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The Gauntlet

Play trailer Poster for The Gauntlet R 1977 1h 49m Crime Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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75% Tomatometer 28 Reviews 54% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
A cop who has seen better days, hard-living Ben Shockley (Clint Eastwood) is recruited to escort Augustina "Gus" Mally (Sondra Locke), a key witness in a mob trial, from Las Vegas to Phoenix. Gus is a beautiful but coarse call-girl who claims to have information that makes the two highly expendable targets. Ben starts to believe her after numerous attempts are made to kill them as they travel across the unforgiving desert, pursued by angry bikers and corrupt police officers.
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The Gauntlet

The Gauntlet

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Critics Consensus

Eastwood has a good time playing a dolt in the surprisingly funny The Gauntlet, which otherwise has the typical Clint trappings.

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Critics Reviews

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Kat Sachs Chicago Reader Aug 15
Here one finds Eastwood interrogating the institution just as much as he’s seemingly upholding it by being committed to his onetime ideals of law enforcement. Go to Full Review Dave Kehr Chicago Reader 08/05/2020
The subject is the redemption of the pop hero, and Eastwood accomplishes his purgation with wit, intelligence, and a complete disregard for the prevailing standards of realism. Go to Full Review Gary Arnold Washington Post 05/09/2018
Vicious and hypocritical as it is, "The Gauntlet" remains an entertaining sort of disreputable show, considerably more proficient and interesting than junk melodramas in a dogged vein... Go to Full Review Eddie Harrison film-authority.com 09/05/2023
4/5
…while not quite as thunderously epic as that poster suggests, The Gauntlet is some peak Eastwood machismo, all the better because it sets the star against a smart, angry female character… Go to Full Review Alan Jones Radio Times 08/05/2020
3/5
Eastwood... blurs the line between law enforcement and the way the Mob conducts its business to provide extra food for thought in a compelling and well-paced tale. Go to Full Review Kaspars Dzeguze Maclean's Magazine 08/05/2020
There's too little action to let Eastwood show himself to advantage as the fine, stylized screen fighter he is. Instead, there's talk and psychology, which he can handle only by gritting his teeth. Go to Full Review Read all reviews
The Gauntlet

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Cast & Crew

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Clint Eastwood

Director

Clint Eastwood

Ben Shockley

Sondra Locke

Gus Mally

Pat Hingle

Josephson

William Prince

Blakelock

Bill McKinney

Constable

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The Gauntlet

The Gauntlet (1977) The Gauntlet (1977) Poster Art The Gauntlet (1977) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis A cop who has seen better days, hard-living Ben Shockley (Clint Eastwood) is recruited to escort Augustina "Gus" Mally (Sondra Locke), a key witness in a mob trial, from Las Vegas to Phoenix. Gus is a beautiful but coarse call-girl who claims to have information that makes the two highly expendable targets. Ben starts to believe her after numerous attempts are made to kill them as they travel across the unforgiving desert, pursued by angry bikers and corrupt police officers.
Director
Clint Eastwood
Producer
Robert Daley
Screenwriter
Michael Butler, Dennis Shryack
Production Co
Warner Bros., Malpaso Company
Rating
R
Genre
Crime, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 1, 2009
Runtime
1h 49m