Southern Comfort (1981)

Director:

Walter Hill

Writers:

Michael Kane (written by) and
Walter Hill (written by) ...
(more)

Release Date:

22 January 1982 (Finland)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller | War

Tagline:

The bayou has its own law... and they just broke it.

Plot:

A squad of National Guards on an isolated weekend exercise in the Louisiana swamp must fight for their...

Plot Keywords:

Cajun | Swamp | National Guard | Louisiana | Blank Bullet

Cast

Keith Carradine	...	Pfc. Spencer
Powers Boothe	...	Cpl. Charles Hardin
Fred Ward	...	Cpl. Lonnie Reece
Franklyn Seales	...	Pfc. Simms
T.K. Carter	...	Pfc. Tyrone Cribbs
Lewis Smith	...	Pfc. Stuckey
Les Lannom	...	Sgt. Casper
Peter Coyote	...	Staff Sgt. Crawford Poole
Alan Autry	...	Cpl. 'Coach' Bowden (as Carlos Brown)
Brion James	...	Cajun Trapper
Sonny Landham	...	Hunter
Allan Graf	...	Hunter
Ned Dowd	...	Hunter
Rob Ryder	...	Hunter
Greg Guirard	...	Cajun Couple
June Borel	...	Cajun Couple
Jeanne-Louise Bulliard	...	Cajun Dancer
Orel Borel	...	Cajun Dancer
Jeannie Spector	...	Cajun Dancer
Marc Savoy	...	Cajun Musician
Frank Savoy	...	Cajun Musician
Dewey Balfa	...	Cajun Musician
John Stelly	...	Cajun Musician

Directed by
Walter Hill

Writing credits
Michael Kane		(written by) and
Walter Hill		(written by) &
David Giler		(written by)

Produced by
David Giler	....	producer
William J. Immerman	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Ry Cooder

Cinematography by
Andrew Laszlo

Film Editing by
Freeman A. Davies		(as Freeman Davies)

Casting by
Judith Holstra

Production Design by
John Vallone

Set Decoration by
Robert Gould

Makeup Department
Michael Germain	....	makeup artist
Dagmar Loesch	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Gene Levy	....	unit production manager
Venetia Stevenson	....	executive in charge of production

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Pat Kehoe	....	first assistant director
Bob Roe	....	second assistant director (as Robert Roe)

Art Department
Gus Basso	....	greensman
Francis N. 'Lucky' Costello	....	painter
Bruce E. Kasson	....	property department
Johnny Lattanzio	....	paint foreman
Steve Lombardi	....	property master
Craig Raiche	....	property department

Sound Department
Glenn E. Anderson	....	production sound
Gordon Ecker	....	supervising sound editor (as Gordon Ecker Jr.)
Cameron Frankley	....	sound editor
Walter A. Gest	....	sound re-recordist
Stan Gilbert	....	dialogue editor
Randy Kelley	....	sound editor (as Randy Kelly)
Rick Kline	....	sound re-recording mixer
Donald O. Mitchell	....	sound re-recording mixer
Bob Newlan	....	assistant sound editor
Bill Nicholson	....	sound re-recording mixer
Tony Romero	....	production sound
Wylie Stateman	....	sound editor
James Utterback	....	production sound
John Duffy	....	sound editor (uncredited)
John Roesch	....	foley artist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Lawrence J. Cavanaugh	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Howard A. Anderson	....	optical effects

Stunts
Gregg Brazzel	....	stunts
Bennie E. Dobbins	....	stunt coordinator
Melvin Jones	....	stunts
Max Kleven	....	stunts
Conrad E. Palmisano	....	stunts
Rock A. Walker	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Jay Davis	....	grip
James Etheridge	....	camera operator
Lynn Lockwood	....	assistant camera
John London	....	grip
Ross A. Maehl	....	gaffer
Tom May	....	grip
Richard Craig Meinardus	....	assistant camera
Richard Montagne	....	assistant camera
Neil Roach	....	camera operator
James Zenk	....	still photographer
Kyle T. MacDowell	....	electrician (uncredited)

Casting Department
Bea Lindzon	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Tom Bronson	....	costume supervisor
Dan Moore	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Lisa Zeno Churgin	....	first assistant editor
Carmel Davies	....	assistant editor
Teri E. Dorman	....	assistant editor
Jack Hooper	....	negative cutter
Jim Schurmann	....	color timer
David Orr	....	color timer (uncredited)

Music Department
Ry Cooder	....	musician: guitar
Jim Dickinson	....	musician: keyboards
Jim Henrikson	....	music editor
Milt Holland	....	musician: percussion
Kazu Matsui	....	musical consultant
Marc Savoy	....	musical consultant
Allen Sides	....	music mixer
Mark Ettel	....	score engineer (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Ronnie Baker	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Judy Bernardoni	....	production accountant
Jerry Chinn	....	craft service
Rob Corn	....	production assistant
Lori Covel	....	assistant: Mr. Giler
Lyla Foggia	....	unit publicist
Mary F. Galloway	....	location manager
Greg Guirard	....	technical advisor
John Markanton	....	technical advisor
Mary Meacham	....	title designer
Harriet Monroe	....	location secretary
Mary Ann Newfield	....	script supervisor
Florian Schereck	....	accounting assistant
Leigh Webb	....	first aid
Mae Woods	....	assistant: Mr. Hill
Lisbeth Wynn-Owen	....	production coordinator

Production Companies

• Cinema Group Ventures
• Phoenix (II) (as Phoenix Company)

Distributors

• A.M. Films (1983) (France) (theatrical)
• EMI Distribution (1981) (UK) (theatrical)
• 4 Front Video (1999) (UK) (VHS)
• Beam Entertainment (Japan) (DVD producer)
• Creative Axa Co. Ltd. (Japan) (DVD)
• Home Box Office Home Video (HBO) (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (VHS)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (video)
• Optimum Home Entertainment (2007) (UK) (DVD)
• Transformer (2001) (Japan) (DVD)
• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation
• Universal Home Entertainment (2001) (UK) (DVD)
• e-m-s the DVD-Company (2004) (Germany) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Creative Mobile Studio  production services
• Deluxe General  color
• Goldwyn Sound Facility  post-production re-recording (as Samuel Goldwyn Sound Facilities)
• Howard A. Anderson Company  optical effects
• Louisiana Film Commission  special thanks
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)  titles (as MGM Title)
• Panavision  lenses and Panaflex camera
• Southern Comfort  the title "Southern Comfort" used with the permission of

Runtime:

106 min

Country:

USA | Switzerland | UK

Language:

English | French

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Denmark:15 | Germany:16 (re-rating) (2007) | Australia:R | New Zealand:R16 | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Norway:15 (2000) | Norway:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 (video rating) | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:18

Filming Locations:

Caddo Lake, Texas, USA

Company:

Cinema Group Ventures

Trivia:

The use of the phrase 'Southern Comfort' as the title of the film, which was meant ironically, had to be cleared by the Brown-Forman Corporation, who own the rights to the phrase (they make the liqueur of the same name).

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: During the dog attack, the protective pads on the men's arms are clearly visible.

Quotes:

Simms: Why are we following this dumb bastard?
Stuckey: Because he's got stripes.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Leech Woman (#9.2)" (1997)

One of Hill's Finest.

Southern Comfort Is an excellent drama, suspense about a rag- tag group of National Guardsman who are out in the Louisiana bayous practicing maneuvers in the swamps, which is inhabited by Cajun's, All is routine Until the guardsman display their macho side to the locals, The locals Don't take too kindly to these redneck outsider's when they Appropriate some of the local's canoes, unfortunately one of the men Stupidly makes the mistake of firing 'blanks at the Cajun's Who naturally return fire, killing their Captain, The guardsman find Themselves at odds in this strange visceral, almost Vietnam like environment with their pursuers Who are relentless in stalking The 8 men who are all ill equipped, are put to the ultimate test with Their survival skills, Southern Comfort boasts a superb ensemble cast, And an equally superb Ry Cooder score which makes good use of Cajun instruments.