Product Details

• Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Format: NTSC

Amazon.com
A pastoral turn of the century Western, The Grey Fox tells the story of an old-time stagecoach robber who, after 30 years locked away in prison, is released to a modern world he doesn't quite understand. He resumes his life the only way he knows how, by robbing, but since the days of the stagecoach are gone, he concentrates on holding up trains. Pursued by the private security force the Pinkertons, the elderly man known as the gentleman bandit develops a lore and a following all his own. Richard Farnsworth (The Natural) plays the lead, based on a true-life account, as a kind and thoughtful man who sees honor in what he does. Featuring some incredibly vivid cinematography of the Pacific Northwest and the classic steam engines that traversed its mountains, the film is an elegiac homage to a simpler time when honor and gentlemanly pursuits (even train robbery) were important. --Robert Lane

Customer Reviews

The Grey Fox
I have been a fan of this film since its original big screen introduction in the early 1980s. In fact, while it was still on the big screen, I would drive great distances if I had to just to watch it again and again. Frankly, I have lost count of those joyous occasions. And with the recent death of Richard Farnsworth, The Grey Fox will remain as a great tribute to this wonderful film and its star. The dialogue is simple and authentic to the time. The cinematography is some of the best in modern filmdom. No special effects required here. Farnsworth does his own riding showing once again, that he was such a great and respected presence on the screen. The photography will simply blow you away. The scene where Bill Minor and his lover are dancing with the glow of the Canadian Rockies at dusk in the background may be one of the most beautiful scenes ever. Other great scenes include the steam locomotive traveling along a steep canyon with the shape of the river below mimicking the gleaming railroad bed and the trail of smoke from the train under a darkening and damp Canadian sky. I get chills every time I watch it. This true story from Francis Ford Coppala's Zoetrope Productions, is beautifully, intelligently and skillfully presented and should be the keystone of every video library. Until the studios re-release this classic, hunt it down at your local video store while you can.

Farnsworth's Legacy
While Richard Farnsworth made a number of films in his career, this gem has got to be his "shining star." Sensitively acted, beautifully filmed, and so completely authentic, this true tale of a lifestyle long gone and then tragically replaced by one just as bad, is among a meager handful of films that truly deserve to be called a "keeper." And with few exceptions has a town been more beautifully portrayed than Kamloops. Incredibly beautiful and so deserving to be photographed, this Pacific Northwest locale was the perfect spot for the telling of outlaw Bill Minor's escape from and then gradual emergence back into society. Farnsworth and his costar, Jackie Burroughs, are a delight, and their slow and gradual courtship sequence is one of the most romantic to ever reach the screen. The rest of the excellent cast complement them very well, and the fantastic use of film-within-film is perfectly done! Farnsworth's large eyes and always bemused mustache steal every scene in which he appears, and the final scenes where he accepts the orange from the little boy are as real-to-life as it gets! This one ranks right up there alongside a precious special few, such as Jackie Gleason's "Gigot," Robert Duvall's "Tomorrow," Robert Redford's "Jeremiah Johnson," along with "Silent Running," "The French Connection," "A Little Romance," "Sophie's Choice," "Conagher," and "Dave," all outstanding films that deserve special recognition due to the intense, magnetic and all-out personal performances of their stars. This Richard Farnsworth vehicle is in outstanding company, worthy of repeat viewing through the years.

7 Years of Rave Reviews and Still No DVD
This situation is a travesty. Richard Farnsworth, Hollywood stuntman for decades, advances his career through prominent character roles and finally is cast in the lead of the Grey Fox and the Straight Story and upon his death the copyright owners cannot see their way clear to release a DVD of the Grey Fox?
And this is the same film industry that vociferously defends its property rights against copyright pirates?
The breath-taking cinematography, a riveting storyline and the surging rhythm of The Chiefton's score mentioned in nearly all past reviews make this work an obvious candidate for anyone's Top 100 Films.
If you have not done so already, check the box at the top of the page and hopefully Amazon can convince the studio to release a DVD.