#2,464. Lolly Madonna XXX (1973) - Rod Steiger Film Festival

Directed By: Richard C. Sarafian

Starring: Rod Steiger, Robert Ryan, Jeff Bridges




Tag line: "A simple prank... a game...nobody won"

Trivia: The movie was filmed in rural Union County, Tennessee











Here’s an interesting discovery: Lolly Madonna XXX (aka Fire in the Meadow), a film directed by Richard C. Sarafian (Vanishing Point) that features one hell of a cast.

Rod Steiger and Robert Ryan portray the patriarchs of two feuding clans, and among the actors playing their sons are Jeff Bridges, Scott Wilson, Gary Busey, Ed Lauter and Randy Quaid. In addition, the movie marked the big-screen debut of Season Hubley (Vice Squad), who, along with her male compatriots, does her part to make Lolly Madonna XXX an unforgettable motion picture experience.

A minor squabble between two families over a tract of land - which Pap Gutshall (Ryan) bought at an auction, ignoring claims made by his neighbor, Laben Feather (Steiger), that it already belonged to him - intensifies when two of the Feather boys, Thrush (Wilson) and Hawk (Lauter), drive out to the bus stop and kidnap a woman they believe to be “Lolly Madonna”, the alleged fiance of Ludie Gutshall (Kiel Martin).

What the Feathers don’t know is that “Lolly Madonna” doesn’t even exist! She was invented by the Gutshalls to try and lure the Feathers away from their moonshine still (which is where they’re holding several pigs they swiped from Pap Gutshall).

While the Feather boys were out fetching Lolly Madonna, Ludie, Villum (Paul Koslo) and Zeb Gutshall (Busey) retrieved one of the pigs and, as a bonus, busted up the Feathers' beloved still.

The girl the Feathers actually kidnapped is Roonie Gill (Hubley), an innocent young woman on her way to the big city to start a new life. Yet despite Roonie’s insistence that she is not Lolly Madonna, Laben Feather decides to hold her for ransom, hoping he can force Pap Gutshall to return his tract of land.

During her time at the Feather homestead, Roonie gets to know Labem’s wife Chickie (Katherine Squire), his other sons Skylar (Timothy Scott) and Finch (Quaid), and the Feather’s youngest boy, Zach (Bridges), a widower who takes it upon himself to watch over the family’s new “guest”.

As the days drag on, Zach and Roonie begin to fall in love, but with tensions mounting between the Feathers and the Gutshalls, both families realize this little dispute of theirs won’t end until blood has been spilled.

The feud between the Feathers and the Gutshalls is already underway when Lolly Madonna XXX begins, and for a while it seems like the two clans are just trying to get under each others' skin (stealing hogs, busting up stills, etc). But with emotions running high on both sides, we know it won’t be long until the disagreement escalates. Based on a novel by Sue Grafton (who also penned the screenplay), Lolly Madonna XXX doesn’t shy away from the violence inherent in its story, and takes the occasional detour into some very dark areas.

That said, Lolly Madonna XXX does have its quieter moments. Though being held against her will, Roonie falls in love with Zack, who we discover had been married before. His late wife Lyda Jo, played in flashbacks by Kathy Watts, was killed in a tragic accident, one that caused a rift to develop between Laben and his oldest son Thrush (who Laben blamed for the girl's death). Not only that, Lyda Jo was the daughter of Pap Gutshall!  The flashbacks with Lyda Jo feature happier times for both families, when everyone seemed to get along

A bit of tenderness even follows one of the film’s most disturbing scenes: Pap Gutshall’s wife Elspeth (Tresa Hughes) tries to comfort the couple’s only daughter (Joan Goodfellow) after she’s been raped by two of the Feather boys.

By the time the feud turns violent, we know both families intimately, and we’re as horrified as Roonie when the bullets start flying. Each and every member of the film’s cast is in top form, and all are given plenty of screen time to flesh out their characters.

Shot on-location in Tennessee, Lolly Madonna XXX is a gorgeous motion picture. Cinematographer Philip H. Lathrop does a fine job capturing the area’s natural beauty. But it’s the performances turned in by its all-star cast, coupled with Sue Grafton’s searing script, that will stay with you long after the movie is over.

#2,240. Jubal (1956) - Rod Steiger Film Festival

Directed By: Delmer Daves

Starring: Glenn Ford, Ernest Borgnine, Rod Steiger




Tag line: "THE SOMETIMES VIOLENT STORY OF A DRIFTIN' COWHAND!"

Trivia: Very loosely inspired by William Shakespeare's "Othello"









Delmer Daves isn’t the most recognizable filmmaker from Hollywood’s Golden Age, and there are plenty of people out there (myself included) who aren't familiar with his work. As a writer, he penned the script for The Petrified Forest, as well as the Busby Berkeley musical Dames. When he first sat in the director's chair, Daves made films like Destination Tokyo and Dark Passage, one of four pictures to feature both Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall.

It was after signing with 20th Century Fox in 1950 that Daves jumped head-first into the western genre, turning out 3:10 to Yuma (1957) and Cowboy (1958), both of which are still held in high regard. Before today, I had never seen Jubal, his 1956 film starring Glenn Ford, Ernest Borgnine, and Rod Steiger.

Now, I can't wait to check out some of Daves' other westerns!

While out riding, rancher Shep Horgan (Ernest Borgnine) spots an unconscious man lying in the middle of the road. The man’s name is Jubal Troop (Glenn Ford), a sheep herder who claims to also be a pretty good cowboy.

In need of an extra hand, Shep hires Jubal, and some time later even names him his new foreman, which pisses off Pinky (Rod Steiger), a longtime employee of Shep's, who wanted that job.

Unfortunately for Jubal, he's also caught the eye of Shep’s flirtatious wife Mae (Valerie French). Out of respect for Shep, Jubal refuses to get involved with Mae, and instead romances Naomi (Felicia Farr), the daughter of a religious leader who, along with a group of other settlers, is heading west.

Despite his efforts to avoid her, Mae continues to pursue Jubal, which doesn’t sit well with Pinky (who, apparently, had a “relationship” of his own with Mae years earlier).

Though anxious to discredit Jubal, Pinky decides not to tell Shep about what's going on behind his back. But will he stay quiet forever?

Jubal is a beautiful motion picture. Right out of the gate, Daves wows us with spectacular panoramas (it was filmed on-location in Wyoming), and there are instances throughout the movie where he utilizes wide shots to show off his extraordinary backdrop.

Of course, there’s more to Jubal than just pretty scenery. Glenn Ford delivers an outstanding performance as Jubal, who, despite the mystery surrounding him (where did he come from? Is he running from somebody?), is, at all times, an upstanding guy. Equally good are Ernest Borgnine as the friendly yet naïve Shep, who is better at handling his employees than his own wife; and Rod Steiger as the ornery Pinky, who doesn’t like anyone or anything (he and Jubal remain at odds through much of the movie). Each of these actors, as well as the supporting cast (also worth noting is Valerie French as the bored housewife looking for some excitement), keep Jubal interesting.

The story itself may not be new (it was loosely based on Shakespeare's Othello), but the strong characters, as well as Daves’ keen eye, do their part to make it all seem fresh.

Delmer Daves appears to have been lost in the shuffle, taking a backseat to filmmakers like Howard Hawks, George Stevens, John Ford, and even Anthony Mann, all of whom made a name for themselves in the western genre. But if Jubal is any indication, Daves had the talent to shine just as brightly as any of his contemporaries, and deserves to rank alongside them as one of Hollywood's best and brightest.