The residents of Pebble Springs have revolted, hanging Judd Hagen, their self-anointed ruler, in the middle of the night.
His children vow vengeance. They rob the Pebble Springs bank, then visit the home of old man Gately, who helped prod the lynch mob into action.
When the shooting stops, the gang of four flee for Mexico. It includes Nell Hagen (Mercedes McCambridge), who idolized her father. It includes Ritt Hagen (Gary Kent), who’s been badly wounded in the shootout.
It includes Kirby, their hunchbacked and simple minded brother. And it includes pretty, but equally simple-minded Julie Ann (Linda Gaye Scott), recruited to marry Britt so they could keep the Hagen bloodline alive.
But through a series of mishaps, they’re going to have to make that trek to Mexico without horses, without guns, without food and without water.
But they do have a burro, the bags full of money and Julie Ann’s pretty pink parasol.
Review:
A bizarre little film remembered today for one reason: Frank Zappa composed the score as his first paying gig; the script was apparently written by his high school teacher.
As for the movie, you’re in for a hysterical little ride with most of the film featuring three eccentrics — Nell, Julie Ann and Kirby — as they try to lug their badly-wounded brother to safety south of the border.
Western fans will remember Mercedes McCambridge from her over-the-top performance in “Johnny Guitar.” Well, she delivers more of the same here.
They might not be as familiar with Linda Gaye Scott. Remember the blonde whore Peter Martin beds shortly after reaching “Westworld?”
Yep, that’s Linda Gaye Scott, who also had roles on lots of TV shows from the mid-1960s to early 1970s, including playing Moth on “Batman” and Vama on “The Green Hornet.”
Keep your expectations very low, and you might enjoy this low-budget Western. It does feature some unique scenes and surprising plot twists.
Directed by:
Ted Brenner
as Tim Sullivan
Cast:
Mercedes McCambridge … Nell Hagen
Linda Gaye Scott … Julie Ann Hagen
Allen Richards … Kirby Hagen
Gary Kent … Ritt Hagen
Jim Logan … Judd Hagen
Brian Casey … Gabe Gately
Leah Cooper … Ruth Gately
Runtime: 75 min.
Memorable lines:
Gabe Gately, of Hagen: “We hung that mad dog a month ago. Old man Hagen was just about the most vicious man on earth. And I say good riddance.”
Pa Gately: “He was worse than that, Gabe. He thought he was God. Thought he ruled this whole territory and everybody in it.”
Nell Hagen, as a posse closes in: “Get your head down and hand me one of them guns.”
Kirby Hagen: “I left them back at the Gatelys.”
Nell: “You damned fool. You jackass damned fool.”
Nell Hagen, talking aloud to her dead pa about Julie Ann: “The pure pink parasol. If she don’t settle down, I’m gonna go and stick that thing right through her gizzard.”
Nell: “I swore on my pa’s hangin’ head to keep the Hagen name alive. To make the Hagen family big and strong like Pa was.”
Julie Ann: “Some family. A dead man. A cripple and an old maid.” Then she laughs and goes skipping off.
Ritt: “You talked Julie Ann into marrying me. Now why? I wanna know: Why?”
Nell: “Cause she can give us children. That’s the only reason. She don’t have to be smart to do that. Any old rump-sprung sow can do that. We need them children. My pa’s their grandpa. He’ll still be alive and in ’em. Ain’t nothin’ in her head but jelly. But the Hagen blood, your blood, will be so strong, it’ll wash out all the weak part from her. And they’ll be men. They’ll be big men. They’ll be Hagen men. Big men. Full of strength. Full of fire. Full of heat. Full of power. Like pa was.”
Julie Ann “What you laughin’ at Kirby?”
Kirby: “I’m listenin’ to the moonlight dancin’ off the rottin’ carcass, like you said.”
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