Four birds on the gallows

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Movie
German title Four birds on the gallows
Original title The Spikes Gang
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1974
length 96 minutes
Age rating FSK 16
Rod
Director Richard Fleischer
script Irving Ravetch
Harriet Frank Jr.
production Richard Fleischer
Walter Mirisch
music Fred Karlin
camera Brian West
cut Frank J. Urioste
Ralph E. Winters
occupation
synchronization

Four birds on the gallows (original title: The Spikes Gang ) is a western from the US-American production of the Mirisch Corporation , which was created in cooperation with and in Spain ("Duo Prod."). Richard Fleischer directed Lee Marvin in the title role of the film, which was shown in cinemas for the first time in German-speaking countries on April 11, 1974.

action

Friends of the farmer's sons Wilson Young (Will), Les Richter and Tod Hayhew find the injured bank robber Harry Spikes and care for him until he can ride away. When Will's father finds out about this, he beats up his son, who then decides to leave his parents' house. His two friends see it as an adventure that loosens up the boring everyday life and accompanies him. But they imagined the free life to be easier. Since they cannot find an honest job to provide themselves with the bare minimum, they decide to rob a bank along the lines of Spikes.

In the beginning everything goes well and they can even disarm the sheriff, but on leaving the bank, Death is held by a man and shoots him. In a panic, the youngsters flee and even have to leave the loot behind, but they manage to escape to Mexico. But even in Mexico one cannot live without money, and so the friends end up in prison for a few weeks for stealing a gold watch. From there, they see Spikes on the street who can bribe them free. They also learn from Spikes that they are wanted "in the States" because the man who was shot in their unsuccessful bank robbery was a popular senator. Each of them has a high reward.

Young people in Mexico try to get on again with honest work, but they are clumsy and quickly lose any job. It is therefore very convenient for them that Spikes offers to commit bank robberies with them. But the first joint bank robbery fails and death is seriously injured. When Spikes expects them to leave the dying friend behind, they refuse, and Spikes rides on alone.

Before the bank robbery, Death probably had an inkling that he would not survive and wrote a farewell letter to his mother. After death dies, Will decides to deliver the letter and agrees with Jes when and where they can meet again. In the meantime, Spikes has received an amnesty from the governor if he will hand over the young people. When Will arrives at the meeting point, he learns that Jes has been attacked from behind by bounty hunters and is lying seriously injured in the hospital, which is alternately guarded by bounty hunters Morton and Spikes. Will can shoot Morton, but Jes dies shortly afterwards in his arms. In Spike's hotel room, Will hardly gives him a chance to defend himself. Even so, Spike can severely wound Will before he dies. Will only dragged himself to the train station, where he too died of his injuries.

Reviews

The reviews for one of the “simplest ideas for stimulating the tear glands” in the “series of the ultimate last genre contributions” were mixed: the “encounter of the aging gunslinger with amazed boys”; Enthusiastic found themselves as well as Verrisse. Vincent Canby , for example, remarked that the film has no center and that it cannot find a harmonious tone. The director was particularly harshly criticized for maintaining the not even minimal public interest in the material. The lexicon of international films , on the other hand, found favor with the verdict: “Remarkable Western with an impressive Lee Marvin in the role of the aging robber.” Timeout praises the “beauty of the presentation, the accuracy of the script and, despite the bitter insights, often very disillusioned enjoyable scenes. ” Joe Hembus analyzes that the disillusionment hits the little heroes and the audience all the more terribly as the scenes in which Lee Marvin raises the boys are carried by infinite charm and humor.

Remarks

The screenplay was based on the novel "The Bank Robber" by Giles Tippette . Filming locations were Tabernas and other areas around Almería .

The film was released on DVD by Koch Media .

synchronization

The following speakers were occupied:

as well as Eric Vaessen and Jochen Schroeder

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Hank Schraudolph in the booklet for the DVD edition. Koch Media DVM000615D. 2009.
  2. ^ Review in the New York Times, May 2, 1974
  3. ↑ Four birds on the gallows. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed March 2, 2017 .Template: LdiF / Maintenance / Access used 
  4. ↑ Review at timeout
  5. ^ Joe Hembus : The Western Lexicon. Munich 1995, p. 695
  6. ↑ ISBN 9780440107477
  7. ↑ The film at the synchronous database