Bill Miner was convicted of robbing a train in the late 1800s and was sentenced to life in prison. He spent 33 years behind bars, where he made a name for himself as a model inmate. When he is finally released in 1901, he is an old man who can barely recognize the world outside prison walls. Despite the barriers he faces adjusting to a world that has moved on without him, Miner is determined to find purpose and reclaim his identity.
Faced with few options and little money, Miner decides to return to the only thing he knows how to do – robbing trains. He recruits a young accomplice, a hotel clerk named Shorty, to help him with his heists. Together, they pull off a string of successful robberies, eluding law enforcement and leaving the public fascinated by the exploits of the "Gentleman Bandit."
As he becomes more skilled at his craft, Miner begins to question the morality of his actions and the path he has chosen. He finds himself drawn to a young widow named Kate, whose farm he had robbed. Despite his criminal past, Kate sees something in him and they strike up a friendship that evolves into a romance.
But as the law closes in on him and the stakes grow higher, Miner must decide whether to continue down the path of crime or to leave behind his life as a bandit and embrace a new future with Kate. In the end, he must come to terms with the fact that he cannot escape the consequences of his past actions.
The Grey Fox is based on the true story of Bill Miner, a legendary criminal who is still remembered today as one of the most charming and elusive bandits of the Old West. The film features a standout performance by Richard Farnsworth as Miner, who brings a quiet dignity and humanity to the role of a man struggling to find his place in a world that has moved on without him.
