I caught this film on Encore Westerns, it's title left off 'The Last of the Wild Bunch' part. Technically, that's not correct, since Tracy met his end in 1902 and the Bolivian ambush of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid occurred in 1908. I guess the film makers were looking for a hook and that sounded plausible enough for anyone not bothered to investigate it's accuracy.Bruce Dern is one of those character actors I've come to appreciate in the company of guys like Warren Oates and Dennis Hopper. They always gave an outstanding performance, are often better as outlaws instead of good guys, and sometimes even found themselves cast as the principal character instead of a supporting one. Dern fills the bill on all three counts here in this tale of a twentieth century desperado who lives on his own terms and consequently, dies that way too.The bigger surprise in the film of course, is the role of lawman Morrie Nathan portrayed by Canadian Gordon Lightfoot. I'll have to add his name to my list of well known singers I would have lost a bet on who appeared in a Western, right up there with Bobby Darin ("Gunfight in Abilene"), and more recently, David Bowie ("Il Mio West"). Lightfoot's role in the story isn't a big one, and he did have to suffer an ignominious fall into a latrine. You may wonder how that could possibly happen but for that, you'll have to catch the flick.If you do a quick internet search on the real life outlaw Harry Tracy, you won't discover much, but what you will find pretty much corroborates the story here of how Tracy fell out with his partner David Merrill (Michael C. Gwynne) and met death by his own hand with a sheriff's posse closing in. I didn't think about it while watching, but that's what might have happened with Butch and Sundance as well if you go with the revisionist history of his contemporaries. But that's another story.Oddly enough, Harry Tracy was also the subject of an ancient TV episode from 'Stories of the Century' aired in 1954. That show included elements from this movie, among them the train hijacking, the fallout with Dave Merrill, and the suicide. A love interest for the outlaw doesn't show up in that story or the meager written history, so the inclusion of Catherine Tuttle (Helen Shaver) in the picture was probably brought in to add a touch of humanity to Tracy's character.

I taped this movie from HBO around 1983-85, and I'm sure that I watched the VHS tape 20 times before putting it away. I'm finally copying it to a DVD and watching it for the first time in many years.Bruce Dern never was a handsome guy, but he's a great character actor, and I loved him in this movie. Above all things, it shows that most people are not all good or all bad. In spite of his questionable career choice, Harry Tracy was a fair man.There's nothing I don't like about the acting, cinematography, and the endearing tale of Harry Tracy and the woman he loved. I highly recommend it if it's still available.I'll sign off as Harry Tracy would: "Make a wish."

1900. Wily train robber and desperado Harry Tracy (a superb performance by Bruce Dern) has outlived his era. Harry gets arrested, but manages to break out of prison. He goes on the lam with sweet, loyal gal pal Catherine Tuttle (well played by a luminous Helen Shaver) in tow and becomes the target of the largest manhunt in North American history. Director William A. Graham, working from a smart and literate script by David Lee Henry and R. Lance Hill, relates the gripping story at a leisurely, yet steady pace, offers a flavorsome evocation of the period, and delivers a thoughtful and touching cinematic eulogy on the death of the Old West and the outlaws that populated it. Moreover, there's a nice line in wry humor evident throughout, with a bungled train robbery rating as the definite comic highlight. Dern effortlessly carries the film in a rare substantial lead role; he brings a sly roguish charm and amiable quality to Harry which makes the guy easy to like and root for. The supporting cast is likewise excellent, with praiseworthy contributions by Gordon Lightfoot as Harry's hard-nosed nemesis U.S. Marshal Morrie Nathan, Michael C. Gwynne as Harry's awestruck, bumbling, untrustworthy partner David Merrill, Frank C. Turner as humble homesteader Eddie Hoyt, and Fred Diehl as no-count Governor Raymond Millhouse. Harry's romance with Catherine and the couple's encounters with several honest hard-working folks are extremely warm and moving. Harry's final face-off with a huge posse is also poignant and exciting. Both Allen Daviau's picturesque cinematography and the harmonic score by Micky Ebbe and Maribeth Solomon are up to speed. A neat and satisfying little sleeper.

This film was filmed mostly on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. The scenery is beautiful. Bruce Dern plays Harry Tracy - the last great outlaw. It is 1900, and not only has he survived all other famous outlaws, but has a restless, free spirit and charm. Dern Tracy's could have been a Buddhist guru, because he doesn't seem to care about whether he lives or dies. Money is amusing, but not everything. He continues to rob banks, meeting people along the way. His nemesis is a federal Marshal from Utah played by Gordon Lightfoot. Lightfoot seems to fit into the role in a quirky way. He is understated. He doesn't say much, but seems to have one quality to his benefit - persistence, at all cost, to get Harry Tracy. Another character is a painter, who believes that he can be an outlaw. He is an incompetent outlaw, and because of this develops extreme jealously and contempt for Tracy. Lastly, there is the society woman, the daughter of the judge assigned to getting Tracy, who falls for Tracy's charm. This movie was quite good. I especially like the scenes of Portland and the prison. You really believed that the film captured to the most minute detail what Oregon looked like in 1900. I also like that Tracy was obsessed was his image and reputation with the public. It was as if he could sense that in only 10-15 years, Hollywood would start making films about outlaws like himself.