The Scalphunters (1968)

75% of critics liked it
(8 reviews)
53% of users liked it
(509 ratings)

For his third feature outing, director Sydney Pollack helmed this comedic western starring (Burt Lancaster) as fur trapper Joe Bass. While heading for the trading post for his pay after a successful hunting season, Bass runs into a band of Kiowa Indians, who offer to trade the educated slave Joseph… More For his third feature outing, director Sydney Pollack helmed this comedic western starring (Burt Lancaster) as fur trapper Joe Bass. While heading for the trading post for his pay after a successful hunting season, Bass runs into a band of Kiowa Indians, who offer to trade the educated slave Joseph (Ozzie Davis) for Bass's furs. Severely outnumbered, the uneducated Bass reluctantly agrees to the swap at gunpoint. Bass and Joseph then follow the Indians in hopes of retrieving the furs. Along the way, the Indians meet up with Jim Howie (Telly Savalas), who not only steals the furs from the Indians, but Joseph from Bass. From there, Jim and his mistress Kate (Shelley Winters) head for Mexico, a move that is fine with Joseph because slavery is outlawed there. But they may not make it south of the border, as the Indians have regrouped and are on their trail with plans to take back the furs. ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 42 min.
Directed By: Sydney Pollack
Genres: Western, Action & Adventure, Classics, Comedy

In Theaters: Apr 2, 1968 Wide
On DVD: May 17, 2005

Critic Reviews

Variety Staff, Variety
Lancaster and Davis work particularly well together, ditto Savalas and Winters. There are talky periods of slow pace, but they are terminated before undue damage has been done.
Renata Adler, New York Times
While the individual incidents are familiar, they are played with gusto by Lancaster and Davis.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
Some movies are masterpieces, and most movies are not, and sometimes you get a movie that can best be described as 'interesting.' By that I mean it falls short of excellence but nevertheless has something that makes it worth seeing.
, TV Guide's Movie Guide
A comical western with more than a hint of social satire.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
... never funny enough or Western enough or politically incisive enough to impress.
, Time Out
An amiable enough liberal comedy Western, with colour-coded cultural conflict worked through an ironic circular plot.
, Film4
Working on several levels, the film is entertaining as an outdoor adventure, a study in character and a movie with an explicit, but never heavy-handed, message.

Read all 7 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

jay n

Semi comic western offset by a little too much violence. Shelley Winters is amusing as a shady lady who rolls with the punches and Burt Lancaster and a very young Ossie Davis have a nice rapport.