to David and Keith Carradine. Additionally James Keach's son, Kalen Keach, is cast as Jesse James's son Jesse E. James. Savannah Smith Boucher played Zee, or Jesse James' wife, Zerelda Mimms.

• James Whitmore, Jr. as Rixley
• Kevin Brophy as John Younger
• Harry Carey, Jr. as George Arthur
• Shelby Leverington as Annie Ralston
• Felice Orlandi as Mr. Reddick
• Pamela Reed as Belle Starr
• Lin Shaye as Kate
• James Remar as Sam Starr

Production

Some of the movie, especially the Northfield scene, was shot in Parrott, Georgia.

Reception

The film currently has a 78% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.^[3][4][5][6]

References

External links

• The Long Riders at the Internet Movie Database
• The Long Riders at allmovie
• The Long Riders at the TCM Movie Database
• Koller, Michael. "The Long Riders and Wild Bill", Sense of Cinema.
• Film review