Night Moves (1975)

Former footballer and present private detective Harry Moseby gets hired on to what seems a standard missing person case, as an aging Hollywood actress whose only major roles came thanks to ... See full summary »

Director:

Arthur Penn

Writer:

Alan Sharp

Stars:

Gene Hackman, Jennifer Warren, Susan Clark

Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Gene Hackman	...	Harry Moseby
Jennifer Warren	...	Paula
Susan Clark	...	Ellen Moseby
Edward Binns	...	Joey Ziegler
Harris Yulin	...	Marty Heller
Kenneth Mars	...	Nick
Janet Ward	...	Arlene Iverson
James Woods	...	Quentin
Melanie Griffith	...	Delly Grastner
Anthony Costello	...	Marv Ellman
John Crawford	...	Tom Iverson
Ben Archibek	...	Charles
Dennis Dugan	...	Boy
C.J. Hincks	...	Girl
Max Gail	...	Stud (as Maxwell Gail Jr.)

Storyline

Former footballer and present private detective Harry Moseby gets hired on to what seems a standard missing person case, as an aging Hollywood actress whose only major roles came thanks to being married to a studio mogul wants Moseby to find and return her stepdaughter. Harry travels to Florida to find her, but he begins to see a connection with the runaway girl, the world of Hollywood stuntmen, and a suspicious mechanic when an unsolved murder comes to light.

---

Plot Keywords:

private detective | runaway | missing person | actress | boat | 

---

Taglines:

Maybe he would find the girl... maybe he would find himself.

---

Genres:

Crime | Mystery | Thriller

---

Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 September 1975 (Finland)

Also Known As:

The Dark Tower

Filming Locations:

Sanibel Island, Florida, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The house belonging to James Woods' character Quentin was owned by Phil Kaufman, road manager for Gram Parsons at the time of his death. Kaufman's subsequent actions became the basis for the film Grand Theft Parsons. Night Moves cast and crew were shooting at the house the day the police came to question Kaufman, and as they were taking him away, Arthur Penn turned to Gene Hackman and said, "Man, we're shooting the wrong movie".

---

Quotes

Nick: Where do you know Arlene from?
Joey Ziegler: From way back.
Nick: Oh, yeah? What's your name again? Ziegler? Joey Ziegler?
Joey Ziegler: Joey Ziegler.
Nick: I don't think you were one of the names.
Joey Ziegler: What names?
Nick: One of those she cheated on Grastner with. I got them all.
Joey Ziegler: I'm one of a small, select group. We hold meetings in a telephone booth.

---

Connections

Featured in Arthur Penn (1995)

User Reviews

Hackman's greatest role

This is the perfect role for Hackman as the aging sports star unable to find his role in life once the playing days are over. He is the accidental jock, too sensitive to play the stereotype and so finding no sense of belonging. He has become a detective but he is a bumbling amateur compared to a Philip Marlowe type. He is shy and hestitant and is frequently made to feel discomfort by the seedy, untrustworthy people he comes into contact with. He has none of Marlowe's self assurance. It begs the question why has he become a detective? Maybe it is partly due to his abandonment by his father who years later Hackman tracks down only to fail in confronting him. He is condemned to search for people to whom he is of no importance.

This idea of the lonely seeker is Hackman's own turf. His affable charm conveys a sense of a lifetime's wrongheaded idealism. In the wrong job, deluding himself, looking for a way out. Eventually, he is able to see clearly and see how his drifting has allowed the people around him to manipulate him in their games. Unlike many of this film's peers such as 'Chinatown', 'Taxi Driver', 'The Long Goodbye', we are not left to be slightly repulsed by the lead actor's ways. Hackman plays the everyman character as an affable, amateur sleuth whose hestitancy and chronic lack of commitment give him a fallibility more recognizable to an audience.