McCULLOCHS

US, 1975, 93 minutes, Colour.
Forrest Tucker, Julie Adams, Max Baer Jr, William Demarest, Harold J. Stone, Vito Scotti, Mike Mazurky, Biff Elliott.
Directed by Max Baer Jr.

The McCullochs is a kind of throwback to earlier days. Although it is an action-style film of the 1970s, it is set in 1949 in Texas. Forrest Tucker plays a self-made man who has become a millionaire and resents one of the locals courting his daughter. With clashes in the town, especially people critical of the McCullochs, the film ends with a built-up fight between Forrest Tucker and Max Baer Jr. Max Baer Jr, who wrote and directed the film (and was Jethro in The Beverly Hillibillies) is the son of world champion boxer, Max Baer (who fought against James Braddock/Cinderella Man).

A lot of old-timers from the 1950s appear in roles including Forrest Tucker himself as well as Julie Adams as his wife, William Demarest and Biff Elliott.

1. How enjoyable a picture of America? Pragmatic, critical?

2. The American style? The impact of the titles and the big lettering, the dramatic music, the build-up to the big style of the McCulloch? family?

3. How accurate and interesting a picture of the past? How does it compare with American families and behaviour now? The point of the comparison? Are youngsters any worse now than in the late forties? The behaviour of the young at any time? The film’s comments on what happens to parents as they grow older and take life and their children more seriously? Their tendency to become strict and demanding?

4. The atmosphere of Texas in 1949? The aspects of history e.g. the Truman administration, the emphasis on the Korean war and its development? Family life at the time? The look of the time, manners, dress?

5. Colour photography, Texas locations, especially wealthy houses, the town, the tracking headquarters and the tracking work? The attention to detail of the environment? The evocation of the past?

6. A portrait of' an American family, self-made, wealthy, tough?

7. The importance of the family's Catholicism and the way that it was used throughout the film? The priest's visits, his fondness for drinking? Father's re-appearance with the nuns watching the fight and having a bet, his performing of the marriage and his final comment? The importance of Ali and her going to confession, being refused absolution and the emphasis on the laws of the Church? Her not going to Communion? The discussion with her mother?

8. Mac as the big man of the town? Self-made, his skill at work, building up his company? His generosity to the mother of the accident victim? His fighting and brawling, and the impact of the long opening sequence? His drinking, with his pals? His coming home drunk and his wife turning the hoses on? Hannah and her love for
her husband? Their easy style together? Her telling him when he was wrong? His protective attitude towards his children especially Ali and keeping her away from Culver? His motivation for keeping Culver away and yet his assistant reminding him of his similar origins? His attitude towards Stephen and making him fight? His pride concerning R.J.? His style with his friends? How well developed a character? How typical a father, how typical parental behaviour?

10. Seeing him at work, the value of his work, the friends and their collaboration in the work? The detailed portraits e.g. of Tony at his cafe and his comments about the graffiti on his wall? And the comedy about the discovery of who wrote them? Hannah in comparison with J.J.? A pleasing wife, her attitude towards her children, her understanding attitude towards Ali? Her wisdom, her not knowing the answers, her leaving it to conscience? Her
explanation of her courtship with J.J.?

11. R.J. as the eldest son? Pride in his graduation, expectation of his marriage, his girl friend? His going to Korea and the atmosphere about the farewell sequence at the airport? His return and his dealing as man to man with his father, his telling him about some people not being able to cope with rough treatment and the irony of Stephen’s arrest? A glimpse of' a dependable character? More understanding than his father?

12. Gary as the youngest son, the horseplay at the beginning with his sister, his friends at the garage, the humour of the strip poker?

13. Stephen and his not wanting to fight, softer character, bleeding nose, his father provoking him to violence. the boxing training, the heavy reliance on drinking? How inevitable was it that he should be angry with the man in the street and be self-assertive about his family name? The pathos of his killing the man? His decision to go quietly to prison, his behaviour in the court room, the experience of prison? How would it change him?

14. Ali as the daughter in this family? Her love for Culver? Romance? Moral Questions focused through the Confession and Communion sequence? The importance of the discussion with her mother and trying to sort out the confusion? Her marrying Culver ?

15. How was Culver meant to be an image of J.J. when he was young? His work, standing up for his rights, his confronting J.J. about his transfer? The build-up to the big fight? What did he prove by the fight?

16. Why was so much of the film devoted to the fight? The reaction? The whole town? The comedy detail in portraying all the different people going to watch the fight? The point of the fight? Culver allowing J.J. to think he had won?

17. What points were made about the American way of life and attitudes? How universal were these points? The variety of personalities, conscience questions? Family life, the generation gap?