The Pursuit of D B Cooper *** (1981, Robert Duvall, Treat Williams, Kathryn Harrold) – Classic Movie Review 10,623

Director Roger Spottiswoode’s 1981 film The Pursuit of D B Cooper is based on the 1980 book Free Fall: A Novel by J D Reed and stars Robert Duvall as relentless insurance sleuth Bill Gruen, who leads the pursuit of famous true-life American bad guy D B Cooper/ Jim Meade (Treat Williams) who hijacked an aircraft, jumped out with a stash of cash, parachuted into a forest and vanished.

In 1971 a hijacker identified as D B Cooper jumps from an airliner by using the rear exit, parachuting into a forest in Washington State. Later he is identified as ex-US Army man Jim Meade, who is being hunted by insurance investigator Bill Gruen, Meade’s old sergeant in the army, and Meade’s army buddy, Remson (Paul Gleason).

A strong cast give engrossing performances and lead this enjoyable action adventure crime thriller, flawed by difficulties in production.

Treat Williams in Hair.

Original director John Frankenheimer shot one sequence and was replaced by Buzz Kulik, who finished the film. Canadian director Spottiswoode (Under Fire) then replaced both John Frankenheimer (uncredited) and Buzz Kulik (uncredited) as director, when the producers asked him to shoot a big new stunt and edit the film, and a new climax was added.

Spottiswoode said the movie was doomed unless he could shoot new sequences, written by Ron Shelton, credited as associate producer. The Spottiswood-Shelton scenes are 70 per cent of the released film, with new characters and a new atmosphere.

Despite some wobbles, it is still lively, well-acted, involving and worthwhile.

The screenplay, solely credited to Jeffrey Alan Fiskin, is based on J D Reed’s book, in turn loosely based on a real-life true story unsolved mystery.

Also in the cast are Kathryn Harrold, Ed Flanders, Paul Gleason, R G Armstrong, Pat Ast, Dorothy Fielding, Nicolas Coster, Cooper Huckabee, Howard K Smith, Christopher Curry, Ramon Chavez, Stacy Newton, Jack Dunlap, Brad Sergi, Michael Potter and Charles Benton.

After all the work and heartache, it flopped. Costing $14 million, it took only $3.7 million at the box office.

The real-life hijacker D B Cooper escaped with $200,000 after leaping from the back of a Boeing 727 airliner on 24 November 1971 and most of the film fictionalises his escape after he landed on the ground.

Universal Pictures offered a $1 million reward for information leading to the capture of the real D B Cooper but no one ever claimed the reward.

It was released in the same year as a Treat Williams triumph: Prince of the City (1981).

Tragically, Treat Williams was involved in a motorcycle crash on Vermont Route 30, near Dorset, on 12 June 2023. He was airlifted to Albany Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, aged 71.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 10,623

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Treat Williams in The Ritz.