Amanda Plummer

Diane Lane

Burt Lancaster

Scott Glenn

Redmond Gleeson

William Russ

Kenny Call

John Savage

Buck Taylor

Michael Conrad

Perry Lang

Rod Steiger

Steven Ford

John Sterlini

Chad Hastings

John Quade

Yvette Sweetman

Tom Delaney

Matthew Taylor

Mike Moroff

Johnny Hock

Roger Cudney

Jerry Gatlin

Russ Hoverson

Nicole Massie

Judy Nugent

Rupert Hitzig

Lamont Johnson

Alan King

Larry Pizer

John Daly

William Haugse

David Eyre

Stan Jolley

Robert Ward

Derek Dawson

David Korda

Sahn Berti

Tom Slocum

Penny Perry

Dick Purdy

Rita Riggs

Colin Arthur

Rosa Guerrero

David Ball

David C. Anderson

Hall Hitzig

John Smallcombe

Bob Wright

Ken Dufva

David Hawkins

Gerry Humphreys

Bernard F. Pincus

Jerry Rosenthal

William L. Stevenson

Manuel Topete

Laurencio Cordero

Jesus G. Duran

Tony Epper

Victoria Vanderkloot

Sean Doyle

John LeBlanc

Western

Cattle Annie and Little Britches

Mexico

United States of America

English

Completist Curio.

Cattle Annie and Little Britches is directed by Lamont Johnson and Robert Ward co-adapts the screenplay with David Eyre from his own novel of the same name. It stars Burt Lancaster, Amanda Plummer, John Savage, Diane Lane, Rod Steiger, Scott Glenn and Buck Taylor. Music is by Sahn Berti and Tom Slocum and cinematography by Larry Pizer. 

A strange Oater, one that's high on promise via its cast list and premise, but ultimately ends up unfulfilling. Story is based around how two teenage girls - fascinated by tales of outlaw's movements - hook up with the remnants of the Doolin-Dalton gang and inspire them to attempt former glories. Naturally it's all historically dubious and is bogged down by its derivative nature, while the quirky parodic blend of drama and cheery never sits comfortably, the later of which compounded by a string based score that would be more at home with Hanna- Barbera.

Mixed notices upon release are perfectly understandable given that Lancaster and Steiger offer fine presence to the play, and Plummer is electric on debut, but the chance for something more wistfully potent is sadly wasted. 5/10

***Moving account of the last days of Bill Doolin’s gang and the teen girls who joined ’em***

Two teen girls (Amanda Plummer & Diane Lane) hook up with the Doolin-Dalton Gang in 1890’s Oklahoma Territory, but Bill Doolin (Burt Lancaster) is tired and the gang’s heyday is behind them. Meanwhile Marshal Tilghman (Rod Steiger) is intent on putting the kibosh on the wild bunch. Scott Glenn and John Savage are on hand as members of the gang.      

“Cattle Annie and Little Britches” (1981) is similar in tone to “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” (1969) and, like that film, was based on the real-life account, albeit loosely. “Young Guns” (1988) and “Young Guns II” (1990) did the same with the Billy the Kid story. The film starts off like “Bad Company” (1972) mixed with the fun spirit of “Butch Cassidy,” but becomes weightier as it moves along with some pretty moving moments.  

Plummer was 23 during filming while Lane was only 15. The former is utterly convincing as the sassy Annie and Savage is notable as her taciturn quasi-beau. The superb folk songs by Sahn Berti & Tom Slocum are stirring and sometimes profound. It’s an inexplicably obscure Western, hardly promoted and barely released. I guess studios were gun shy after the devastating failure of “Heaven’s Gate” (1980).   

The film runs 1 hours, 37 minutes, and was shot in Durango, Mexico, about 1200 miles southwest of the real-life events.

GRADE: B

Cattle Annie and Little Britches (1980) Original Trailer [HD]

Cattle Annie and Little Britches( 1981)

They told the Doolin-Dalton Gang where to go. Then...they went with them.

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A review by John Chard

Written by John Chard on Tue Sep 19 2017

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