The Gauntlet 40th Anniversary

[Jed Cooper]

The Gauntlet is one of a handful of movies that my friend Mike introduced me to.  At the time we watched it together, probably the late 70’s on network television on his living room tv, I remember his commentary throughout, prepping me for the best scenes.  There’s a handful of familiar faces here, from past and future Eastwood projects.  Pat Hingle had worked with Clint nine years earlier in Hang ‘Em High and would return in Sudden Impact.  Also a future alumni from the fourth Dirty Harry film is Sondra Locke, returning from her worst performance in The Outlaw Josey Wales to a much better one here.  Malley is probably her best Eastwood related movie role.  The banter between her and Shockley is entertaining and convincing, her falling in love with him isn’t.  One of the better scenes is when they hijack a constable’s car, played by Bill McKinney.  He tries to get her to talk about her profession and her reply drives him batty.  This movie is as good as any action film from the same era.  It’s not a favorite but Clint is in it so that’s reason enough to revisit once in a while.       




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Perry]

   I would agree Locke's performance in the Gauntlet is quite good and I've always said the first half of the movie is quite entertaining and funny, but agreed by the time Eastwood and Locke's characters become enamored with each other the movie falls apart and found the movie to become ridiculous and completely idiotic. The last scenes, especially with Blakelock and Feyderspiel were embarrassingly laughable. I saw this movie when it was released and knew right there Eastwood's movies were going to decline as long as Locke was involved. I have to disagree though that she saved her worst performances after with EVWBL, AWWYC and hands down Sudden Impact which I never liked to begin with. Thank god Eastwood did a movie the next year in Tightrope to get back to doing a film of value without her involved and a better actress in Bujold. That was an upswing and Locke faded to obscurity thankfully.

[Matt]

The Gauntlet is one of the movies I remember being on network TV a lot in the early 80's when I became a Clint fan. I don't think I ever really got the over-the-top fun of the movie, and especially the ending shootout, until many years later when I became a member here. Now I love it - and I agree that Sondra did a really great job in it. I guess it could be argued that Shockley was the first role Clint would play that was a flawed character. So it was a bit of a gamble for him, and he'd take more risks with more flawed characters in the years to follow. In any case, it's still a lot of fun, and 40 years goes by way too fast.

[Perry]

I didnt even mention Bronco Billy which would had been a better movie with a better actress instead of Locke. Locke actually was the first recipient of the Razzie Award for 'Worst Actress' for this movie. Well deserved.

[Jed Cooper]

I would love to see The Gauntlet on the big screen.  Bet it would be fun, especially with friends. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk