Wanda Nevada *** (1979, Peter Fonda, Brooke Shields, Fiona Lewis, Henry Fonda) – Classic Movie Review 9762

Peter Fonda’s 1979 PG certificate Western comedy film Wanda Nevada also stars Peter Fonda as drifter/ gambler Beaudray Demerille and Brooke Shields as Wanda Nevada, the 13-year-old orphan with dreams of singing at the Grand Ole Opry. He wins in a card game and takes her gold prospecting in the Grand Canyon.

It is an odd, slightly uncomfortable, movie, but Dennis Hackin’s screenplay mixes comedy, drama, mystery and romance quite effectively.

Henry Fonda makes a cameo appearance as an Arizona prospector, making it the only film to feature the father and son together. Peter Fonda reportedly paid his father Henry $1000 for one day’s work on the film after receiving a call from him that he was out of work.

It is the third and last directorial outing of Peter Fonda, following The Hired Hand and Idaho Transfer.

Shooting took place in Glen Canyon, Monument Valley, Mexican Hat, and the Colorado River in Utah, and the town of Prescott, Arizona.

Peter Fonda complained: ‘United Artists dumped the film. The studio just didn’t understand the picture. I had wanted them to sell the film back to me. I offered the studio six million dollars. They didn’t take me up on it.’

Also in the cast are Fiona Lewis as Dorothy Deerfield, Luke Askew as Ruby Muldoon, Ted Markland as Strap Pangburn, Severn Darden as Bitterstix, and Paul Fix as Texas Curly.

RIP Peter Fonda, star of Easy Rider, who died on 16 August 2019, age 79. He was the brother of Jane Fonda and the father of Bridget Fonda.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 9762

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