Bad Company (1972)

A genteel Northerner during the Civil War (Barry Brown) is robbed by scalawag Jeff Bridges--and winds up teaming up with him. Together, they become a criminal duo (although with one member more reluctant than the other) in this entertaining, realistic tale of what the West was really like. Bridges has a gangly, easy-going demeanor, as well as a sense of playfulness that even extends to moments of extreme jeopardy. He makes an interesting team with the stiff, proper Brown, creating comedy seemingly out of thin air. Film directing debut of Robert Benton, who had cowritten Bonnie and Clyde, and who would go on to win an Oscar for Kramer vs. Kramer. --Marshall Fine Amazon.com essential video

Who's Barry Brown?

For me the impact of "Bad Company" was onset of the mystery of the actor playing Drew Dixon. I was surprised to see this talented, handsome kid holding his own (if not upstaging) Jeff Bridges. I saw it first on cable and had to wait until the end credits to discover the name Barry Brown. That sent me on the quest for an explanation of why this kid did not go on to continued stardom.
That led to the discovery that the beautiful and talented Barry shot himself in 1978. And further that his 2 years younger sister jumped off a Los Angeles overpass in 1995, having never recovered from Barry's unceremonious exit or the family dysfunctions that they shared. Younger brother Jim's book ("Los Angeles Diaries") blames parents and alchoholism (but who doesn't?)
My fascination with a guy who had everything (looks, 170 IQ, shining talent) but checked out anyway leads also to "Daisy Miller" where Sybil Sheperd is not as good as Peter Bogdonovich thinks (although beautiful), but Barry as the leading man is again very impressive.
We miss you, Barry!

February 26, 2008

Entertaining revisionist western with great cast

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, more and more westerns came along that tried to show the Wild West as it really was. Some were better than others obviously, and Bad Company is one of the best. In 1863, young Drew Dixon is sent west by his family to avoid being conscripted into the U.S. army during the Civil War. In St. Joseph, Missouri, Dixon meets Jake Rumsey, a young man who has deserted from his outfit. Dixon joins Rumsey and his gang of young, inexperienced "desperadoes" traveling into the untamed west looking for riches and a new life. But on the trail, the group of six realize how inexperienced they are, especially when they run across a band of outlaws. This isn't a well-known movie, but it should be. The story is beautifully told and doesn't rush to any conclusions. The movie takes it's time moving along and developing the plot full of humor, double crosses, and startling violence that caught me off guard the first time I saw it. In a time when the western genre was struggling and now in 2008, Bad Company is one of the better ones, don't miss out.

The two main leads in Bad Company are equally strong and carry the movie. A very young Jeff Bridges plays Jake Rumsey, the leader of the little bunch and the most experienced of them when it comes to living on your own. Bridges is good at being a character that you're not quite sure what drives him. Sometimes he's on the straight and narrow, other times he veers off. Barry Brown plays Drew Dixon, the young man sent west to avoid the Civil War and tries to remain true to the way he was brought up, being a good man and trying to live a clean life. Brown and Bridges play beautifully off each other throughout. The rest of the little gang includes John Savage as Loney, Jerry Houser as Simms, Damon Cofer as Jim Bob, and Joshua Hill Lewis as Boog, the youngest of the bunch. David Huddleston is perfect as Big Joe, the leader of a group of outlaws who come across Jake and Drew several times on the trail. His gang includes Geoffrey Lewis, Ed Lauter, Raymond Guth, and John Quade. Bad Company has a very strong cast overall from beginning to end, from Jeff Bridges and Barry Brown all the way to the bit parts.

The DVD offers a widescreen presentation and nothing else. It's a good thing the movie is excellent on it's own. At least throw a trailer in or something. But with a great cast, some beautiful cinematography, and a memorable piano-heavy musical score, Bad Company is a safe bet for fans of westerns that lean more toward the realistic. It's not a hugely well-known movie, but don't let that scare you away, check out Bad Company! January 16, 2008

One of the very best westerns I've ever seen...

An impeccable re-enactment of a cruel barbarous & exhilarating time. The story is like a blend of Mark Twain & Cormac McCarthy. The imagery is Charles Russell, Winslow Homer & innumerable breathtaking 19th century painter-chroniclers. The costumes, the acting & above all the direction are divine.

Truly a one-of-a-kind splendid film. January 16, 2008

Innocents abroad

Some films just never seem to build up much support or reputation no matter how much they affect many of those few who see them. Case in point Bad Company - no, not the Jerry Bruckheimer turkey but the undervalued Robert Benton semi-Western from 1972 with Barry Brown's upstanding young man on the run from the Union press gangs during the Civil War finding himself in 'rough company' with Jeff Bridges and his band of juvenile delinquent outcast would-be desperadoes (John Savage among them) in a bleak and harsh West. Not the easiest of sells even in a healthier box-office climate than the early 70s, it holds up much better than many of its more revered contemporaries, avoiding the increasing trend towards political allegory in the genre for a more underplayed 'this is how it was' approach, complete with all the pettiness, spite, bravado and delusions of youth in a world that really has no place or use for them. In many ways it's more a road movie with horses than a conventional Western, the journey being not from the city to the West but from moral principles to their abandonment - not so much a loss of innocence but more an acceptance of what it takes to survive in a world where compassion is a weakness.

Yet it's a strangely uncynical film, surprisingly entertaining and involving, with fine performances that feel almost Dickensian at times: certainly David Huddleston's superb supporting turn as an eloquent holdup man whose intelligence is not matched by that of his companions (Geoffrey Lewis, John Quade and Ed Lauter) is an discreet delight with echoes of Mr Micawber ("My boy, let me give you a little piece of advice. If you're going to pull a gun on somebody, which happens from time to time in these parts, you better fire it about a half a second after you do it, because most men aren't as patient as I am."). Robert Benton's direction is beautifully understated, favouring long but unostentatious takes that give the characters room to be absorbed into the world around them and reveal their strengths and, more often, weaknesses, and there's a beautifully simple piano score from Harvey Schmidt. It's a genuine shame that the DVD realease has failed to do anything to raise this one's profile.

No extras, but a decent widescreen transfer.

April 26, 2007

Old West

This is a 'cowboy film' with a difference. Basic sets, realistic plot, believable scenarios without sensation. Every performance is a gem. Bridges shows his potential at a young age, the rest of the cast follow suit. An early western classic. April 18, 2007

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