''Pray for the Wildcats'' is a 1974 American

made-for-television A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...

thriller film Thriller film, also known as suspense film or suspense thriller, is a broad film genre that evokes excitement and suspense in the audience. The suspense element found in most films' plots is particularly exploited by the filmmaker in this genre ...

about a

psychopathic Psychopathy, sometimes considered synonymous with sociopathy, is characterized by persistent antisocial behavior, impaired empathy and remorse, and bold, disinhibited, and egotistical traits. Different conceptions of psychopathy have been ...

business executive chasing his workers on

dirtbikes The six main types of motorcycles are generally recognized as ''standard'', ''cruiser'', ''touring'', ''sports'', ''off-road'', and ''dual-purpose''. ''Sport touring'' is sometimes recognized as a seventh category or integrated with the ''touring' ...

through the desert after he killed a young man. The film was directed by

Robert Michael Lewis The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...

and starred

William Shatner William Shatner (born March 22, 1931) is a Canadian actor. In a career spanning seven decades, he is best known for his portrayal of James T. Kirk in the ''Star Trek'' franchise, from his 1965 debut as the captain of the starship USS Enterpri ...

and

Andy Griffith Andy Samuel Griffith (June 1, 1926 – July 3, 2012) was an American actor, comedian, television producer, southern gospel singer and writer whose career spanned seven decades in music and television. Known for his Southern drawl, his characte ...

Robert Reed Robert Reed (born John Robert Rietz Jr.; October 19, 1932 – May 12, 1992) was an American actor. He played Kenneth Preston on the legal drama '' The Defenders'' from 1961 to 1965 alongside E. G. Marshall, and is best known for his role as the ...

Marjoe Gortner Hugh Marjoe Ross Gortner (born January 14, 1944) is a former Evangelism, evangelist preacher and actor. He first gained public attention during the late 1940s when his parents arranged for him to be Ordination, ordained as a preacher at age four ...

Angie Dickinson Angeline Dickinson (née Brown; born September 30, 1931) is an American actress. She began her career on television, appearing in many anthology series during the 1950s, before gaining her breakthrough role in ''Gun the Man Down'' (1956) wit ...

, and

Lorraine Gary Lorraine Gottfried (born August 16, 1937), better known by her stage name Lorraine Gary, is a retired American actress, best known for her role as Ellen Brody in the ''Jaws'' film series. She also appeared in '' 1941'' and ''Car Wash''. Early li ...

. It originally aired as an ''

ABC Movie of the Week ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

'' on January 23, 1974. The film has since gained a

cult following A cult following refers to a group of fans who are highly dedicated to some person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The lattermost is often called a cult classic. ...

, especially due to Griffith's against-type performance as the sadistic villain, a drastic departure following his long run on ''

The Andy Griffith Show ''The Andy Griffith Show '' is an American situation comedy television series that aired on CBS from October 3, 1960, to April 1, 1968, with a total of 249 half-hour episodes spanning eight seasons—159 in black and white and 90 in color. The ...

''. The film would lead Griffith to pursue more villainous roles over the next few years.

Plot summary

Sam Farragut is a

sociopathic Psychopathy, sometimes considered synonymous with sociopathy, is characterized by persistent antisocial behavior, impaired empathy and remorse, and bold, disinhibited, and egotistical traits. Different conceptions of psychopathy have been u ...

business executive in

Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most po ...

who forces a team of

advertising agency An advertising agency, often referred to as a creative agency or an ad agency, is a business dedicated to creating, planning, and handling advertising and sometimes other forms of promotion and marketing for its clients. An ad agency is generally ...

employees, Warren Summerfield, Paul McIlvain, and Terry Maxon to embark on a dangerous

dirtbike The six main types of motorcycles are generally recognized as ''standard'', ''cruiser'', ''touring'', ''sports'', ''off-road'', and ''dual-purpose''. ''Sport touring'' is sometimes recognized as a seventh category or integrated with the ''touring' ...

trip to the

Baja California Baja California (; 'Lower California'), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California), is a state in Mexico. It is the northernmost and westernmost of the 32 federal entities of Mex ...

desert A desert is a barren area of landscape where little precipitation occurs and, consequently, living conditions are hostile for plant and animal life. The lack of vegetation exposes the unprotected surface of the ground to denudation. About on ...

in order to compete for his business. Warren Summerfield is a

suicidal Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and subs ...

middle-aged ad executive who has been fired from the agency; the straightlaced Paul McIlvain is inattentive to his wife, and brash art designer, Maxon, feels suddenly trapped after his girlfriend announces she is pregnant. There are numerous long sequences of motorcycle riding on

backroads. Summerfield has been having an affair with McIlvian's wife. He has not told his wife that he was fired and is simply serving out his tenure at the agency while looking for a new position. His wife is actually aware of the affair. Farragut convinces the ad men to make the motorcycle journey on the pretext of looking for a location to shoot a commercial. In reality, Farragut is reckless and looking to involve the men in a spontaneous edgy adventure of his own manipulation. After they leave, McIlvain's wife suspects that Summerfield is planning to kill himself for the

insurance Insurance is a means of protection from financial loss in which, in exchange for a fee, a party agrees to compensate another party in the event of a certain loss, damage, or injury. It is a form of risk management, primarily used to hedge ...

money, but she cannot convince Summerfield's wife to instigate a search. The four men travel deeper into

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

on isolated dirt roads. At one point Summerfield contemplates plunging off a cliff. After being humiliated by a young American couple in a Baja bar, Farragut tracks them down on the beach while accompanied by Maxon. He tries to offer the young man one hundred dollars in order to sleep with his girlfriend, claiming he is a "

hippie A hippie, also spelled hippy, especially in British English, is someone associated with the counterculture of the 1960s, originally a youth movement that began in the United States during the mid-1960s and spread to different countries around ...

with money." Although rebuffed, he persists and is soon fought by the young man. Although the young man appears to be winning the fight, Farragut seizes an

axe An axe ( sometimes ax in American English; see spelling differences) is an implement that has been used for millennia to shape, split and cut wood, to harvest timber, as a weapon, and as a ceremonial or heraldic symbol. The axe has many for ...

and destroys the

radiator Radiators are heat exchangers used to transfer thermal energy from one medium to another for the purpose of cooling and heating. The majority of radiators are constructed to function in cars, buildings, and electronics. A radiator is always a ...

of the couple's car. After returning to the others, Farragut and Maxon don't inform them of the incident. They are later confronted by the

Mexican Mexican may refer to: Mexico and its culture *Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America ** People *** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants *** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...

police The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and t ...

who tell them that the young man died trying to hike to safety and that the girl may die as well. Overnight in the town, Summerfield discovers the truth and tries to convince Maxon and McIlvain to help him turn Farragut in to the police. Maxon, manipulated by Farragut's promise of a promotion in the company, refuses to even admit the truth about Sam's actions, while the conflicted McIlvain resists out of prudency. The next morning, Farragut and Maxon leave on their own for the airport to fly home. They are pursued by Summerfield, who catches up to them. Maxon returns to the town, while Summerfield confronts Farragut, and says he plans to turn Sam into the authorities. Sam, in turn, reveals he knows about Summerfield's firing, life insurance policy, and his plans to commit suicide. When he is unable to either shame or manipulate Summerfield into changing his mind, Farragut pursues Summerfield across the desert in a motorcycle chase, intending to kill him. As Farragut chases Summerfield along a high cliff, Summerfield ditches his bike while Farragut loses control and plunges over the cliff to his fiery death. The three ad men return to the U.S. with Farragut's remains. McIlvain's wife informs him she wants a

divorce Divorce (also known as dissolution of marriage) is the process of terminating a marriage or marital union. Divorce usually entails the canceling or reorganizing of the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage, thus dissolving the ...

. Maxon's girlfriend tells him she is no longer pregnant, implying she has had an

abortion Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. An abortion that occurs without intervention is known as a miscarriage or "spontaneous abortion"; these occur in approximately 30% to 40% of pregn ...

. Summerfield, with a new lease on life, is greeted warmly by his wife. McIlavin, knowing the truth about Summerfield's firing, offers to help him get his job back, but Summerfield refuses. Recognizing McIlavin's compliancy and cowardice, Summerfield lets McIlavin know that no matter how different things may be in the future, Men like them are always going to have to deal with, as Summerfield puts it, the "Sam Farraguts of the world" and what they represent.

Cast

as Sam Farragut *

as Warren Summerfield *

as Paul McIlvain *

as Terry Maxon *

as Nancy McIlvain *

Janet Margolin Janet Natalie Margolin (July 25, 1943 – December 17, 1993) was an American theater, television and film actress. Early life Margolin was born in New York City, the daughter of Benjamin and Annette (née Lief) Margolin. Her father was a Russi ...

as Krissie Kincaid *

as Lila Summerfield *

John Barbour John Barbour may refer to: * John Barbour (poet) (1316–1395), Scottish poet * John Barbour (MP for New Shoreham), MP for New Shoreham 1368-1382 * John Barbour (footballer) (1890–1916), Scottish footballer * John S. Barbour (1790–1855), U. ...

as Howard Norlan * Robert Burton as Michael (as Skip Burton) * Marilyn Hearn as Loris *

William Wintersole William Wintersole (July 30, 1931 – November 5, 2019) was an American actor who appeared on ''The Young and the Restless'' for over 20 years as Mitchell Sherman, as well as on '' General Hospital'' as Ted Ballantine. A character actor, Winters ...

as Mr. Perrins * Paul Kent as Dr. Harris *

John Brascia John F. Brascia (May 11, 1932 – February 19, 2013) was an American actor and dancer, best known for his dancing partnerships on film with Vera-Ellen in '' White Christmas'' (1954) and with Cyd Charisse and Liliane Montevecchi in ''Meet Me in ...

as Captain Guiterrez

Production

It was mainly shot in the

desert, although the

town scenes were shot on location at

Old Tucson Old Tucson (formerly Old Tucson Studios) is an American movie studio and theme park just west of Tucson, Arizona, adjacent to the Tucson Mountains and close to the western portion of Saguaro National Park. Built in 1939 for the movie ''Arizona'' ...

Home media

The film was released in 1987 on video by

Republic Pictures Home Video A republic () is a "state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state without a monarchy" and also a "government, or system of government, of such a state." Previously, especially in the 17th and 18th c ...

. Its running time is 100 minutes. The film was released on DVD as part of a set called "Movies for the Man Cave 4." It is also available on a four-movie compilation DVD called, "Andy Griffith Collection: America's Favorite Actor."

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Pray For The Wildcats 1974 television films 1974 films ABC Movie of the Week 1970s thriller films American thriller films Films set in Mexico Films shot in Tucson, Arizona Motorcycling films Films directed by Robert Michael Lewis 1970s American films