Pigeons (1970) The Sidelong Glances of a Pigeon Kicker (original title)

Director:

John Dexter

Writers:

David Boyer (novel)
Ron Whyte

Release Date:

1970 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot Keywords:

Riches To Rags | Arrested Development | Taxi Driver | Pigeon | Eccentric

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Jordan Christopher	...	Jonathan
Jill O'Hara	...	Jennifer
Robert Walden	...	Winslow Smith
Kate Reid	...	Jonathan's Mother
William Redfield	...	Jonathan's Father
Lois Nettleton	...	Mildred
Boni Enten	...	Naomi
Elaine Stritch	...	Tough Lady
Melba Moore	...	Model at Party
Riggs O'Hara	...	Oliver
Kristoffer Tabori	...	Oliver's Boy Friend
Donald Warfield	...	Young Stutterer
Jean Shevlin	...	Mrs. Abelman
Matt Warner	...	Mr. Abelman
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Adam Reed	...	Hermie
Arthur Anderson	...	Floorwalker (uncredited)
Nancy Andrews	...	Passenger With Crying Child (uncredited)
Pat Ast	...	Fat Girl at Party (uncredited)
Sean Bersell	...	Little Boy in Cab (uncredited)
Bert Bertram	...	Doorman (uncredited)
Margaret Brewster	...	Pigeon Lady (uncredited)
Janet Maria Burtis	...	Cranky Lady Passenger (uncredited)
Esther Bussler	...	Christmas Shopper in Cab (uncredited)
Buddy Butler	...	Black Passerby (uncredited)
Sean Campbell	...	Boy on Crutches (uncredited)
Tony Capodilupo	...	Van Man (uncredited)
María Cellario	...	Pretty Girl in Laundromat (uncredited)
Richard Clarke	...	Englishman (uncredited)
Daniel Davis	...	Skinny (uncredited)
Steve Dawson	...	Desk Sergeant (uncredited)
Salo Douday	...	Sad Bum (uncredited)
David Doyle	...	Mr. Seigbert (uncredited)
Edward Dunne	...	Skinny Fag (uncredited)
Christian Erickson	...	Gordon (uncredited)
Frank Hamilton	...	Gallstone Man in Hospital (uncredited)
Bill Herndon	...	Cop at the Pier (uncredited)
Helen Ludlam	...	Old Lady on Train (uncredited)
Paul Norman	...	Orderly (uncredited)
Mary Orr	...	Saleslady (uncredited)
Bonnie Paul	...	Crying Girl (uncredited)
Wyman Pendleton	...	Doctor (uncredited)
Ellis Richardson	...	Black Passerby (uncredited)
Anne Shropshire	...	Mother at Department Store (uncredited)
Ethel Smith	...	Blowsy Lady at Pinball Machine (uncredited)
Sara Wilson	...	Lesbian at Party (uncredited)

Directed by
John Dexter

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
David Boyer		novel "The Sidelong Glances of a Pigeon Kicker"
Ron Whyte

Produced by
Richard Lewis	....	producer

Original Music by
Christopher Dedrick
Lee Holdridge
Edd Kalehoff
Warren Marley
Patrick Williams

Cinematography by
Urs Furrer

Film Editing by
John Oettinger

Production Design by
Emanuel Gerard

Set Decoration by
Robert Drumheller

Costume Design by
Domingo A. Rodriguez

Makeup Department
John Alese	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Allan Wertheim	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Hal Bock	....	head carpenter

Sound Department
Jack Fitzstephens	....	sound editor

Music Department
Phil Ramone	....	musical director

Production Companies

• Saturn Productions

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1970) (USA) (theatrical)
• Plaza

Also Known As:

"The Sidelong Glances of a Pigeon Kicker" - USA (original title)

Runtime:

106 min | USA:87 min (re-release)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:R

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Saturn Productions

Trivia:

Daniel Davis' first film.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Dusk to Dawn Drive-In Trash-o-Rama Show Vol. 7 (2002) (V)

Offbeat 1970 NY-set character study resembles its central character too closely and is therefore something of a cop-out.

This offbeat 1970 NY-set character study resembles its central character too closely and is therefore something of a cop-out. Jonathan (Jordan ANGEL, ANGEL DOWN WE GO Christopher) is a lazy Princeton graduate who earns what he describes as 'an easy living' driving a NY taxi 'Because I want to show the world the back of my neck'. Together with his frustrated virginal ex-army pal Winston (Robert Walden), he lives an aimless existence disinterestedly weaving his cab through the often traffic-clogged city streets, drifting through loveless and seemingly joyless no-strings sexual encounters and occasionally chasing pigeons before embarking on a tentative relationship with his new neighbour, college drop-out Jennifer (Jill O'Hara, in her only film appearance) who - in counterculture era drop-out fashion - is trying to find herself. But can Jonathan discover true happiness in his own backyard or is he destined to forever fly free like the pigeons he casts sidelong glances at and occasionally tries to kick? Although this ticks many of the early 70s cinema boxes (there are the obligatory party scenes, generation-gap themes, swishy kaftan-wearing homosexuals, casual sexual encounters, characters bonding during a rooftop pot-smoking session, grungy wintry locations, ghastly woozy love songs warbling away on the soundtrack, a self-loathing misanthropic anti-hero and even a somewhat out-of-place car chase), the sum of the parts don't ultimately add up to a particularly satisfying whole. This is due in no small part to its smug central character whose inner monologues tend to resemble a series of clichéd and generally unfunny observations (e.g. 'It's OK to be homely, lady, but you're abusing the privilege' - which is one of the better zingers on offer) and whose selfish behaviour is most likely inherited (he has a similarly solipsistic mother still pining for her late husband and a lecherous and unfeeling stepfather) but don't really give the film the emotional or dramatic heft of the same year's far superior FIVE EASY PIECES. However, there are a few residual pleasures in those grungy wintry Big Apple locations, a catchy electronic central theme and the window cracked open on a vanished era that may have mostly existed through the refracted lens of a movie camera rather than in actuality. And it's a real obscurity that seems to have virtually vanished following its original release in its longer-titled full-length form and subsequent re-release in the retitled and abridged (86 minutes) form as PIGEONS that I viewed thanks to its apparent one-off appearance on UK TV in the mid-90s. The current scarcity factor alone makes it a must for 'Cinema Obscura' buffs.