Raggedy Man (1981)

It's 1944 in the small town of Gregory, Texas. Divorcée Nita Longley has been brought into the town by the telephone company to work as its switchboard operator, a job which requires her to... See full summary »

Director:

Jack Fisk

Writer:

William D. Wittliff

Stars:

Sissy Spacek, Eric Roberts, Sam Shepard

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sissy Spacek	...	Nita Longley
Eric Roberts	...	Teddy
Sam Shepard	...	Bailey
William Sanderson	...	Calvin
Tracey Walter	...	Arnold
R.G. Armstrong	...	Rigby
Henry Thomas	...	Harry
Carey Hollis Jr.	...	Henry
Ed Geldart	...	Mr. Calloway
Bill Thurman	...	Sheriff
Suzi McLaughlin	...	Jean Lester
Lupe Juárez	...	Crecencio the Barkeeper
Jessie Lee Fulton	...	Miss Pud
LuBelle Camp	...	Miss Beulah
James N. Harrell	...	Ticket Taker

Storyline

It's 1944 in the small town of Gregory, Texas. Divorcée Nita Longley has been brought into the town by the telephone company to work as its switchboard operator, a job which requires her to be at the switchboard day and night. She was originally told by her boss Mr. Rigby that this job would only be a stepping-stone to a more lucrative job with regular working hours, which Mr. Rigby seems to be reneging on since he has now told her that her position is frozen due to the war. As such, Nita feels trapped by this situation. Nita lives in the telephone switchboard office building with her two sons, adolescent Harry and infant Henry. Because of her marital status, many of the townsfolk, especially the men, view Nita either with contempt or as a loose woman. One evening, Teddy Roebuck, a sailor on a four day furlough who is hitchhiking back to his home in Ardmore, Oklahoma, stops by to make a telephone call. When he learns that the reason for his trip home no longer exists, Teddy decides to...

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Plot Keywords:

divorced mother | telephone operator | texas | sailor | mother son relationship | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 September 1981 (USA)

Also Known As:

Az utolsó telefonhívás

Filming Locations:

Maxwell, Texas, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This movie was made in the same year as the similarly titled Ragtime.

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Goofs

When Henry drops the knife, it is a foot or more from the wet spot that he had been dragged through. When Calvin tries to pick it up seconds later, it is in the center of the wet spot.

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Connections

Features Flying Tigers (1942)

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Soundtracks

"The Lady's In Love With You"
Performed by Benny Goodman
Courtesy of MCA Records

User Reviews

Still shines

Anyone who thinks of Eric Roberts as an over-the-top B-movie actor should see this film, in which he gives a sweet, subtle performance as a young WWII era sailor on leave.

Roberts and Spacek both shine in this film, and have terrific chemistry as two young adults who manage to steal a moment together despite their overwhelming responsibilities. They don't appear to be "acting" for even a minute, and the rest of cast, especially the two young boys playing Spacek's kids, are just as good.

I agree with the reviewer who said Eric Roberts needs a big role again. He is one of the finest actors of his generation, and it's a shame that most people don't know it. I'd also love to see him on stage one more time.