FRIDAY MOVIE SUGGESTION NIGHT PRESENTS: "THE REIVERS"!

Our "Summer Movie Series" for "Friday Movie Suggestion Night" continues with a rare outing by Steve McQueen that followed on the heels of the highly acclaimed cop thriller, "Bullitt" and "The Thomas Crown Affair". A light-hearted comedy, "THE REIVERS" is a film with a message of redemption and forgiveness.

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Looking back, Steve took quite a risk with this film. He plays a ranch hand who is basically a troublemaker with a heart who concocts a plan to "borrow" a brand new 1905 Winton Flyer automobile owned by his boss, a Mississippi grandfather and patriarch of a wealthy family. The plan is to drive off to Memphis and visit his girlfriend Corrie (played by Sharon Farrell), then return the car before the grandfather (who is out of town) realizes anything is out of the ordinary. Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning book by William Faulkner (published posthumously in 1962), McQueen underplays the role of Boon Hogganbeck with humor and grace. The road trip takes an unexpected turn when the grandfather's chauffeur, Ned (played by Rupert Crouse) becomes a stowaway. Burgess Meridith's narration in the voice of 11 year-old Lucius Priest (played by Mitch Vogel) recounts the trip 60 years-later as an old man. Mayhem erupts when the career of Boon's sweetheart is unveiled to the unsuspecting Lucius, and Ned trades the car for a racehorse used to gamble for prize money to release a relative from slavery. Will Geer plays the grandfather. Faulkner succeeds in what would become his final book written through the eyes of a child becoming aware of vices and virtues in what winds up to be a charming film.

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One footnote: The car used in this film had as much of a starring role as Steve! Custom fabricated for Steve's film company, Solar Productions by Calabasas, California-based Von Dutch, Steve admired the authenticity of the original 18-horsepower Winton Motor Carriage. "When he showed it to us, we all gasped. The thing was just beautiful--bright yellow, gleaming with polished brass--a perfect replica of a genuine 1905 Flyer, but with a modern power-plant under the hood", said Steve. "We needed some kick on those Southern goat trails to ram into mudholes, slam over ditches and drive flat-out on rutted roads", he said. After filming wrapped, Steve bought the car. It was sold in 1984 at The Steve McQueen Estate Auction and restored in 2000 before passing through a number of owners. In the Fall of 2006, The Petersen Automotive Museum obtained the car for its "Cars of the Stars " collection.

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The Cast: Directed by Mark Rydell; Steve McQueen is Boon Hogganbeck; plays Corrie; Sharon Farrell Ruth White is Miss Reba; Michael Constantine is Mr. Binford; Clifton James is Butch Lovemaiden; Will Geer is Boss; Rupert Crosse is Ned; Diane Ladd is Phoebe and Mitch Vogel is Lucius. Written by: Harriet Frank Jr. and Irving Ravetch.

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ENJOY!
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