Note: This movie was released on Blu-ray by Olive Films (www.olivefilms.com – www.facebook.com/olivefilms) on Oct. 24th.
The latest from the Olive Signature collection is an interesting one. It’s a Western that older readers may remember watching on TV as youngsters. Frankly, it’s memorable for its eccentric tone and the fact that it has one of the more unusual concepts for a film of its genre. While this feature includes a mean landowner and heavies with a steely glare, the main threat in The Night of the Grizzly comes in the form of a wild and violent bear nicknamed Satan.
Yes, the real villain is an angry bear that hunts and kills livestock and even people and can “outsmart” any man… or at least, the men in this town. Chiseled ex-cop Jim Cole (Clint Walker) moves his entire family to the wilderness after inheriting a farm. He soon finds his arrival raising the eyebrows of local land baron Jedd Curry (Keenan Wynn), who wants the property. Cole has some help in the form of a deputy (Don Haggerty) who has decided to join the family and a wild-eyed but genial local handyman (Jack Elam). Elam stands out here, enjoying the role of a nice guy that is a real change of pace for him.
As a modern day viewer visiting this title for the first time, it probably comes off slightly differently than it was initially intended to. The best way to describe it is as amusingly… square. Really square, in fact. Our hero is likable but a bit on the stiff side (he even awkwardly exaggerates the delivery of some of his punches). And early on, the movie really emphasizes very traditional family values. Today, they play as remarkably out-of-date.
There’s some chuckle-worthy dialog as Cole’s wife rejoices in her new life by saying, “No more hatin’. Just livin’ and lovin’.” It’s also funny to hear hunters and townsmen complain about being consistently tricked by the bear because he, “doubled back on them.” I suppose they have no answers for figuring out how to deal with an animal that partakes in this kind of elaborate maneuver.
This is also the type of movie where an ex-cop from the city suddenly decides to pull out a guitar and croon a love song. The movie wedges in a lot of attempts to show off its star’s physique, with the character often wandering shirtless. Jokes are corny as well, including a drunk rooster that stumbles around a farm and a shop-owner named Wilhemena (Nancy Kulp from The Beverly Hillbillies). In fact, the humor seems directed more at little kids than adults, not unlike watching a Western version of The Brady Bunch with a oddly ferocious finale. That’s probably why most of its biggest fans first saw it when they were kids.
As mentioned, whenever the bear shows up, things get decidedly more disturbing. In fact, some brutal events follow and a couple of characters meet their ends via a mauling. It’s not on the scale of The Revenant, but they’re messier and bloodier scenes than one would expect for the time period. The movie inter-cuts footage of a real bear and a man in a bear suit. For the period, it all works pretty well, with the exception of a shot or two in which the costume is obvious. Cole also doesn’t duke it out with the bear like he does with other thugs, which adds some sense of threat for the otherwise superhuman lead.
Admittedly, the movie has a lower-budget than many Westerns of the period. Reportedly the project was shepherded by Walker and that at least partially explains the unique tone and strange moves from humor to eventual violence. However, it’s always fascinating, and the impressive cast and odd story and tonal shifts consistently keep one entertained. While distributor Paramount didn’t seem all that enthused or interested in the project, the feature ended up being a big hit upon its release – one of the highest grossing films of 1966. Heck, its popularity even inspired an official comic book movie adaptation. I suppose it suggests that the star knew more about what the public wanted from their entertainment than the studio heads of the time.
This Blu-ray looks great, presenting the movie in its original 2.35:1 widescreen format. And there are plenty of extras here to enjoy as well. The movie includes commentary track with a film historian who happens to be a big fan. There are lengthy pauses, but it does include some curious tidbits about the movie and its impressive cast.
Also enjoyable is a recent interview with Clint Walker going over his career. There’s some very entertaining footage of the film’s premiere in Palm Springs, in which the guests were encouraged to dress in a Western theme. Also included is another Hollywood newsreel about star Cole, his personal gym and his training regimen.
Without a doubt, The Night of the Grizzly is one of the least subtle Westerns I can recall ever having seen. Regardless, it’s still a whole lot of fun, even if many of the chuckles now come unintentionally. The disc looks great and there are plenty of fun extras to add to the entertainment value. If you’re a fan of this straight-laced but ultimately goofy man vs. man vs. bear flick, this Blu-ray is worth your time.