Lolly-Madonna XXX [The Lolly-Madonna War] ** (1973, Rod Steiger, Robert Ryan, Jeff Bridges, Scott Wilson) – Classic Movie Review 10,440

There’s a gory battle for land between fighting families the Feathers and the Gutshalls deep in rural Tennessee, in the 1973 action crime film Lolly-Madonna XXX. Rod Steiger and Robert Ryan come off best as the rival patriarchs.

There’s a gory battle for land between fighting families the Feathers and the Gutshalls deep in rural Tennessee, in director Richard C Sarafian’s 1973 action crime drama Lolly-Madonna XXX [The Lolly-Madonna War], an interesting movie with lots of sound and fury but conveying very little meaning or sense of purpose. The Feather boys decide to kidnap a girl, innocent bystander in the feud, Roonie Gill (Season Hubley).

A way more than decent cast (complete with twanging hillbilly accents) is largely wasted on this flaccidly scripted drama, though Rod Steiger and Robert Ryan come off best as the rival patriarchs, Laban Feather and Pap Gutshall, as well as the young Jeff Bridges as Zack Feather and Scott Wilson as Thrush.

Producer Rodney Carr-Smith and Sue Grafton’s script is based on Sue Grafton’s 1969 novel The Lolly Madonna War, inspired by true events.

Also in the cast are Katherine Squire, Tresa Hughes, Ed Lauter, Timothy Scott, Kiel Martin, Joan Goodfellow, Randy Quaid, Gary Busey, and Paul Koslo.

Lolly-Madonna XXX was shot in rural Union County, Tennessee, by cinematographer Philip H Lathrop.

It runs 103 minutes.

It was released on February 21, 1973 (US).

On 20 October 2020 Jeff Bridges tweeted: ‘I have been diagnosed with lymphoma. I feel fortunate that I have a great team of doctors and the prognosis is good.’ On 12 September 2021, Bridges announced his cancer was in remission.

The cast are Rod Steiger as Laban Feather, Robert Ryan as Pap Gutshall, Jeff Bridges as Zack Feather, Gary Busey as Zeb Gutshall, Katherine Squire as Chickie Feather, Season Hubley as Roonie Gill/ Lolly Madonna, Ed Lauter as Hawk Feather, Paul Koslo as Villum Gutshall, Scott Wilson as Thrush Feather, Kiel Martin as Ludie Gutshall, Randy Quaid as Finch Feather, Joan Goodfellow as Sister E Gutshall, Timothy Scott as Skylar Feather, Tresa Hughes as Elspeth Gutshall, and Kathy Watts as Lyda Jo Gutshall Feather

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 10,440

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