Based on the 1969 novel, "The Lolly Madonna War," by Sue Grafton, author of the popular "alphabet mysteries" featuring hard-boiled female Private Investigator Kinsey Millhone. The twelfth installment, "'L' is for Lawless," was published in the United States in 1995.
The film stars two Oscar winners: Rod Steiger and Jeff Bridges, and three nominees: Robert Ryan, Gary Busey, and Randy Quaid.
As originally submitted to the MPAA, the film was rated "R" and this was the version seen by most critics. About two minutes was cut from the film so it could be rated "PG" and receive a wider and more profitable general release. The scenes cut from the "R" version to create the "PG" version include a brief Season Hubley nude scene, and the "toning down" of the violence, especially the scene in which "Laban" kicks "Thrush" to death. Most critics saw the R version.
Before the opening credits, black-and-white still photographs of the "Feather" and "Gutshall" families appear in a scrapbook that includes short notations identifying the characters as they were two-to-three years before the events in the film.
Among the supporting cast was Randy Quaid in only his third film role playing Finch Feather. Later that year, he obtained an Oscar® nomination as Best Actor for his role in The Last Detail (1973) also starring Jack Nicholson.