WesternComedy

The Hallelujah Trail

- Cinerama sends you roaring with laughter and adventure down that wide and wonderful fun-trail!

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.

Release Date : 1965-06-23

Language :EnglishHungarian

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : KappaThe Mirisch CompanyUnited Artists

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Col. Thaddeus P. Gearhart

Original Name : Burt Lancaster

Gender : Male

Character Name : Cora Templeton Massingale

Original Name : Lee Remick

Gender : Female

Character Name : Capt. Paul Slater

Original Name : Jim Hutton

Gender : Male

Character Name : 'Oracle' Jones

Original Name : Donald Pleasence

Gender : Male

Character Name : Frank Wallingham

Original Name : Brian Keith

Gender : Male

Character Name : Chief Walks-Stooped-Over

Original Name : Martin Landau

Gender : Male

Character Name : Louise Gearhart

Original Name : Pamela Tiffin

Gender : Female

Character Name : Sgt. Buell

Original Name : John Anderson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Kevin O'Flaherty

Original Name : Tom Stern

Gender : Male

Character Name : Chief Five Barrels

Original Name : Robert J. Wilke

Gender : Male

Character Name : Clayton Howell

Original Name : Dub Taylor

Gender : Male

Character Name : Hobbs

Original Name : Whit Bissell

Gender : Male

Character Name : Henrietta

Original Name : Helen Kleeb

Gender : Female

Character Name : Bartender

Original Name : Val Avery

Gender : Male

Character Name : Interpreter

Original Name : Noam Pitlik

Gender : Male

Character Name : Simpson

Original Name : William Benedict

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mrs. Hasselrad

Original Name : Hope Summers

Gender : Female

Character Name : Bandmaster

Original Name : Ted Markland

Gender : Male

Character Name : Brother-in-law

Original Name : Larry Duran

Gender : Male

Character Name : Brother-in-law 2

Original Name : Jerry Gatlin

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lt. Carter

Original Name : Marshall Reed

Gender : Male

Character Name : Elks-Runner

Original Name : Jim Burk

Gender : Male

Character Name : Rafe Pike

Original Name : John McKee

Gender : Male

Character Name : Horner

Original Name : Bing Russell

Gender : Male

Character Name : Bilkins

Original Name : Buff Brady

Gender : Male

Character Name : Phillips

Original Name : Carl Pitti

Gender : Male

Character Name : Loretta (uncredited)

Original Name : Elaine Martone

Gender : Female

Character Name : Simmons (uncredited)

Original Name : Carroll Adams

Gender : Male

Character Name : Miner (uncredited)

Original Name : John Barton

Gender : Male

Character Name : Miner (uncredited)

Original Name : Oscar Blank

Gender : Male

Character Name : Miner (uncredited)

Original Name : Bill Borzage

Gender : Male

Character Name : Miner (uncredited)

Original Name : Danny Borzage

Gender : Male

Character Name : Miner (uncredited)

Original Name : Mushy Callahan

Gender : Male

Character Name : Miner (uncredited)

Original Name : Russell Custer

Gender : Male

Character Name : Narrator (uncredited)

Original Name : John Dehner

Gender : Male

Character Name : Miner (uncredited)

Original Name : Bobby Gilbert

Gender : Male

Character Name : Indian (uncredited)

Original Name : Raven Grey Eagle

Gender : Male

Character Name : Miner (uncredited)

Original Name : Herman Hack

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sgt. Henry (uncredited)

Original Name : Carol Henry

Gender : Male

Character Name : Crow Chief (uncredited)

Original Name : Eddie Little Sky

Gender : Male

Character Name : Miner (uncredited)

Original Name : John Marlin

Gender : Male

Character Name : Miner (uncredited)

Original Name : Mathew McCue

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mary Ann (uncredited)

Original Name : Karla Most

Gender : Male

Character Name : Miner (uncredited)

Original Name : Victor Romito

Gender : Male

Character Name : Miner (uncredited)

Original Name : Rudy Sooter

Gender : Male

Character Name : Miner (uncredited)

Original Name : Arthur Tovey

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lt. Brady (uncredited)

Original Name : Bill Williams

Gender : Male

Character Name : Miner (uncredited)

Original Name : Chalky Williams

Gender : Male

Character Name : Miner (uncredited)

Original Name : Harry Wilson

Gender : Male

Reviews

John Chard

@John Chard

2024-05-16

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