Willy & Scratch
1974 American film
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Willy & Scratch (also known as Willie and Scratch)[1] is a 1974 crime western drama film directed and written by Robert J. Emery[2] and starring Paul Vincent, Claudia Jennings and Michael Hatfield. The film was the first film produced by American Pictures Corporation. It was also the first film distributed by Apollo Productions/Pictures operated by advertising and film executive Ron Libert.
Claudia Jennings
Michael Hatfield
| Willy & Scratch | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Robert J. Emery |
| Written by | Robert J. Emery |
| Produced by | Robert J. Emery |
| Starring | Paul Vincent Claudia Jennings Michael Hatfield |
| Cinematography | Paul Ruberstein |
| Edited by | Robert J. Emery |
| Music by | Kevin Kelly |
Production companies | American Pictures Corporation Apollo Productions |
| Distributed by | American Pictures Corporation |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 88 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Plot
A pair of dangerous criminals make a desert ghost-town their hideout in the wake of a deadly heist.
Cast
- Paul Vincent as Willy
- Claudia Jennings as Jennifer
- Michael Hatfield as Scratch
Production
Filming
The film was shot in the abandoned Floridaland amusement park and in the Brooksville.[3] The film was Jennings's first film lead.[4]
Censorship
The film contained a significant amount of graphic content, including a scene in which actor Michael Hatfield was stabbed in the throat with a pitchfork and a rape scene featuring Claudia Jennings. To receive an R rating from the Motion Picture Association of America, 11 seconds of footage from the pitchfork scene were deleted.[5]
Release
The film was released theatrically on February 7, 1974, in Denmark[6] and in the United States in March 1975 by American Pictures Corporation. The film was also shown on television between 1982 and 1987 but its survival status is currently unknown.[7]
The interest of cinephile Joe Bob Briggs mentioning Willy & Scratch on his social media in 2020 (Twitter), inspired renewed interest in the film and the search for a print. In December 2024, the film review site Dawn of the Discs (Facebook) announced Joe Rubin’s film restoration and film distribution company, Vinegar Syndrome, found a print on eBay and is in the process of restoration.[8]
