Scalphunters

Sydney Pollack directs this amiable comic Western in which fur trapper Joe Bass (Burt Lancaster) is returning from a successful expedition only to find himself ambushed by a small group of Indians. The Indians force Joe to trade his pelts for Joseph, an educated runaway slave, played brilliantly by Ossie Davis. The two then set off in an uneasy alliance in pursuit of Bass's pelts. The ironic narrative gets turned around again when the Indians are themselves ambushed by a gang of scalphunters. This band of outlaws, led by Jim Howie (Telly Savalas), once again takes Bass's pelts, after murdering the entire tribe. Joe and Joseph then embark on a mission to retrieve Bass's furs from Howie and his vicious sidekicks. Any potential racial antagonism and interdependence issues are handled deftly by William Norton's screenplay. The solid comedic ensemble includes a raucous turn by Shelley Winters as Kate.