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Amphibians in Movies
 
California (1977)
 
Spoiler Alert !

Some of these pictures and descriptions may give away plot details that you might not want to know before watching the film.
 
Frogs Screenshot Frogs Screenshot Frogs Screenshot
Frogs Screenshot Frogs Screenshot Frogs Screenshot
Frogs Screenshot Frogs Screenshot Frogs Screenshot
Frogs Screenshot Frogs Screenshot Frogs Screenshot

This is one of the last spaghetti westerns made. It begins with Confederate prisoners of war released from prison after the end of the Civil War who are forced to either join the Union Army or get out of town fast before the Union-supporting locals find and kill them. We follow two of them, California and Willy, as they travel west. They are tired and hungry and spot a wetlands full of frogs. They duck down so they won't scare the frogs and make a plan to catch them. When they get up, they are surprised to discover a crowd of other ex-soldiers coming up fast behind them who run and pounce on the frogs. We see lots of funny shots of frogs jumping and soldiers jumping after them. Eventually they manage to catch some frogs and bring them to the barn where they are spending the night. We see frog legs roasting over a fire and soldiers eating them, not knowing that for all but California and Willy, it will be their last meal.

The movie was shot in Spain and Italy, and the frogs are most likely some species of Water Frog of the Pelophylax genus.