The Chase

A 1966 American drama film directed by Arthur Penn, with a screenplay by Lillian Hellman, starring Marlon Brando, Jane Fonda, and Robert Redford. Set in the small town of Tarl County, Texas, where influential banker Val Rogers (E. G. Marshall) holds significant sway, the story unfolds with the news of local boy Charlie "Bubber" Reeves (Robert Redford) escaping from prison. Sheriff Calder (Marlon Brando), an honest and principled man, believes in Bubber's innocence and anticipates his return to town. Meanwhile, Bubber's wife, Anna Reeves (Jane Fonda), is engaged in a romantic affair with Jason "Jake" Rogers (James Fox), Val Rogers' son and Bubber's best friend. As events escalate, the townspeople, fueled by alcohol and their own fears, begin to reveal their worst traits. A group of vigilantes, including Damon Fuller (Richard Bradford) and Edwin Stewart (Robert Duvall), demand action from Calder. When he refuses, they brutally beat him, despite the efforts of his loyal wife Ruby (Angie Dickinson) to protect him. Bubber, hiding in an auto junkyard, attempts to contact Anna and Jake for assistance. However, the situation spirals out of control when the mob, driven by fear and prejudice, sets the junkyard ablaze, causing an explosion that mortally wounds Jake. Calder manages to reach Bubber first and tries to escort him to jail, but one of the vigilantes, Archie (Steve Ihnat), shoots Bubber multiple times, killing him. Disillusioned and weary of the town's corruption and violence, Calder and Ruby decide to leave the town the next morning.