''Fighting Mad'' is a 1976 American

action film Action film is a film genre in which the protagonist is thrust into a series of events that typically involve violence and physical feats. The genre tends to feature a mostly resourceful hero struggling against incredible odds, which include l ...

directed by Jonathan Demme, about an

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the O ...

farmer played by Peter Fonda who uses Guerrilla tactics against

corrupt Corruption is a form of dishonesty or a criminal offense which is undertaken by a person or an organization which is entrusted in a position of authority, in order to acquire illicit benefits or abuse power for one's personal gain. Corruption m ...

land developers attempting to evict his family and his neighbors in order to stripmine their land.

Plot

An evil corporation tries to pressure a bunch of Arkansas farmers and ranchers to sell their land so they can strip-mine it for coal. The fiercely proud and stubborn Hunter family refuse to give in. This leads to a bitter conflict that results in several casualties. Eventually the take-charge no-nonsense Tom Hunter exacts a harsh revenge on the villains with the help of his bow and arrow.

Cast

* Peter Fonda as Tom Hunter *

Lynn Lowry Linda Kay "Lynn" Lowry (born October 15, 1947) is an American actress, screenwriter and producer. She is perhaps best known for her work in horror films, having appeared in the cult films '' I Drink Your Blood'' (1970), George A. Romero's '' Th ...

as Lorene Maddox *

John Doucette John Arthur Doucette (January 21, 1921 – August 16, 1994) was an American character actor who performed in more than 280 film and television productions between 1941 and 1987. A man of stocky build who possessed a deep, rich voice, he p ...

as Jeff Hunter *

Philip Carey Philip Carey (born Eugene Joseph Carey, July 15, 1925February 6, 2009) was an American actor. Early life and education On July 15, 1925, Carey was born in Hackensack, New Jersey.Harry Northup Harry E. Northup (born September 2, 1940) is an American actor and poet. As an actor, he made frequent appearances in the films of Martin Scorsese and Jonathan Demme. Personal life and career Northup was born in Amarillo, Texas. He lived in 17 p ...

as Sheriff Len Skerritt *

Noble Willingham Noble Henry Willingham, Jr. (August 31, 1931 – January 17, 2004) was an American television and film actor who appeared in more than thirty films and in many television shows, including a stint opposite Chuck Norris in ''Walker, Texas Ranger ...

as Senator Hingle * Kathleen Miller as Carolee Hunter * Scott Glenn as Charlie Hunter *

Ted Markland Ted Markland (January 15, 1933 – December 18, 2011) was an American character actor. He is best known for the role of Reno in the NBC television series ''The High Chaparral''. He had a small part in the TV Western ''Bat Masterson Barthol ...

as Hal Fraser

Production

The movie was one of four Roger Corman made for 20th Century Fox. In making the film, Corman analysed three other recent low-budget rural action thrillers that had been big hits: ''

Billy Jack ''Billy Jack'' is a 1971 American action drama independent film, the second of four films centering on a character of the same name which began with the movie ''The Born Losers'' (1967), played by Tom Laughlin, who directed and co-wrote the scri ...

'' (1971), '' Walking Tall'' (1973) and '' Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry'' (1974). He deduced they had three things in common: a hero with an off-beat sidekick, an unusual mode of transport and an interesting weapon. This is why the Peter Fonda character travels on an old motorcycle with his toddler son and uses a compound bow. Corman said "It was an attempt, once more, to follow a style that you're probably familiar with now—an action picture with a certain social comment." Fonda later wrote "Like his work. Jonathan was amazing. He was so full of positive attitude, anything was possible. He never let on to any stress or pressure, and he was basically working for free."

References

External links

* * 1976 films Films directed by Jonathan Demme Films set in Arkansas 1976 action films 20th Century Fox films Films produced by Roger Corman Films scored by Bruce Langhorne 1970s English-language films American action films 1970s American films {{1970s-action-film-stub