Lolly-Madonna XXX (a.k.a. The Lolly-Madonna War) is a 1973 American Southern Gothic drama film directed by Richard C. Sarafian. The film was co-written by Rodney Carr-Smith and Sue Grafton, who based their screenplay on the 1969 novel The Lolly-Madonna War by Grafton.

The movie was filmed in rural Union County, Tennessee.Chris Wohlwend, "Revisiting the Nearly Forgotten 'Lolly Madonna War,' Shot in Union County, Tenn.," Knoxville Mercury, 3 August 2016.

Plot Two families in rural Tennessee, headed by patriarchs Laban Feather and Pap Gutshall are at odds with each other. The sons of the two families play harmless tricks on each other but soon the Feather boys decide to kidnap a girl, escalating the rivalry. She turns out to be innocent bystander Roonie Gill, not the made-up Gutshall girlfriend "Lolly Madonna" that the Gutshall clan had invented to get the Feathers away from their still. As events escalate, Zack Feather and Roonie fall in love and try to bring the others to their senses, but to no avail. One family busts up another's still; and in retaliation, the sons of that family rape the daughter of the other. After the feud results in a fiery confrontation in a meadow, where one of the Feather boys is fatally wounded and the mother of the Gutshall kin is shot to death, the two families regroup in order to gear up for a final deadly confrontation. With the exception of Sister E Gutshall, who packs a suitcase and leaves home, the participants engage in battle at the Feather homestead. In the end, all combatants die.

Cast Rod Steiger as Laban Feather Robert Ryan as Pap Gutshall Jeff Bridges as Zack Feather Gary Busey as Zeb Gutshall Katherine Squire as Chickie Feather Season Hubley as Roonie Gill/Lolly Madonna Ed Lauter as Hawk Feather Paul Koslo as Villum Gutshall Scott Wilson as Thrush Feather Kiel Martin as Ludie Gutshall Randy Quaid as Finch Feather Joan Goodfellow as Sister E Gutshall Timothy Scott as Skylar Feather Tresa Hughes as Elspeth Gutshall Kathy Watts as Lyda Jo Gutshall Feather

Critical reception The film had a mixed reception from the critics. Vincent Canby of The New York Times wrote:

Variety stated:

See also List of American films of 1973

References

External links

Original New York Times review Knoxville News Sentinel Photo Gallery of East Tennessee Movie Making: Lolly-Madonna XXX (1973)