I Walk the Line ** (1970, Gregory Peck, Tuesday Weld, Estelle Parsons, Ralph Meeker, Lonny Chapman, Charles Durning) – Classic Movie Review 11,403

Director John Frankenheimer’s flatfooted, depressing 1970 Tennessee neo noir drama I Walk the Line stars Gregory Peck as married, middle-aged sheriff Henry Tawes in the small US town of Gainesboro, Tennessee, who is bored with his wife Ellen (Estelle Parsons) and his life. He meets and develops a crush on sexy young town girl Alma McCain (Tuesday Weld), becoming romantically and physically involved, and comes a cropper protecting her moonshining family headed by single parent patriarch Carl McCain (Ralph Meeker) from the snooping eyes of deputy Wylie Hunnicutt (Charles Durning).

There is nothing wrong with the acting – both stars Peck and Weld give good performances and deserve much better material – only with the tedious, relentlessly dour tale and uninspired direction.

The six country songs on the soundtrack by Johnny Cash, including his 1956 hit title number, are distinct assets to the movie.

Alvin Sargent’s screenplay is based on the novel An Exile by Madison Jones.

Also in the cast are Lonny Chapman as Bascomb, Jeff Dalton as Clay McCain, Freddie McCloud as Buddy McCain, Jane Rose as Elsie, J C Evans as Grandpa Tawes, Margaret A Morris as Sybil, Bill Littleton as Pollard, Leo Yates as Vogel, Nora Denney [Dodo Denney] as Darlene Hunnicutt.

It could have been a contender. With all this exciting top talent, something great this way could have come.

I Walk the Line is filmed on location in Gainesboro, Jackson County, Tennessee and Center Hill Lake and Dam in Central Tennessee.

Cash re-recorded the title song for the film, and had material for a soundtrack album, and one of its songs, ‘Flesh and Blood,’ became a number one country hit in 1971.

Columbia Pictures insisted Peck star as he was under contract, though Frankenheimer wanted Gene Hackman. Frankenheimer got his wife’s 82-year-old grandfather J C Evans to play the sheriff’s father, calling him ‘quite wonderful’, but got Will Geer dub him.

© Derek Winnert 2021 Classic Movie Review 11,403

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