The Canadians (1961 film)

1961 film by Burt Kennedy

The Canadians

Movie poster

Directed by| Burt Kennedy
Written by| Burt Kennedy
Produced by| Herman E. Webber
Starring| Robert Ryan
John Dehner
Torin Thatcher
Cinematography| Arthur Ibbetson
Edited by| Douglas Robertson
Music by| Douglas Gamley

Production
company

Associated Producers

Distributed by| 20th Century-Fox

Release date

* 11 March 1961 (1961-03-11)

Running time

| 85 minutes
Countries| United Kingdom
Canada
Language| English

The Canadians is a 1961 Anglo–Canadian CinemaScope Western film written and directed by Burt Kennedy. It starred Robert Ryan, John Dehner and Torin Thatcher.

It was Kennedy's directorial debut.

## Plot

[edit]

A group of Sioux come to shelter in Canada from the Indian wars in the United States following Custer's last stand at the Battle of the Little Bighorn. They are given permission to remain by the Canadian government represented by three Mounties. Indian-fighters from Montana searching for 40 stolen horses discover the Sioux settlement and mistakenly assume their horses are theirs. In the white men's surprise attack they murder many Indians, steal many horses, and kidnap an integrated white young woman recognized as having been kidnapped in a raid years earlier. The Mounties promise justice, track, capture, and begin the week-long ride to a trial at court. During the week tables turn back and forth, backstories shared, some discussion about American gun culture and violence, and the woman is killed. Eventually the men are lured to what may be their lost horses but a stampede erupts and the Sioux manage to drive the white men over the cliff like buffaloes to their death. Without a shot fired and the deal maintained the Sioux remain in Canada while the Mounties return to their fort where the senior will finally retire.

In response the North-West Mounted Police are formed, the forerunner to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.[1]

## Cast

[edit]

* Robert Ryan as Inspector William Gannon
* John Dehner as Frank Boone
* Torin Thatcher as Sgt. McGregor
* Burt Metcalfe as Constable Springer
* John Sutton as Superintendent Walker
* Jack Creley as Greer
* Scott Peters as Ben
* Richard Alden as Billy
* Teresa Stratas as White woman
* Michael Pate as Chief Four Horns

## Production

[edit]

The film was the directorial debut of Burt Kennedy, who had established himself by the late 1950s as one of the leading writers of Westerns.[2] It was originally called Royal Canadian Mounted.[3]

Kennedy later recalled, "I didn't know what I was doing. I remember the first shot had like 400 horses in it, and I got the shot and the cameraman said, 'What do we do now?' And I thought, 'You mean I gotta do more?' So that's the reason I went into television [after The Canadians] to find out how you shoot pictures."[4]

He also said "I had a wonderful cameraman... it was beautiful country... the story was pretty good actually, because it was based on an actual event, but – I was so used to playing scenes in Randy [Randolph Scott] pictures, I thought I could get away with them. But I couldn't. You can play good scenes with bad actors and (they're going to be) bad scenes. So I trapped myself... [Robert Ryan looked] like he didn't know what he was doing. It wasn't his fault. He was so grim in it. And the picture was so grim." [5]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ The Canadians, IMDB
2. ^ Galloway, Doug (21 February 2001). "Writer-helmer Burt Kennedy dies". Variety.
3. ^ Scheuer, P. K. (5 September 1960). "Showman divulges first-aid program". Los Angeles Times. ProQuest 167764425.
4. ^ "How I Got to Call the Shots – JWAYNE.com". jwayne.com. 14 March 2000.
5. ^ Joyner, C. Courtney (2009). The Westerners: Interviews with Actors, Directors, Writers and Producers. McFarland. p. 135\. ISBN 9780786455683.

## External links

[edit]

* The Canadians at the TCM Movie Database
* The Canadians at IMDb

* v
* t
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Films directed by Burt Kennedy

* The Canadians (1961)
* Mail Order Bride (1964)
* The Rounders (1965)
* The Money Trap (1965)
* Return of the Seven (1966)
* Welcome to Hard Times (1967)
* The War Wagon (1967)
* Support Your Local Sheriff! (1969)
* Young Billy Young (1969)
* The Good Guys and the Bad Guys (1969)
* Dirty Dingus Magee (1970)
* The Deserter (1970)
* Support Your Local Gunfighter (1971)
* Hannie Caulder (1971)
* The Train Robbers (1973)
* Sidekicks (1974)
* All the Kind Strangers (1974)
* Shootout in a One-Dog Town (1974)
* The Killer Inside Me (1976)
* Kate Bliss and the Ticker Tape Kid (1978)
* Wolf Lake (1981)
* The Alamo: 13 Days to Glory (1987)
* The Trouble with Spies (1987)
* Once Upon a Texas Train (1988)
* Big Bad John (1990)
* Suburban Commando (1991)

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