Cattle Annie And Little Britches (1981)

Two adolescent girls (Amanda Plummer, Diane Lane) have romanticized western outlaws due to the dime novels they've read. They seek out and join the remnants of the Doolin-Dalton gang led by Bill Doolin (Burt Lancaster). Based on the novel by Robert Ward and directed by Lamont Johnson (LIPSTICK). This affable western with a bit of charm is based on real characters (Cattle Annie and Little Britches did exist) but the film is fictionalized. The movie turns a reflective eye on the fading West but without the unsettling violence of something like THE WILD BUNCH. It's more nostalgic and with a slight sense of regret. Plummer (in her film debut) and Lane are wonderful but as good as they are, they can't steal the movie away from Lancaster whose iconic presence is too strong but his performance is a beauty. As Lancaster's nemesis, Rod Steiger is surprisingly restrained and once again proves what a marvelous actor he can be. Hats off to Larry Pizer's evocative cinematography. With John Savage, Scott Glenn and Buck Taylor.