Bill Slocum Steve McQueen tools around in a classy car, dodging bad guys, loving the ladies, and not giving a cuss. This may read like your typical 1960s effort from him, but that's something "The Reivers" ain't.What is it? I guess it can be summed up as a broad coming-of-age comedy set in the American South in 1905, featuring a boy named Lucius (Mitch Vogel) who, against his better judgment, sets off with a couple of older-but-not-wiser friends in his grandfather's stolen automobile to visit the wicked city of Memphis. In no time he is holed up in a local bordello, trying to help win back his grandfather's car in a desperate horse race.At the center of Lucius's worries is the man who talked him into the whole adventure, Boon Hoggenbeck, who wants the car to impress one of the pretty Memphis prostitutes he has set his cap on. "He knows no obstacles, counts no costs, fears no dangers," Grandpa (Will Geer) warns young Lucius of Boon.Okay, that does sound like McQueen the way Gramps put it there. But McQueen's Boon is more of an overgrown boy than stolid icon. A bucolic coming-of-age comedy based on a William Faulkner novel, "The Reivers" seems McQueen's attempt at stretching out from action-hero mode. He's quite a bit of fun with his sometimes outsized comic reactions, a bit old for the part but certainly a capable center in what amounts to his first ensemble piece since "The Great Escape."Director Mark Rydell made life-affirming American-heartland flicks that celebrate homey characters and downhome values, and "The Reivers" certainly fits his oeuvre. He is abetted wonderfully by the sunny lenswork of Richard Moore and a graceful, jaunty score by John Williams. In its elegiac, serio-comic tone, it is a lot like the film McQueen chose to make this over, "Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid."More a situation than a story, "The Reivers" introduces us to a shifting cast of characters and lets each spend some time with the viewer. Some leave stronger marks than others.Rupert Crosse leaves the deepest impression as Lucius' distant black relative Ned, who drives Boon crazy asserting his rights as a member of the McCaslin family by virtue of a great-grandfather who impregnated a slave. Ned is a proud man who likes to push his point beyond the bounds of reason, stowing away on Grandfather's car when Boon and Lucius make their Memphis trip."If I wait until I'm invited I'll never will go anywhere," Ned points out when Boon tries unsuccessfully to toss him. Ned is the agent provocateur in "The Reivers," somewhat dangerous in his ways but valuable, too, played with a vulnerable, humor-filled grandeur by Crosse, who got an Oscar nomination for his work. You laugh more with him than at him, but it's a bit of both.Where "The Reivers" goes a little wrong is with some of the other characters. Sharon Farrell is the proverbial prostitute with a heart of gold who bonds with Lucius, while other smaller parts are filled by memorable character actors who get little to do. "We were a pleasant and courteous people, tending to our business," Burgess Meredith explains in the voice-over narration, and often they seem a bit too much of just that. Even the bad guys, like a racist sheriff played by Clifton James, seem a bit toothless and too-easily- handled.Still, I enjoyed this film, if more around the margins than in the main. It's not unusual to see McQueen wielding a pistol, but it is to watch the target josh him about his lousy aim between shots. Aided especially by Crosse and Vogel, "The Reivers" isn't maybe as wise or knowing as it tries to be, but does leave you with a warm and fuzzy feeling that doesn't stale with repeat viewings. A sleepy charmer, it shows even a king can make for a capable jester once in a while.

whpratt1 This was a great film written by the famous writer William Faulkner dealing with an old man going back to his youth sixty years ago. Steve McQueen, (Boon Hogganbeck) along with a few of his friends decided to take a trip from Mississippi to Memphis in an old time car which was relatively new during this period of time and taking along a very young boy named Lucius, (Mitch Vogel). Boon takes Lucius into a brothel where he stays over night in Memphis and learns a great deal about the birds and the bees and especially from a sweet kind lady named Carrie, (Sharon Farrell) who is a gal very much in love with Boon. There is a horse race and lots of laughs and drama to go along with the rest of the picture. There was a great deal of problems between the director of this film Mark Rydell and Steve McQueen, but the film was finally completed but the producer would never direct another picture with McQueen.

wes-connors "Oh, Reivers…that's an old-fashioned word from my childhood," explains narrator Burgess Meredith, "In plain English, I'm afraid it meant… thieves!" The narrator is fondly recalling an adventure he had as an 11-year-old boy, "coming of age" in Mississippi. Young Mitch Vogel (as Lucius Priest) is the lad; he accompanies father-figure/handyman Steve McQueen (as Boon Hogganbeck), who steals the family's first automobile - a brand new, yellow-colored 1905 Winton Flyer. Rupert Crosse (as Ned McCaslin) makes "The Reivers" a trio by stowing away in the car's trunk. Their main destination is a bordello, where Mr. McQueen wants to hook up with prostitute girlfriend Sharon Farrell (as Corrie). Meanwhile, Mr. Crosse swaps the trio's prized vehicle for a slow horse named "Lightning"… Mark Rydell's direction of William Faulkner's final novel is a qualified success. The principal cast members work very well together, with Vogel and Crosse exhibiting as much star presence as the more famous McQueen. The supporting cast is great; the participation of Will Geer, Burgess Meredith, and Juano Hernandez add to the film's old-world charm. Richard Moore's Mississippi photography is beautiful. Although it doesn't ever go quite far enough, "The Reivers" main strength is in its depiction of real, flawed characters. Faulkner's portrayal of race and gender, as much as they show, are noteworthy. The most touching moments occur when young Vogel learns that women are not viewed the same way, after adolescence. His obvious difficulty accepting the degradation of women (through prostitution and beating) portends a different future for the younger generation. ******* The Reivers (12/25/69) Mark Rydell ~ Steve McQueen, Mitch Vogel, Rupert Crosse, Sharon Farrell

sjj-4 The making of "The Reivers" in my home town of Carrollton, Miss., made a lasting impression here -- just as the film itself did upon the memories of those of us who have seen it time and again. Now, with the DVD out in 2005, hopefully many, many, more will get to see Mark Rydell's wonderful romp! I recently wrote an interview with our current mayor, who talked about the filming; what fun so many of us had being extras. She was an extra in a scene of people having a picnic; this scene was filmed on River Road in a neighboring town to the west of us, Greenwood, Miss. Having "The Reivers" actually set in small town Mississippi was a great touch. The screenplay, the music, the editing, direction, combine with William Faulkner's original tale to keep the beckoning finger to future generations, too.