Monte Hellman

Jack Nicholson Collection The Early Years Monte Hellman

Five early films starring Jack Nicholson. In the western 'The Shooting' (1966), Willett Gashade (Warren Oates) is an ex-bounty hunter who returns home and is met by Coley (Will Hutchins), a cowboy who has just witnessed the death of his best friend. When a mysterious woman (Millie Perkins) arrives, Gashade and Coley agree to escort her through the Utah desert but things turn nasty when a ruthless bounty hunter (Nicholson) joins the party.

In 'Ride In The Whirlwind' (1966), three desperados, Wes (Nicholson), Vern (Cameron Mitchell), and Otis (Tom Filer), become friendly with a group of outlaws who have just robbed a stagecoach led by Blind Dick (Harry Dean Stanton). But the friendship leads to trouble when a band of roughnecks out to capture the thieves assume that the innocent men participated in the crime. 'The Wild Ride' (1960) sees Nicholson in his second starring role.

Johnny Varron (Nicholson) is a smart-mouthed, arrogant punk from a gang of hot-rodders, who rules his gang with an iron hand. However, his obsession with controlling the gang leads to kidnapping, a high-speed car chase and ends in tragedy. In 'Flight To Fury' (1964), Joe Gaines (Dewey Martin) becomes entangled in a dangerous web of deceit when a bag of jewels enters his life after meeting the outgoing Jay Wickham (Nicholson) in a casino.

'Studs Lonigan' (1960) is the film adaptation of James T Farrell's 'Studs Lonigan' trilogy. The action takes place in the slums of Chicago's South Side in the 1920s, and centres on the growing pains of Studs Lonigan (Nicholson), including his tempestuous relationship with his father, his attempts to make easy money and his womanising ways.