THE
HIRED HAND(1971/2001) Restoration
MCA
Universal Pictures/ Pando Productions
Director: Peter Fonda Producer: William Hayward
Written by: Alan Sharp Cinematography: Vilmos Zsigmond
Score: Bruce Langhorne Editor/montages: Frank
Mazzola
Cast: Peter Fonda, Warren Oates, Verna Bloom
Restoration
Produced by Frank Mazzola and Hamish McAlpine
in association with The Pando Company, Inc.
Extraordinary
Western with '60s Sensibility
The Hired Hand directed by and starring Peter Fonda is
a minor masterpiece. This '60s-influenced Western features uncanny
poignant performances by Fonda as well as Verna Bloom (still in her
Medium Cool period) and Warren Oates. Vilmos Zsigmond's camera work
beautifully captures the dreamlike atmosphere, *(along with the
editor Frank Mazzola) utilizing scene-on-scene double imagery.
Fonda and Oates set out for California, but Fonda decides to return to
his wife (Bloom) and daughter. A painting of many moods, emotions, and
atmospheres, and a touching ending.
Definitely superior to "McCabe and Mrs. Miller", and ranks
with "Once Upon a Time in the West" as one of the all time
great Westerns. review
from Amazon/Adam Bernstein
*(addition
by web author)
PRESS RELEASE
Pando Productions, the joint company of Peter Fonda and William
Hayward, are proud to announce that they have secured the rights to
mount a restoration of THE HIRED HAND. Frank Mazzola, the original
editor of the film, along with Hamish McAlpine of Tartan Films, are
producing the restoration. Bob O'neil, Executive Director of
Restoration for Universal, will act as advisor.
THE HIRED HAND is a classic Western which Pando originally
produced in 1971 directed by and starring Peter Fonda, along with Warren
Oates, Verna Bloom and Severn Darden. It won Best Film at the Film and
Filming Awards in 1971, among many other accolades.
Oscar winning cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond (Deliverance,
McCabe And Mrs. Miller, Close Encounters Of The Third Kind) was the
director of photography. Sound designer Richard Portman, an eleven
time Oscar nominee and winner for The Deer Hunter, is overseeing
the sound restoration and new Stereo re-mix (Winterstone Productions)
with editor Frank Mazzola (Donald Cammell's Performance and
Wild Side) The production was designed by Oscar nominee
Lawrence G. Paul (Blade Runner, Blue Collar, Back To The Future)
THE HIRED HAND was written by Alan Sharp (Rob Roy) and
produced by William Hayward (Easy Rider)
THE HIRED HAND was filmed in 1970 as part of Universal
Executive Ned Tanen's low-budget production program for young filmmakers
(as a result of the success of Easy Rider) This slate of
acclaimed films also included Monte Hellman's Two Lane Blacktop,
Frank Perry's Diary Of A Mad Housewife, Milos Foreman's Taking
Off, and Dennis Hopper's The Last Movie.
The restoration of THE
HIRED HAND has been featured in special events at the 2001 Venice
Film Festival, The Toronto Film Festival, and most recently
The First Tribeca Film Festival, personally presented by Martin
Scorsese.
LATEST
REVIEW from The Tribeca Festival: Stanley Kauffmann of THE NEW
REPUBLIC 5/24/02
It opened to
critical praise in London on Dec. 28, 2001
The Mail on Sunday gave it 5 stars proclaiming it "The Best
of The Bunch" and The Guardian named The Hired Hand
"film of the week."
THE RESTORED
HIRED HAND is now available on DVD, and a special edition DVD with cast
and crew interviews.
BBC
reviews Dec. 2001, Jason Woods ****
The
Observer, Philip French
kamera.co.uk/film
review/Dec. 2001
"ain't
it cool news" and Vertigo at The London Film Festival
•About
'The Hired Hand' (from the Internet Movie Data Base)
