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Set in the badlands of Montana, the story begins with a hanging. The victim is Sandy Chase (Hunter von Leer), a man accused by rancher David Braxton (John McLiam) of stealing horses. Though Braxton is no lawman, he’s a well-respected man about town who (when not dipping into Laurence Sterne’s Tristram Shandy) fancies himself judge, jury and executioner. By his reckoning, he’s been losing 7% of his herd per annum to rustlers, and that’s got to stop - by fair means or foul.

Sandy’s old riding partners Tom (Nicholson), Little Tod (Randy Quaid), and Cal (Harry Dean Stanton) are part of the problem, but they’re not exactly living large thanks to their rustling proceeds. Moving purloined ponies across the Missouri Breaks without having land on which to rest and water them is a logistical nightmare, so the gang decides to rob a train and purchase some land with the loot.

Wrong. After pulling off the unlikely rail heist, Tom takes a trip into the belly of the beast and cheekily purchases some acreage from Braxton. Whilst the rest of the gang ride north to steal gee-gees from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Tom masquerades as a simple farmer intent on irrigating his crops. That changes, however, when Braxton’s hired gun Lee Clayton (Brando) enters the scene and immediately senses that Tom’s thumb is not particularly green.

Clayton may not appear until the 30-minute mark, but he dominates the screen thereafter. A bird watching Irishman who douses himself in lavender perfume, Clayton is one of Brando’s most grotesque characterizations. It’s impossible to tell if Marlon was taking the role seriously, and one’s tolerance for his quirky performance will determine how much or how little you enjoy The Missouri Breaks.

In welcome contrast, Nicholson is restrained and subtle - there’s little here of the grinning and gurning Jack of One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest or The Shining. The film’s best performance, however, is provided by Stanton as Tom’s loyal and heavily moustachiod sidekick Cal. Though Randy Quaid’s agent somehow got his client third billing, Little Tod is a peripheral character at best: Cal has a substantially bigger and more important role to play, and his final reel demise is one of the film’s most wrenching moments.

John Williams’ score is satisfying and surprisingly complex, cinematographer Michael Butler effectively captures the earthy browns, cloudy grays and watery blues of the Montana badlands, and Thomas McGuane’s screenplay features one undeniably great line of dialogue: “the closer you get to Canada, the more things eat your horses.” As long as you don’t mind watching Brando mince across the screen spouting dialogue in a comic brogue, you’ll find The Missouri Breaks hugely enjoyable entertainment. Also airs at 1:30 PM.

Sunday 10/28/12

12:30 AM Turner Classic Movies
Tormented (1960 USA): Here’s a Halloween treat you won’t want to miss! From the mind of writer-director-producer Bert I. Gordon (aka Mr. BIG) comes Tormented, the story of a spurned woman and her efforts to get revenge on her man...even after she’s dead. The guy is Tom Stewart (Richard Carlson), who thinks his relationship with old flame Vi (Juli Reding) has come to an end after she conveniently topples off a lighthouse. No such luck, however, as Vi’s ghost returns to remind Tom that love is thicker than ectoplasm! As with most Gordon pics of the period, this one has a role for Bert’s daughter Susan, and Joe Turkel (Blade Runner) pops up as Nick the Blackmailer.

8:00 AM Fox Movie Channel
Pippin: His Life and Times (1981 USA-CAN): I’ve never seen this made-for-TV adaptation of the hugely popular stage musical of the same name, but Ben Vereen repeats his Broadway performance as The Leading Player and the balance of the cast is also interesting. Martha Raye steps into the role of Berthe (originally occupied by Irene "Granny Clampett" Ryan), whilst William Katt and Chita Rivera also put in appearances. Though not much of a musical fan, Pippin’s rarity will probably be enough to tempt me to take a peek.

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