The Grey Fox
| The Grey Fox | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Directed by | Phillip Borsos |
| Written by | John Hunter |
| Produced by | Peter O'Brian |
| Starring | Richard Farnsworth Jackie Burroughs Wayne Robson Ken Pogue |
| Cinematography | Frank Tidy |
| Edited by | Frank Irvine |
| Music by | Michael Conway Baker Paddy Moloney (main theme) |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | United Artists Classics |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 92 minutes |
| Country | Canada |
| Language | English |
| Budget | CDN$4,500,000 |
The Grey Fox is a 1982 Canadian biographical Western film directed by Phillip Borsos and written by John Hunter. It is based on the true story of Bill Miner, an American stagecoach robber who staged his first Canadian train robbery on 10 September 1904. The film stars Richard Farnsworth as Miner. The cast also features Jackie Burroughs, Ken Pogue, Wayne Robson, Gary Reineke and Timothy Webber.
Plot[edit]
Stagecoach robber Bill Miner is caught and sent to prison for 33 years. He is finally released in 1901. He wanders around, a man out of place in the new century, until he sees one of the first films, The Great Train Robbery, and is inspired to copy it in real life. After a couple unsuccessful attempts, he successfully robs a train and hides from the law in a mining town in British Columbia, becoming a respectable resident. There, he meets and falls in love with early feminist and photographer Katherine Flynn. He considers settling down with her, but one last robbery proves to be his downfall. True to his nickname, the Grey Fox escapes from prison as the ending credits start.
Cast[edit]
- Richard Farnsworth as Bill Miner / George Edwards
- Jackie Burroughs as Katherine 'Kate' Flynn
- Ken Pogue as Jack Budd
- Wayne Robson as Shorty (William) Dunn
- Timothy Webber as Sergeant Fernie
- Gary Reineke as Pinkerton Detective Seavy
- Sean Sullivan as Newspaper Editor
Production[edit]
According to Farnsworth, the "picture company" was the only one ever allowed to film at Fort Steele, British Columbia, a heritage site.[1] The Grey Fox was also filmed on the British Columbia Railway / Pacific Great Eastern Railway, now run by Canadian National Railway, between Pemberton and Lillooet, British Columbia, and the Lake Whatcom Railway between Wickersham and Park, Washington.[citation needed] The capture sequence was shot a quarter of a mile from where Miner was actually caught.[1]
Miner's gun, "a .41 Bisley Colt", was obtained from a collector and used by Farnsworth in close-ups.[1]
Awards[edit]
The Grey Fox has been designated and preserved as a "masterwork" by the Audio-Visual Preservation Trust of Canada, a charitable non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the preservation of Canada's audio-visual heritage.[2]
At the 4th Genie Awards in 1983, The Grey Fox was nominated for thirteen awards and won seven:
- Best Picture
- Best Director (Borsos)
- Best Foreign Actor (Farnsworth)
- Best Supporting Actress (Burroughs)
- Best Original Screenplay (Hunter)
- Best Art Direction (Bill Brodie)
- Best Musical Score (Michael Conway Baker)
Further recognition for Farnsworth included a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama.
It has also been listed in the Toronto International Film Festival's TIFF List of Canada's Top Ten Films of All Time in 1984 and 1993.
Critical reaction[edit]
Roger Ebert praised the film as "a lovely adventure" and gave it 31⁄2 stars.[3] Rotten Tomatoes gave it a rare 100% fresh rating.[4]
Restoration and re-release[edit]
The film underwent a 4K restoration and was re-released to theatres In April 2020.[5] It also saw its first official release to DVD and Blu-Ray, which included a commentary by filmmaker Alex Cox, interview with producer Peter O'Brian, and a featurette about the restoration.[6]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c Tibbetts, John C. (16 September 2015). Those Who Made It: Speaking with the Legends of Hollywood. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 63. ISBN 9781137541925. Retrieved 26 November 2015.
- ^ "Masterworks: The Grey Fox (1983)". avtrust.ca.
- ^ "The Grey Fox". rogerebert.suntimes.com. 1 January 1982. Retrieved 29 November 2007.
- ^ "The Grey Fox (1983)". rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved 29 November 2007.
- ^ "Restored Classic Western The Grey Fox Gallops to the aid of Indie Theatres Nationwide". original-cin.ca. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
- ^ "The Grey Fox (Special Edition) (Blu-Ray) (DVD)". kinolorber.com. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
External links[edit]
- 1982 films
- 1982 directorial debut films
- 1982 drama films
- 1982 Western (genre) films
- Best Picture Genie and Canadian Screen Award winners
- Biographical films about people of the American Old West
- Canadian Western (genre) films
- Canadian drama films
- English-language Canadian films
- 1980s English-language films
- Films directed by Phillip Borsos
- Films set in Vancouver
- Films shot in Vancouver
- Rail transport films
- 1980s American films
- 1980s Canadian films
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