The Savage Seven

The Savage Seven
Theatrical release poster
Directed byRichard Rush
Screenplay byMichael Fisher
Story byRosalind Ross
Produced byDick Clark
StarringRobert Walker Jr.
Larry Bishop
Joanna Frank
John Garwood
Adam Roarke
CinematographyLászló Kovács
Edited byRenn Reynolds
Music byMike Curb
Jerry Styner
Production
company
Distributed byAmerican International Pictures
Release date
  • May 5, 1968 (1968-05-05)
Running time
94 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$2,100,000 (US/ Canada rentals)[1]

The Savage Seven is a 1968 outlaw biker exploitation film directed by Richard Rush, who had directed the previous year's Hells Angels on Wheels. Rush agreed to direct The Savage Seven in exchange for the opportunity to make the psychedelic film Psych-Out.[2]

Penny Marshall appears in one of her earliest screen roles.[3]

Plot

Kisum, the leader of a motorcycle gang, is in love with waitress Marcia Little Hawk. Her brother Johnnie Little Hawk, the leader of a group of Indians, is upset about the romance. The bikers and Indians join forces but a scheme by crooked businessmen causes them to become adversaries.

Cast

Reception

In a contemporary review for The New York Times, critic Richard F. Shepard wrote: "The movie is one continuous uproar of unmuffled motors and head-cracking and emphasized cruelty from one and to another. It is colorful and technically competent but completely cheap in its primitive, uninquiring, kick'-em-in-the-groin sensationalism, too serious to be lusty and too one-note to be interesting."[4]

Several critics consider the film to be a biker film adaptation of Akira Kurosawa's 1954 classic Seven Samurai.[5][6]

Soundtrack

The film's soundtrack album was released 1968 on Atco Records as 33-245 (mono) and SD-33-245 (stereo).[7]

No.TitleWriter(s)PerformerLength
1."Anyone for Tennis (Theme from The Savage Seven)"Eric Clapton, Martin SharpCream2:39
2."Desert Ride"Jerry Styner 1:23
3."Maria's Theme (Vocal)"Guy Hemric, Jerry StynerBarbara Kelly & the Morning Good2:27
4."Shacktown Revenge"Jerry StynerBarbara Kelly & the Morning Good1:58
5."The Medal"Jerry StynerBarbara Kelly & the Morning Good1:36
6."Here Comes the Fuzz"Jerry StynerBarbara Kelly & the Morning Good1:15
7."Iron Butterfly Theme"Doug IngleIron Butterfly4:32
8."Unconscious Power"Doug Ingle, Danny Weis, Ron BushyIron Butterfly2:30
9."Everyone Should Own a Dream"Guy Hemric, Jerry StynerIron Butterfly2:23
10."The Deal"Jerry StynerIron Butterfly1:43
11."Desert Love"Jerry StynerIron Butterfly1:47
12."Ballad of the Savage Seven"Guy Hemric, Valjean JohnsBarbara Kelly & the Morning Good2:35
13."Maria's Theme (Instrumental)"Guy Hemric, Jerry StynerBarbara Kelly & the Morning Good2:08
14."The Savage Struggle"Jerry StynerBarbara Kelly & the Morning Good2:24

References

  1. ^ "Big Rental Films of 1969", Variety, 7 January 1970 p 15 and "Big Rental Films of 1968", Variety, 8 January 1969 p 15. Please note this figure is a rental accruing to distributors.
  2. ^ Murray, Noel (June 13, 2011). "Interview: Richard Rush". The A.V. Club. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
  3. ^ "Penny Marshall Interview - Dick Clark and Cast of 1000s". YouTube. 2012-09-14. Retrieved 2012-12-20.
  4. ^ Shepard, Richard F. (1968-08-22). "Screen: Just Plain Brutal". The New York Times. p. 47.
  5. ^ Baltake, Joe (9 September 1998). "Kurosawa deserved master status". The Windsor Star. p. B6. Retrieved 21 April 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ Demme, Jonathan (2009). Jonathan Demme: Interviews. University Press of Mississippi. p. 19. ISBN 978-1-60473-117-0.
  7. ^ Various - Original Motion Picture Sound Track The Savage Seven Featuring Cream / Iron Butterfly, 1968, retrieved 2022-02-07