McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971)

Director:

Robert Altman

Writers:

Edmund Naughton (novel)
Robert Altman (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

24 June 1971 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Western

Tagline:

Name Your Poison.

Plot:

A gambler and a prostitute become business partners in a remote Old West mining town, and their enterprise thrives until a large corporation arrives on the scene.

Plot Keywords:

Madam | Whorehouse | Pacific Northwest | Fight | Female Nudity

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 2 nominations

Cast

Warren Beatty	...	John McCabe
Julie Christie	...	Constance Miller
Rene Auberjonois	...	Sheehan
William Devane	...	The Lawyer
John Schuck	...	Smalley
Corey Fischer	...	Mr. Elliot
Bert Remsen	...	Bart Coyle
Shelley Duvall	...	Ida Coyle
Keith Carradine	...	Cowboy
Michael Murphy	...	Eugene Sears
Antony Holland	...	Ernie Hollander
Hugh Millais	...	Butler
Manfred Schulz	...	Kid
Jace Van Der Veen	...	Breed (as Jace Vander Veen)
Jackie Crossland	...	Lily
Elizabeth Murphy	...	Kate
Carey Lee McKenzie	...	Alma
Thomas Hill	...	Archer (as Tom Hill)
Linda Sorenson	...	Blanche (as Linda Sorensen)
Elisabeth Knight	...	Birdie
Janet Wright	...	Eunice
Maysie Hoy	...	Maisie
Linda Kupecek	...	Ruth
Jeremy Newson	...	Jeremy Berg
Wayne Robson	...	Bartender
Jack Riley	...	Riley Quinn
Robert Fortier	...	Town Drunk
Wayne Grace	...	Bartender
Wesley Taylor	...	Shorty Dunn
Anne Cameron	...	Mrs. Dunn
Graeme Campbell	...	Bill Cubbs
J.S. Johnson	...	J.J.
Joe Clarke	...	Joe Shortreed
Harry Frazier	...	Andy Anderson
Edwin Collier	...	Gilchrist
Terence Kelly	...	Quigley
Brantley Kearns	...	Fiddler (as Brantley F. Kearns)
Don Francks	...	Buffalo
Rodney Gage	...	Sumner Washington
Lili Francks	...	Mrs. Washington
Joan Tewkesbury	...	Townswoman (as Joan Maguire)
Harvey Lowe	...	Townsman
Eric Schneider	...	Townsman
Milos Zatovic	...	Townsman
Claudine Melgrave	...	Townswoman
Derek Keurvorst	...	Townsman (as Derek Deurvorst)
Alex Diakun	...	Townsman (as Alexander Diakun)
Gordon Robertson	...	Townsman

Directed by
Robert Altman

Writing credits
Edmund Naughton		(novel "McCabe")
Robert Altman		(screenplay) and
Brian McKay		(screenplay)

Produced by
Mitchell Brower	....	producer
Robert Eggenweiler	....	associate producer
David Foster	....	producer

Cinematography by
Vilmos Zsigmond

Film Editing by
Lou Lombardo		(as Louis Lombardo)

Casting by
Graeme Clifford

Production Design by
Leon Ericksen

Art Direction by
Al Locatelli
Philip Thomas

Makeup Department
Edwin Butterworth	....	makeup artist (as Ed Butterworth)
Robert Jiras	....	makeup artist
Phyllis Newman	....	makeup artist
Barry Richardson	....	hair stylist

Production Management
James Margellos	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Lou Lombardo	....	second unit director (as Louis Lombardo)
Irby Smith	....	second assistant director
Tommy Thompson	....	assistant director

Art Department
Sidney H. Greenwood	....	property master (as Syd Greenwood)

Sound Department
John W. Gusselle	....	sound
Barry Jones	....	sound mixer (as Barry P. Jones)
William Thompson	....	sound (as William A. Thompson)
Sergio Reyes	....	additional sound re-recording mixer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Marcel Vercoutere	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Rod Parkhurst	....	photographer: second unit
James O. Blair	....	gaffer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Ilse Richter	....	wardrobe

Music Department
Leonard Cohen	....	composer: songs "The Stranger Song", "Sisters of Mercy", "Winter Lady"

Transportation Department
Grant McCracken	....	driver (uncredited)

Other crew
Anthony Goldschmidt	....	title designer
Ross Levy	....	assistant to producer
Anne Sidaris-Reeves	....	researcher (as Anne Sidaris)
Joan Tewkesbury	....	continuity (as Joan Maguire)
Don Carmody	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Joan Tewkesbury	....	script supervisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• David Foster Productions
• Warner Bros. Pictures

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1971) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner-Columbia Filmverleih (1971) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Blue Dolphin Film Distribution (1990) (UK)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1977) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Süddeutsche Zeitung (2006) (Germany) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (1991) (USA) (laserdisc)
• Warner Home Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)

Also Known As:

The Presbyterian Church Wager (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

120 min | Argentina:121 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Singapore:M18 | UK:15 (1992) | UK:X (1971) | Portugal:M/12 | Germany:16 (DVD rating) | Spain:18 | Argentina:16 | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

British Columbia, Canada

Company:

David Foster Productions

Trivia:

Many of the people playing small parts, bit roles, and extras were allowed to create their own characters for the movie.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the saloon, McCabe plays cards and Sheeran lights the lamp while they talk to each other about the bottle of whiskey price. At one point McCabe is shown, from behind, taking the cigar out of his mouth with his left hand and, subsequently, shown from the front, holding the cigar in his mouth with his right hand.

Quotes:

[first lines]
John McCabe: [muttering to himself] I told you... Think I'm stupid?... S'exactly what I said. Six, six of 'em...

Movie Connections:

Featured in Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex, Drugs and Rock 'N' Roll Generation Saved Hollywood (2003)

Soundtrack:

Winter Lady

Unique, perfect and thoroughly enjoyable.

I was led to this movie in 1972 via the Academy nomination of Julie Christie for her remarkable performance and the small trailer used to highlight her. This was enough to get my attention.

Since then I have recommended it to any movie lover- whether a "student of film" or not. I am constantly surprised at the numbers of people who haven't seen this masterpiece. I've lived with it's haunting scenes for a quarter of a century and, as with anything of depth, constantly find new charms in my old love.

From the evocative lyrics of the opening score to it's sudden chilling and deadly encounters, this movie lives in your mind long after the final blizzard cloaks the frame.

If one is a contrarian I would guess the only thing to do after seeing this for perhaps the fiftieth time is to begin looking for that moment where someone, anyone has put a foot wrong in this production. From gaffers to grips, actors to designers, continuity to props it is so pure as to be a documentary in it's granular clarity- there may be a wrong note in there somewhere but until then do yourself a favor and give yourself up to as rich a cinematic experience as you are ever likely to find.

There are few movies I love- I love this movie.