I hadn't seen this since it was first out in theaters, so all I remembered was that it was very good indeed! Well, that, and the beautiful Pacific Northwest and Farnsworth's charm. It was released by Video Treasures in '88; it's interesting that this same VHS edition is still apparently the only video available, and I don't recall seeing it in the TV listings, though it may well have been aired. Anyway, I got a good deal on a slightly used copy on eBay and settled in to view it. For a nearly 30-year- old VHS tape this copy has held up well and is watchable, despite the fact that the nice folks at Video Treasures were a bit too thrifty with tape and put it out at LP speed-- very unusual, and completely baffling to our more advanced VCR. In fact we couldn't get a picture at all until we switched to an older unit that could resolve the tracking. The visual quality isn't too bad, considering (at least on a small screen)-- though let me add my voice to the chorus of DVD voters. Also the original festival runtime of 110 minutes has been whittled down to a stated 92, and without the leader, FBI warning and tracking frame it's even less. So what are we missing?I wouldn't really call this a Western, since the Far West was never quite like the Old West; the picture is just set in old times away from the big cities. No one wears a cowboy hat. You'll find no cheap thrills, no gratuitous gore or gross-outs, no glamorization of Miner's career. The robberies aren't shown as lighthearted capers, just realistically uncomfortable --and sometimes unsuccessful-- crimes, committed with the aid of a couple of pathetic losers the Gentleman Bandit managed to recruit. The man had a degree of charm and persuasion that made him a folk hero, and Farnsworth is so likable in the role that one can readily understand Miner's popularity. While he was no altruistic Robin Hood (in fact he was a definite sociopath, and his handwriting reveals an extreme degree of narcissism), later in his career he gained much of his popularity through having robbed wealthy companies that were perceived as themselves robbing the public. In 1992 a book about him came out: "The Grey Fox: the True Story of Bill Miner, Last of the Old Time Bandits" by Boessenecker and Dugan. It's always nice to get the documented facts, and this supplies plenty. One prominent fact is that Miner was bisexual. For a man who spent half his life in prison it was pretty much a necessity to be with men while inside; he seems to have mostly kept to women when out. Probably any film treatment nowadays would include some of this to portray him more accurately, but "The Grey Fox" only focuses on his doings after his final release from San Quentin (almost 20 years for this stretch; he'd been in before). He did in fact escape from the Canadian prison-- a few days after convincing the deputy warden's daughter that he sincerely regretted his past acts and was content to end his days in prison, as a humble penitent. No romance was ever suggested here, but it definitely demonstrates his colossal nerve and ability to feign sincerity. He did live it up on his booty, and it was in Denver that he had what appears to be his last romance with a lady-- Bill was a charmer at any age! And he never changed his ways, so once the money ran out he got into fresh trouble, this time in the South, where in 1911 he received his final conviction. It somewhat spoils the fun of the movie's ending to learn that Miner, still well-liked, died in a Georgia prison in 1913 after two escapes and recaptures. Perhaps most of us are better off not knowing about that...

In the early 1900s, former stagecoach robber Bill Miner is released from San Quentin prison after 33 years and goes to live with his sister in Washington state; having no interest in manual labor, the now-elderly Miner turns to robbing the Northern Pacific Railroad. Critically-lauded historical drama from Zoetrope and United Artists Classics played the art-house circuit in 1983 and has slowly garnered a sterling reputation. Documentary filmmaker Phillip Borsos has directed the picture intelligently but not fluidly--or perhaps it's the editing or John Hunter's screenplay that leaves the narrative seeming like a connect-the-dots job. The film doesn't sweep the audience up or give it a rush; the train robbery sequences themselves are the weakest sections of the movie. Many of the supporting actors are ill-cast, not looking or sounding like boom town residents of the period, while a relationship between Miner and a lady suffragette doesn't have the blooming quality needed to flesh out the central character (why is he drawn specifically to her as opposed to the other women in town?). Borsos' work is careful and sensitive without being plodding (a plus); yet, aside from the handsome cinematography, the only reason to see the film is Richard Farnsworth as Miner. Farnsworth, who worked for years in Hollywood as a stuntman and supporting actor, finally got a starring role here, and he doesn't disappoint. Farnsworth doesn't turn Miner into a wily eccentric, as some might expect, with high-flown talk or eyes ablaze; instead, he's a confident and deep-thinking gentleman bandit who speaks in polite, even tones, his measured responses precise (when he talks--you listen, because you know he doesn't waste his words). Farnsworth also manages to show heart and depth in his wordless close-ups, so full-bodied is his performance, and it's a pleasure reading the thoughts in his weathered face. ** from ****

A very different kind of Western, "The Grey Fox" is set mostly in Canada, moves at an unhurried pace, and stars a senior citizen. Richard Farnsworth didn't make the jump from stunt man to actor until he was well past leading man age, but he was wonderful in films like "The Natural", "Misery", and "The Straight Story". This, however, has to be his best performance. He exudes subtle grace as gentleman train robber Bill Miner, who gets out of prison and is forced to adapt to a world that has passed him by. There's also a very sweet romance between Miner and a feminist photographer. My favorite part of the film is a montage of their courtship set to Miner singing "Betsy From Pike". I also loved the Irish music by the Chieftains, which seemed to fit perfectly with the lovely Canadian scenery. It will be too slow for most audiences, but if you love small independent films that don't pander to teenage moviegoers, this gem will be right up your alley.

No soap-opera writing. No clothes-tearing, overblown, wa-a-ay-too-dramatic acting. No smart-mouthed kids. No adam sandler. No *Pop Personalities*. No *SPECIAL EFFECTS*. No ad placement. No pre-digested, pre-ordained, pre-viewed politically-correct plot that everyone has seen at least 1000 times.Grey Fox has much more than anyone expects to see in modern movies. Unknown actors (who REALLY KNOW how to act); spectacular photography; a REAL story line about REAL people.You will be excited, hopeful, sad. You will weep. What more would you want in a motion picture?