Review of Scalphunters, The

Introduction

Joe Bass is a trapper who falls foul of some creative bargaining from a wily Kiowa. In exchange for his entire season worth of furs, he`s lumbered with an escaped slave, Joseph Lee. It isn`t long before the educated and well-spoken Lee rubs the worldly Joe Bass the wrong way, especially as Bass insists on pursuing the Indians to steal his furs back. By the time they catch up to the Indians, the warriors have made free with the trapper`s whiskey, and are roaring drunk. Before they get a chance to retrieve the furs though, a band of Scalphunters arrive and slaughter the Indians, taking their property including the furs. As they are celebrating, Joseph Lee slips and falls into their midst, increasing the potential profits for the killers. Joe Bass is left without his furs and without a slave to sell, but he is nothing if not persistent and he is soon pursuing the Scalphunters.

Video

The picture is presented in a 2.35:1 anamorphic ratio. Unfortunately the transfer is lacking to say the least. There is a hint of grain in the proceedings, and the print is hardly the cleanest, but these are minor problems compared to the artefacting and moiré around fine details and straight lines. It manifests as a sort of shimmer around fine objects that at worst feels like double vision, making me wonder if I should be wearing 3D glasses. It`s most prominent in the opening shot of a fast flowing stream, with plenty of fine detail and most of the action in the distance. It`s not such a problem in the close-ups though, and it`s a transfer that reminds me of another MGM back catalogue disc Over The Top, which suffered from this to a greater extent. Given the Western genre`s penchant for wide-open arid spaces and impressive scenery, certainly evident in this film, the transfer is most regrettable.

Audio

A Euro friendly disc comes with the standard selection of DD 2.0 tracks in English, French, German, Italian and Spanish, with plenty of subtitle tracks. The dialogue is clear, and Elmer Bernstein provides the sort of Western theme that fades from the memory the moment the credits stop rolling.

Features

This disc has a chapter select screen. I mention that as most of the other MGM back catalogue releases recently have made do without. Absolutely nothing else though.

Conclusion

It`s a shame about the image quality on this disc, as The Scalphunters is certainly one of my favourite Westerns. It`s quite the perfectly formed gem, with an entertaining fast paced script and some great characters. From the first scene, it`s all about one-upmanship as the Indians foist off Joseph Lee on the beleaguered Joe Bass as he swears to get his own back on the Indians. Then we get the contrast of the educated and genteel Joseph Lee, out of his element in the wilderness, yet grating against the worldly Joe Bass, whose knowledge of letters is lacking in comparison. The two main characters in the band of Scalphunters are themselves a study in contrasts, the brutish Jim Howie and his girlfriend Kate, who looks for the finer things in life. When Joseph Lee falls into their hands, Howie is ready to count the profit, while Kate is keen to be waited on. Joseph Lee is ready to play them off against each other.

It`s the cast who make this film work, with Burt Lancaster resplendent as Joe Bass, ready to quote maxims and determined to get his furs back. Ossie Davis is a brilliant contrast as the urbane Joseph Lee, using his gift of gab to get out of tight situations. Telly Savalas is perfectly cast as the brutish Jim Howie and sparks off well against Shelley Winters as Kate, who is in a stronger role than usual. The comedy is pitch perfect and the cast obviously have a good time with the script.

If there is a problem with the film, it`s a little uneven. The film was made around the time of the Spaghetti Westerns and some of that carries through here and not only in the weathered look of the characters. The film alternates between levity and brutality, leaning towards the comedic side, but the introduction of the Scalphunters is certainly vicious, and explains why most TV showings are scheduled late at night. On the other hand there are moments where the comedy does slip into sheer cartoon hi-jinks, with one particular fistfight accompanied by a bird tweet effect when one of the combatants is dazed.

The Scalphunters is a great piece of entertainment that I always look forward to seeing. Made in 1968, it certainly is a reflection of the civil rights movement, with a black character who`s witty, intelligent, well-spoken and more than capable of getting the better of his antagonists. It`s pure escapist entertainment that will have a smile on many faces with its mix of fast paced comedy and action. It`s just a shame that the image quality on the disc doesn`t do the film justice.