Straw Dogs (1971)

Director:

Sam Peckinpah

Writers:

Gordon Williams (novel)
David Zelag Goodman (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

29 December 1971 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

The knock at the door meant the birth of one man and the death of seven others!

Plot:

A young American and his English wife come to rural England and face increasingly vicious local harassment.

Plot Keywords:

Giggling | Slow Motion | Old Flame | Blood | House

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win

Cast

Dustin Hoffman	...	David Sumner
Susan George	...	Amy Sumner
Peter Vaughan	...	Tom Hedden
T.P. McKenna	...	Major John Scott
Del Henney	...	Charlie Venner
Jim Norton	...	Chris Cawsey
Donald Webster	...	Riddaway
Ken Hutchison	...	Norman Scutt
Len Jones	...	Bobby Hedden
Sally Thomsett	...	Janice Hedden
Robert Keegan	...	Harry Ware
Peter Arne	...	John Niles
Cherina Schaer	...	Louise Hood
Colin Welland	...	Reverend Barney Hood
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
June Brown	...	Mrs. Hedden (uncredited)
Chloe Franks	...	Emma Hedden (uncredited)
Michael Mundell	...	Bertie Hedden (uncredited)
David Warner	...	Henry Niles (uncredited)

Directed by
Sam Peckinpah

Writing credits
Gordon Williams		(novel "The Siege of Trencher's Farm") (as Gordon M. Williams)
David Zelag Goodman		(screenplay) and
Sam Peckinpah		(screenplay)

Produced by
Daniel Melnick	....	producer
James Swann	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Jerry Fielding

Cinematography by
John Coquillon

Film Editing by
Paul Davies
Tony Lawson
Roger Spottiswoode

Casting by
Miriam Brickman

Production Design by
Ray Simm

Art Direction by
Ken Bridgeman

Makeup Department
Harry Frampton	....	makeup artist
Bobbie Smith	....	hair stylist
Peter Frampton	....	makeup assistant (uncredited)

Production Management
Derek Kavanagh	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Terry Marcel	....	assistant director
Nick Farnes	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Michael Murray	....	third assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Peter James	....	set dresser
Julia Trevelyan Oman	....	production design consultant

Sound Department
John Bramall	....	sound recordist
Garth Craven	....	sound editor
Norman Savage	....	sound editor
Michael Ellis	....	sound dialogue editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
John Richardson	....	special effects

Stunts
Bill Cornelius	....	stunt coordinator
Peter Brayham	....	stunts (uncredited)
Joe Dunne	....	stunts (uncredited)
Sue Longhurst	....	stunt double: Susan George (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Herbert Smith	....	camera operator
John Jay	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Tiny Nicholls	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Robert L. Wolfe	....	editorial consultant (as Robert Wolfe)

Music Department
Jerry Fielding	....	conductor
Lennie Niehaus	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Pamela Davies	....	continuity
Anthony Goldschmidt	....	title designer
Katherine Haber	....	dialogue director (as Katy Haber)
George Davis	....	production accountant (uncredited)
Brian Doyle	....	unit publicist (uncredited)
Susan Shaw	....	body double: Susan George (uncredited)

Production Companies

• ABC Pictures
• Amerbroco
• Talent Associates

Distributors

• Anchor Bay Entertainment (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• British Film Institute (BFI) (1995) (UK) (theatrical)
• Buena Vista Pictures (1995) (worldwide) (all media)
• Centfox (1972) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Cinerama Releasing Corporation (USA)
• Cinerama Releasing UK (1971) (UK) (theatrical)
• Criterion Collection, The (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Editora Europa (200?) (Brazil) (DVD)
• EuroVideo (1982) (West Germany) (VHS)
• Guild Home Video (UK) (video)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• MRA Entertainment Group (2004) (Australia) (DVD)
• Pearson Television International (2002) (UK) (DVD)
• Thorn-Emi Video (????) (West Germany) (VHS)
• Transvídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Video Collection International Ltd. (1999) (UK) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Lee Lighting  grip and lighting equipment

Runtime:

118 min | USA:113 min (R-rated version)

Country:

USA | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Brazil:18 | Finland:K-18 (cut) (1971) | USA:Unrated (uncut) | Iceland:16 | Finland:K-18 (uncut) (1981) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | USA:R (cut) | West Germany:18 (original rating) | Germany:16 (re-rating) (2007) | South Korea:18 | Argentina:18 | Australia:MA (DVD re-rating) (2004) | Australia:R (original rating) | France:-16 | Hong Kong:III | Ireland:18 | Italy:VM14 (re-rating) | Italy:VM18 (original rating) | Japan:R-15 | New Zealand:R18 | Norway:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:(Banned) (video rating) (1999) | UK:18 (video re-rating) (2002) (uncut) | UK:X (original rating) | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Lamorna Cove, Lamorna, Cornwall, England, UK

Company:

ABC Pictures

Trivia:

In order to express a sick enjoyment in the scene where Dustin Hoffman beats the man on the floor to death, he requested that there would be coconuts there for him to smash. In one shot you can actually see a bit of coconut flying off, which Sam Peckinpah passed off as brain matter.

Goofs:

Factual errors: When Amy fires the shotgun at the last attacker both the hammers are in the 'uncocked' position. She would need to pull the hammer of the relevant barrel backwards to cock the gun.

Quotes:

David Sumner: Ok, you've had your fun. I'll give you one more chance, and if you don't clear out now, there'll be real trouble. I mean it.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Hot Fuzz (2007)

The granddaddy of the modern revenge flick and still potent after 30 years.

Dustin Hoffman is perfectly cast as wealthy American mathematician David Sumner. Soon after arriving to an isolated English village with his energetic young wife Amy (the captivating Susan George), trouble starts. You see, she's so attractive the men in town can't keep from leering at her, he's such a pacifist the locals feel at ease to push him around and the jealousy over David's wealth, power, intelligence and wife turn to a series of harassments, one more extreme than the next until Amy is brutally beaten and raped. David finally snaps and decides he's had enough when their assailants accidentally kill a cop and then hold them at bay in their own home.

Not a horror film in the traditional sense, this (one of the most controversial movies of the 1970s) is nonetheless an effective, violent and relevant piece of shock cinema. Peckinpah's statement is that in this world, like it or not, there is a genuine need for violence and he concentrates most on uncovering how common emotions (jealousy, vengeance, lust) can turn seemingly normal men evil. Containing strong performances from the entire cast, STRAW DOGS has been copied many times since, but seldom this effectively.