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Night of the Grizzly (1966)

6/13/2013

 
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I've always had a liking for big, soft-spoken man-mountain Clint Walker - in part, because he reminds me quite a bit of my own father, another gentle giant. Walker's voice might be deeper, and his chest even broader, but both men are old-school guys that embody a certain kind of quiet dignity and honorable conduct that is appealing and, sadly, increasingly rare these days.

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Known especially for his truly impressive physique (six-foot six and boasting a 48-inch chest) and calm, measured basso profondo voice, Walker rose to fame as the star of the early adult ("non-kiddie") western, Cheyenne, in the late 50s / early 60s, and parlayed that success into a modest big-screen career, mostly in westerns and family films. Night of the Grizzly straddles these two genres and isn't Walker's best, yet is a pleasant enough way to while away a few hours.

Walker plays Jim Cole, an ex-lawman who inherits some land and a run-down old ranch in California from a deceased relative and brings his wife, Angela (Martha Hyer), two kids, teenage niece and former deputy Sam Potts (Don Haggerty) with him to start a new, more peaceful life. But things aren't going to be easy for the Cole family. Not only does the ranch need a lot of work, but cagey local powerbroker Jed Curry (Keenan Wynn) has been after that particular parcel of land for a good long time and still has plans to get it, one way or another. As if that wasn't enough, Jim has to contend with Old Satan - a massive killer grizzly bear that stalks the area every summer, and has set his sights on the Cole's herd.


Night of the Grizzly is pretty episodic, wavering in tone between genial Disney-style family romp and brutal grizzly attack-filled thriller. Despite this unevenness of tone, there's still plenty to enjoy here, including Walker's dependable, charismatic presence, a rather sweet depiction of a stable marriage, enlivened by good chemistry between Walker and wholesome, pretty Martha Hyer, and some good, roughhouse action sequences.

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The main asset of the film, however, is its impressive roster of supporting players, including Wynn, in oily schemer mode; Regis Toomey, as a fair-minded town banker; old pro Jack Elam, who shares a number of cute scenes with adorable little Victoria Page Meyerink as youngest daughter Gypsy Cole; scowling Leo Gordon as a bear hunter who is called in by the townsfolk to take down Old Satan; TV's Tarzan, Ron Ely, (as one of Curry's sons who happens to be almost big enough to go toe-to-toe in a fistfight with Clint); Grandma Walton herself, Ellen Corby, as a local rancher always looking to sell her stock at premium profit; and Nancy Culp as a gregarious shopkeeper, enjoying a sabbatical from playing Miss Hathaway on The Beverly Hillbillies.


All these familiar faces add a lot of fun to the movie, which remains diverting despite some deficiencies, one of which is the dichotomy between the vicious nature of Old Satan's attacks and the shots of the more cuddly-looking real life bear who plays him (this is a problem that dogs another killer bear film, William Girdler's 1976 exploitation "classic," Grizzly.) The film was shot in Techniscope, a good deal of it on location in California's Big Bear Valley and the San Bernadino National Forest, and features some nice scenery, but can't quite escape a slight whiff of "TV-ishness." Part of this is due to the very small screen-friendly cast, and part to the able but workmanlike direction of Joseph Pevney (who mostly worked in television, and helmed over a dozen original recipe Star Trek episodes, many of them among the highlights of that series, including "The City on the Edge of Forever," "The Immunity Syndrome," "Amok Time," "The Devil in the Dark," and "The Trouble with Tribbles.")

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The following year, Clint Walker went to England to film a small part in his most famous film, The Dirty Dozen, rubbing elbows with Lee Marvin, Charles Bronson and Jim Brown. Despite his popularity as a TV lead, and being featured in some successful films like Fort Dobbs, Yellowstone Kelly, Send Me No Flowers and None But the Brave, his feature film career had petered out by the end of the decade, yet another limited but definite talent that Hollywood couldn't quite figure how to use to his full potential.

Luckily, Walker remained active on television throughout the 70s, featuring in a number of memorable made-for-TV films, such as Hardcase, Scream of the Wolf and Killdozer. He's still alive and kicking at age 86, and Olive Films' handsome Blu-Ray edition of Night of the Grizzly features a lengthy interview with him that's well worth checking out. 

So here's to my Dad - also thankfully alive and kicking, and much younger than Mr. Walker - as Father's Day approaches. This is just the kind of movie we'd have a hoot sitting down to watch together...and maybe you would, too.

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Clint Walker backhands TV TARZAN Ron Ely in a scene from NIGHT OF THE GRIZZLY.
Patti link
6/13/2013 03:03:22 am

You may be surprised to hear this from me, but I think this sounds like something I would really like. It's not just that I am beginning to appreciate Westerns. It's more that it has a "Wilderness Family" quality to it. When my kids outgrew animated Disney stuff, we moved into the realm of "survival in the wilderness" movies.

"The Wilderness Family" features a husband, wife, and 2 kids, moving to the middle of nowhere. Bears, wolves, and the like are some of the things they come up against. Your description of "Night of the Grizzly" puts me in mind of that. I would enjoy watching it just for the trip down memory lane, to the time when my kids were in their early double-digits, instead of their early 20's.

Thanks...and hope your son is continuing to improve!

Jeff
6/13/2013 07:47:30 am

Hi Patti - thanks for the comment!

I remember THE WILDERNESS FAMILY movies, too, and also enjoyed them quite a bit when I was young, like your kids (not sure what I'd think of them now, though). NIGHT OF THE GRIZZLY does have a bit of that vibe, I suppose (though more polished), and I hope you do check it out at some point. An extra incentive for you - Clint Walker is clean-shaven in this film (as he generally was throughout his career).

Thanks also for the note about my son...he just underwent another surgery to straighten up a few things and so is back in the ICU again for a few days, but he's going to be fine and hopefully out of the hospital in a few more weeks.

Patti link
6/13/2013 03:05:34 am

I forgot to say...it's funny how often Grandma Walton shows up in old movies. When I was watching her in The Waltons, I never knew she had any other claim to fame than that show.

Jeff
6/13/2013 07:50:04 am

I was pretty shocked to see her in this, for some reason...I shouldn't have been; after all, I see Grandpa Walton (Will Geer) often enough in older films and TV. She's good in this, as basically a physically-slighter version of a Marjorie Main-type role.

Colin link
6/13/2013 07:36:01 am

Never seen this one Jeff, though I quite like Clint Walker. And that sure is some impressive supporting cast there!

Seeing as you mentioned GRIZZLY (1976) - my parents, unbelievably, brought me to see that when it played in the cinema back then. Of course I'd already seen JAWS so they probably figured they had one tough little guys on their hands! I still recall it as being pretty intense though.

Jeff
6/13/2013 05:18:23 pm

Cheers, Colin! While I never saw GRIZZLY at the theater, I do distinctly remember catching it (along with that other Christopher George "nature revolt" film, DAY OF THE ANIMALS) on TV and finding it pretty scary. Saw it again last year and found it mild (and sloppily put together, for the most part) stuff, despite some gory shock sequences...and of course, it's not a patch on JAWS. Frankly, I think John Sayles' ALLIGATOR, though also far from a perfect film, is one of the better JAWS knock-offs, and much more memorable than the William Girdler film. One thing GRIZZLY does have going for it is one helluva poster:

http://www.onlygoodmovies.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/grizzly.jpg

Sure sounds like your parents were pretty adventurous cinema-goers!

Colin link
6/13/2013 05:39:58 pm

Yes, back in those days cinemas didn't seem to pay a lot of attention, in Ireland anyway, to things like certificates as long as kids were accompanied by adults. Stuff like GRIZZLY arguably isn't that scary by current standards but it certainly gave me a few jumps as an 8 year old!
All of which reminds me that I also saw the pretty poor Richard Harris movie ORCA round about that time. Like I said, I must have been a resilient little fella! :D

Jeff
6/14/2013 09:39:51 am

Yep, I remember ORCA, too - and it was pretty poor, but somehow a bit haunting to my young mind. Haven't seen it since. It's funny, when I was real little I was more disturbed when the monsters were killed than any humans. I saw TARANTULA somehow when I was about 5 and cried when Clint Eastwood napalmed the giant spider at the end. Must have been a weird kid...

Prashant C. Trikannad link
6/13/2013 05:53:44 pm

Jeff, it looks like you found the perfect actor to pay tribute to your dad on Father's Day. Did he read this excellent post? I agree with everything you said about Clint Walker. I remember him the most in THE DIRTY DOZEN where he was overshadowed by the others in spite of his towering presence which, in a way, reflects in his film career too. I haven't seen this film but it's certainly my kind of a western.

Jeff
6/14/2013 09:42:37 am

Thank you very much, Prashant! I don't think my father reads my blog (he's not a computer sort of guy, really), but the idea is a good one, and I'll arrange somehow for him to see a print out of this post. Yes, Clint had his own brand of charisma that was quite effective, but there was no way he was going to keep up with the likes of Lee Marvin, Charles Bronson or John Cassavetes in this film.

R.A. Kerr link
6/15/2013 04:52:24 am

I'm glad you reviewed this film. Clint Walker is a natural fit here because everything about this movie is big: he's big; the bear is big (and mean); and Keenan Wynn, while not a physically towering man, is a big villain. You're right about the film being a bit uneven, but it's worth seeing all the same. You've made me want to see this again. :)

Jeff
8/7/2013 12:05:31 am

Hi Ruth! I can't believe I somehow overlooked your comment...sincere apologies! Anyway, thanks for chiming in about Big Clint Walker and NIGHT OF THE GRZZLY...I agree, it's well worth watching despite its flaws, a good old-fashioned time at the movies.

ruth link
6/16/2013 09:32:48 am

Hi Jeff, hope you're well! I hadn't heard of this film nor Clint Walker but wow, he's huuuge! I'd probably be crushed if I run into him, ahah.

Jeff
6/17/2013 11:06:38 pm

Hi Ruth! Yes, old Clint was a big man, no doubt. He had a certain unique, likeable screen presence. Appreciate you stopping by once again!

John link
6/18/2013 02:17:27 am

I remember Clint Walker in KILLDOZER, a fave of my teen years. One of the many 1970s "ABC Movie of the Week" flicks. I also remember such pulpy trash made-for-TV movies as THE ELEVATOR and THE KILLER BEES w/ Gloria Swanson.

Olive Films is reviving some really great movies that have been out of print for what seems like forever. I'll have ot see if my local videostore has this one. I managed to see SKIDOO, UNION STATION, and PURSUED all on Olive Films DVDs. I just went to their website and saw that SHANKS -- William Castle's very strange last movie -- was released only a few weeks ago. I may crack down and buy a copy!

Jeff
6/19/2013 05:16:48 pm

Hey John - thanks for the comments! Like you, I have fond memories of many of those ABC TV movies from the 70s, and Clint Walker was in a good many of them.

It's also good you pointed out how many unusual and lesser-known films Olive has been putting out lately, on both DVD and Blu-Ray, Their version of THE QUIET MAN is a beauty, far and away the best that film has looked on any home video format. Their efforts in putting out a whole gamut of interesting titles are to be applauded.

Patricia Nolan-Hall link
6/18/2013 02:41:46 am

I remember seeing this "at the movies" with my sister. Oh, how that grizzly scared the *beep* out of us! Thanks for reminding me of this blast from the past.

Jeff
6/19/2013 05:19:49 pm

Caftan Woman, thanks for your response! It's great that you got to see NIGHT OF THE GRIZZLY as a youngster. I can imagine Old Satan's appearances being very scary at that age (I know I found the bear in the 70s GRIZZLY film pretty ferocious when I saw it as a boy).


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