Customer Reviews

The Ballad of Andy Crocker [VHS]

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Majors, shortly after the success of his supporting role in Tom Gries, Will Penny(1968)with Charleton Heston, starred in this made for tv movie about a decorated Vietnam veteran who comes home to less than hero's welcome. Majors plays the lead (Andy Crocker), seriously and with conviction; supporting cast, Pat Hingle, Jimmy Dean, and Joey Heatherton are also quite good. Like "Friendly Fire" (1978), a made for tv movie that won several Emmys and made its debut several years later, The Ballad of Andy Crocker is a film that really should be just as memorable. Incidentally, this was an Aaron Spelling pilot for a series that never actually materialized. Too bad, it would have made for an interesting series.

Unlike the spate of "crazed" Vietnam Vet films that would follow for the next decade a la "Deer Hunter," "First Blood" and the "Rambo" series, this film seriously tries to depict the problems of readjustment to civilian life many vets faced back in the States. Andy finds that his fiance has left him to marry another man, his business partner (Dean), has cheated him, and his father and mother notably estranged from him. In short, the film's ending packs a wallop and is a real testament to the trials and misfortunes so many Vietnam vets faced in their readjustment after the Vietnam War.

I saw this movie as a teenager. As a long time fan of Lee Majors, I enjoyed this. There's a wry and winsome "ballad" sang in pieces throughout the movie. There's a great action scene with Lee Majors racing down the road on a motorcycle while being pursued by local cops. The beautiful Joey Heatherton stars as his former sweetheart. There's some action and drama--particulary between Lee Majors and his dad [Pat Hingle]and with his old partner [Jimmmy Dean]. This story exemplifies the fact that you never can go home. A good movie.

"The Ballad of Andy Crocker" is a TV movie made when the American public had turned against the Vietnam War and begun to focus its frustration on returning veterans. Almost all young male stars of the era, luminaries such as Robert De Niro, John Voight, Bruce Dern, Dennis Hopper and Martin Sheen, were constantly cast as deeply troubled, highly troublesome Vietnam returnees. Veterans of the unpopular war suddenly became the only minority that Hollywood could safely bash and the studios went about it with a vengeance. One can easily compare contemporary cinematic depictions of Vietnam-era American veterans with Hollywood's monolithic, often blatantly racist portrayals of German and Japanese soldiers during World War II. Unlike the slew of derogatory movies however, "Andy Crocker" brings us Lee Majors in the title role of a young veteran whose main problem isn't post-traumatic stress, drug addiction or a total disregard for the value of human life but the challenge of adjusting to a society which has changed radically during his war service. In San Francisco he clashes with arrogant, self-righteous hippies, swipes one of their motorcycles and runs for the tranquility of the hinterlands, only to discover that those he left behind and their view of what he's perceived to have become are not at all what he anticipated. The cast is made up of memorable veteran actors Agnes Moorehead, Pat Hingle and Jill Haworth, and and newcomers like singers Jimmy Dean, Marvin Gaye and Bobby Hatfield, plus the sultry Joey Heatherton, all of whom do marvelous jobs in their roles of individuals of various types caught up in a simmering undercurrent of social upheaval. This is an extremely low budget film though, and unfortunately it hasn't been remastered; the kinescoped DVD version is no less jumpy and fuzzy than a homegrown VHS capture. Nevertheless "The Ballad of Andy Crocker" is a relevant, highly entertaining drama which offers a rare and realistic insight into life during a significant era in the history of the United States. It's just too bad the story couldn't have been made into a big budget feature film rewritten and directed by Oliver "Born on the Fourth of July" Stone a few years later.

Majors, shortly after the success of his supporting role in Tom Gries, Will Penny(1968)with Charleton Heston, starred in this made for tv movie about a decorated Vietnam veteran who comes home to less than hero's welcome. Majors plays the lead (Andy Crocker), seriously and with conviction; supporting cast, Pat Hingle, Jimmy Dean, and Joey Heatherton are also quite good. Like "Friendly Fire" (1978), a made for tv movie that won several Emmys and made its debut several years later, The Ballad of Andy Crocker is a film that really should be just as memorable. Incidentally, this was a Aaron Spelling pilot for a series that never materialized.

Unlike the spate of "crazed" Vietnam Vet films that would follow for the next decade a la "Deer Hunter," "First Blood" and the "Rambo" series, this film seriously tries to depict the problems of readjustment to civilian life many vets faced back in the States. Andy finds that his fiance has left him to marry another man, his business partner (Dean), has cheated him, and his father and mother notably estranged from him. In short, the film's ending packs a wallop and is a real testament to the trials and misfortunes so many Vietnam vets faced in their readjustment after the Vietnam War.

The Ballad of Andy Crocker is a descent movie by far, but this DVD is a public domain print--by far the worse print I have ever came across on DVD/VHS.

Seminal Vietnam-vet-returns-home flick in the form of a TV movie. Low-budgeted, a bit rickety and soapy but sensitive and stark. Lee Majors [of TV series fame: Six Million Dollar Man, 1973; The Big Valley, 1965; The Virginian, 1970], plays the naive war-hero vet who returns to his hometown of Who Cares, USA. The wooden, almost boyish Majors was perfect for this role. The homeboy returns to find that his ex-girlfriend is now married and his business partner has neglected the biz [a beloved motorcycle repair shop] and left it a mess. It is apparent that people just went on with their lives in his absence. Hey, life goes on, buddy. And old friends don't come through. He is uninformed, objectified and deceived. He goes to Nam and is spit back an anachronistic misfit. Has a brief, unwitting encounter with the drug culture in California then with the changing times & mores back home. Lots of interesting supports, including Joey Heatherton, whose ripe sensuality made every male in the 60's dodge the draft, as his ex-gal; Jimmy Dean [yes, of Jimmy Dean sausage and Billboard #1 pop hit Big Bad John, 1961, fame], in an excellent performance, as his perturbingly loud, avaricious and conniving partner; veteran character actor Pat Hingle [kick-butt as the Judge in HANG 'EM HIGH, 1968], in another excellent performance, plays the vet's staunch dad; the great supporting actress Agnes Moorehead [TV series Bewitched, 1964, and a memorable villain with Bogey in the awesome noir DARK PASSAGE, 1947], plays Joey's rich mom---and wants the vet to get lost; Bobby Hatfield, of 60's iconic pop music group The Righteous Brothers [remember the classic ballad Unchained Melody from GHOST,1990], plays an old friend who can't help; and even hall-of-fame Motown great Marvin Gaye as his Nam pal. Peter Haskell, a vastly underappreciated character actor in many a 70's TV movie [a great psychotic stalker in LOVE HATE LOVE, 1971], has a neat cameo as the leader of a band of drug-using hippies who ridicules the war hero. The poorly educated vet tries to resurrect his dying biz and even get his girl back. In the meantime, dad wants him to face up, abandon seemingly hopeless pursuits and spurious friends, and get a 'real' job. When Dean sells the business without his approval, the vet angrily assaults his partner and now has to run from the law. Goes back to army pal Gaye, who is married, but he seems to be an inconvenience to his pal's spouse. Winds up back where he feels most comfortable ---sitting on the stoops of a US Army recruitment center one lonely night. Simple but important and relevant period piece. Soft country-rock soundtrack [this at the dawn of the 70's soft country-rock boom], with wry lyrics a nice accompaniment. Interesting that Heatherton was a Bob Hope USO tour participant for our Nam troops---great lady. As for the DVD itself, I purchased the Miracle Pictures one. Don't expect much, it's a bit grainy and a bit fuzzy with no extras but overall an acceptable watchable transfer. I just thank them for making this personally long-remembered little TV movie available.

It's hard to get ripped off on a purchase under $10, but this one did it. the movie was fine but the DVD quality was horrible. At least the original recording was horrible. This movie should never have been distributed on DVD without restoration of the original.

The movie was just too disjointed. It did not flow at all. Lee Majors was good enough in the role but he wasn't given much to work with. Definite feel of a low budget TV movie.

In this 1969 film during the Vietnam anti-war movement,Lee Majors stars as a war hero just out of the service but treated by many with contempt due to the unpopularity of that war.This is probably Lee Majors best acting role ever.The movie also stars Marvin Gaye, Jimmy Dean and Joey Heatherton.It's a must see movie!!

This was a good made for TV movie back in '69 when the war was still hot. Seems a little dated now but I guess we all are if you were there. What ruined it for me was the LOUSEY film to DVD transfer! The best scene was at the end with Crocker (Majors) sitting on the curb waiting for the recruting office to open...