Run, Simon, Run *** (1970, Burt Reynolds, Inger Stevens, Royal Dano, James Best, Rodolfo Acosta, Don Dubbins) – Classic Movie Review 13,728

The 1970 American thriller film Run, Simon, Run stars Burt Reynolds as an Indian who returns to his reservation after a wrongful prison term and searches for his brother’s killer.

Canadian film director George McCowan’s 1970 American made-for-TV thriller film Run, Simon, Run comes from producer Aaron Spelling and stars Burt Reynolds.

A pre-superstardom Burt Reynolds plays Simon Zuniga, a wrongly jailed Native American, who comes home to his tribal lands bent on avenging his brother’s murder, in the tense and suspenseful 1970 American TV movie Run, Simon, Run, which turned out to be much better than most of his cinema films of this period.

Carroll Rennard (Inger Stevens)’s car hits Simon Zuniga while he is running down the road after being released from prison. Carroll drives him to the reservation where she also works. Simon dreams about the night his brother was shot by Henry Burroughs (James Best) who framed him for the murder.

The Reynolds performance, Indian location filming and heartfelt thoughts on race in the intelligent script by Lionel E Siegel add quality to an unusually strong TV film. Plus, it features the last performance of Inger Stevens, as Carroll Rennard.

It was shot in Tucson, Arizona. in February and March 1970.

Swedish-born American Inger Stevens (born Ingrid Stensland; October 18, 1934) died of acute barbiturate poisoning on April 30, 1970, aged 35, ruled a suicide.

Run, Simon, Run [Savage Run] [The Tradition of Simon Zuniga] is directed by George McCowan, runs 75 minutes, is made by Aaron Spelling Productions, is released by ABC, is written by Lionel E Siegel, is shot by Archie R Dalzell, is produced by Aaron Spelling and Richard Newton, is scored by The Orphanage, and is designed by Paul Sylos.

Cast: Burt Reynolds, Inger Stevens, Royal Dano, James Best, Rodolfo Acosta, Don Dubbins, Ken Lynch, Eddie Little Sky, Joyce Jameson, Barney Phillips, Herman Rudin, Rosemary Eliot, Marsha Moode, Martin G Soto.

© Derek Winnert 2025 – Classic Movie Review 13,728

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