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Will Penny | 
| Director: Tom Gries
Actors: Charlton Heston, Joan Hackett, Donald Pleasence, Lee Majors, Bruce Dern
Studio: Warner Home Video
List Price: $9.95
Buy Used: $0.26
You Save: $9.69 (97%)
New (8) Used (17) Collectible (6) from $0.26
Rating:  35 reviews
Sales Rank: 9199
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Hifi Sound, Original Recording Reissued, Original Recording Remastered, Ntsc
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Media: VHS Tape
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 109 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 7.3 x 4.2 x 1.1
ISBN: 0792110463
UPC: 097360672336
EAN: 9780792110460
ASIN: 0792110463
Theatrical Release Date: April 10, 1968
Release Date: January 1, 1998
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Ex-Rental
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| Customer Reviews: Read 30 more reviews...
Heston's lone cowboy June 10, 2008
Dennis W. Wong
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This minor classic Western, totally ignored by Paramount when it was released in '68, stands as one of the best performances the late Chuck Heston ever gave even over "Major Dundee" which he wrote off as a fiasco in an interview he gave. He should be proud of this film because unlike many Westerns of its time, this one is more character-driven than like say "Silverado" which sacrifices character development for action (Lawrence Kasden could take a pointer from this flick). The late Joan Hackett is also excellent as the lone woman who takes in Heston after he is beaten by the crazen Donald Pleasance & his family (Bruce Dern, etc) and learns to love again as she falls for this lonely, 50'ish cowboy. Tom Gries directed with a sure hand and the outdoor photography is fantastic. This western along with Peckingpah's "Ride the High Country" stands as one of the true classics of this genre. Whole heartedly recommended for Heston enthusiasts and western buffs!!
 Old Cowboy Tell June 2, 2008
J. E. Sherman (Los Angeles, CA USA)
Good cowboy story. Story of a over the hill cowboy riding the line. Cowboy things happen. One of Heston's best movies.
Best realistic western before Lonesome Dove May 21, 2008
R. Powell
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
One can see why C. H. loved making this movie. He SO fit into the character, one wonders why it was so hard for him to shed the Moses/Ben Hur
image. Much care was made by the producer and director to create a realistic western, and STILL have a very interesting story about a very interesting character. When some people talk about great western riders in movies (Ben Johnson is counted as one of the best, and he's in the movie), they shouldn't leave out old C. H. He looks like a true cowboy in all his riding scenes, and he was a great rider.
Charlton Heston's best movie... May 8, 2008
J. Sells
If you like Westerns at all, this one is a classic. Heston is an over the hill cowboy, facing the inevitable demise of cattle driving.
In the 60's, westerns were the most popular TV show (Gunsmoke, High Chapparal, The Rebel, Bonanza, The Rifleman, etc.) and I watched a lot of them.
This movie will not let you down.
Realistic Western about an Aging Cowboy's Last Chance at Love & Family September 13, 2007
Durrkk (Ohio/PA border USA)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
Year of Release: 1968
Writer/Director: Tom Gries
Country: USA
Runtime: 1 Hour 50 minutes
Locations: Bishop & Inyo County, California
THE PLOT: Charleton Heston plays loner Will Penny, an aging cowboy who takes a winter job riding line on a vast ranch. He runs afoul of a family of psychotic rawhiders who leave him to die in the wilderness. Half-dead, he stumbles back to the line rider's cabin where he is nursed to health by a woman (Joan Hackett) and her boy who are wintering there en route to Oregon to meet her homesteading husband. Penny discovers love and a sense of family for the first time in his nigh fifty years of life.
"Will Penny" gives the viewer a good peek at what it must have really been like to be a cowboy out West in the late 1800s. Needless to say, the lifestyle is anything but glamorous.
Most everything works great here: locations, cast, story, writing, etc. with three exceptions: The score is boring & dated. In the 60s there were numerous great Western scores that stood the test of time ("Duel at Diablo," "Bandolero!," "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly," "MacKenna's Gold" and "The Magnificent Seven," to name a few), but the score to "Penny" is a badly-aged dud. (Then again, it DOES fit the film's main theme).
Also, the villains are somewhat contrived. Donald Pleasence is impressive as the over-the-top psycho patriarch of the rawhiding family and Bruce Dern is always reliable as a villain, but -- I don't know -- this whole side plot just seems tacked on to supply action and menace to a story that might have been better without it.
The heart of the story is Penny's first-time discovery of love and a sense of family. It's implied in the story that he was an orphan as a child and simply fell into the loner cowboy lifestyle to survive. He has never known true love or had a real sense of family. Before meeting Joan Hackett's character, Catherine, his experiences with women were limited to shallow hook-ups with prostitutes.
Penny discovers he has a knack for fatherhood and likes it. The boy clearly looks up to him and loves him.
It's almost as if God sees Penny's true noble character through all the grime and gruff cowboy exterior and throws him a pot of gold in the form of the love of Catherine and her boy. Will he take advantage of this opportunity of happiness and fulfillment, despite the risks? Will he even recognize it as an opportunity?
[SPOILER ALERT!! THIS NEXT PARAGRAPH REVEALS THE ENDING!!]
Unfortunately, even though he's a good man (generally speaking), Penny has no faith in love or life in general, no doubt because of his past experiences. Catherine gently points out that love will find a way, but Will insists that love cannot survive the cold harsh realities of life and aging, in particular in the uncaring Western wilderness. Thus Penny walks away from what is likely his last chance at love, fatherhood and family. Although this ending is realistic (not all experiences in life end on a happy note), it's frankly a bit sad. According to the film love does NOT conquer all and the viewer is left feeling a tad deflated. It goes without saying that this is NOT a life & faith affirming film. One's last impression of Penny is that he's a pathetic loser who lacks the brains and oomph to throw caution to the wind and take advantage of a great opportunity for happiness.
[END SPOILER]
FINAL ANALYSIS: I detract 1 Star for the pizzazz-less score, the forced villain subplot and the ending. Otherwise this is a stellar picture. Highly recommended if it sounds like your cup of java.
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