They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969)

The lives of a disparate group of contestants intertwine in an inhumanely grueling dance marathon.

Director:

Sydney Pollack

Writers:

Horace McCoy (novel), James Poe (screenplay)

Stars:

Jane Fonda, Michael Sarrazin, Susannah York

Won 1 Oscar. Another 9 wins & 24 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jane Fonda	...	Gloria
Michael Sarrazin	...	Robert
Susannah York	...	Alice
Gig Young	...	Rocky
Red Buttons	...	Sailor
Bonnie Bedelia	...	Ruby
Michael Conrad	...	Rollo
Bruce Dern	...	James
Al Lewis	...	Turkey
Robert Fields	...	Joel
Severn Darden	...	Cecil
Allyn Ann McLerie	...	Shirl
Madge Kennedy	...	Mrs. Laydon
Jacquelyn Hyde	...	Jackie
Felice Orlandi	...	Mario

Storyline

Gloria is a young woman of the Depression. She has aged beyond her years and feels her life is hopeless, having been cheated and betrayed many times in her past. While recovering from a suicide attempt, she gets the idea from a movie magazine to head for Hollywood to make it as an actress. Robert is a desperate Hollywood citizen trying to become a director, never doubting he'll make it. Robert and Gloria meet and decide to enter a dance marathon, one of the crazes of the 1930's. The grueling dancing takes its toll on Gloria's already weakened spirit, and she tells Robert that she'd be better off dead, that her life is hopeless - all the while acting cruelly and bitterly, alienating those around her, trying to convince him to shoot her and put her out of her misery. After all, they shoot horses, don't they?

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Plot Keywords:

dance marathon | contest | depression | great depression | question in title | 

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Taglines:

People are the ultimate spectacle

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

M/PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 September 1970 (France)

Also Known As:

On achève bien les chevaux

Filming Locations:

Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Palomar Pictures (I),American Broadcasting Company (ABC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

129 min (original) 120 min (current)

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Two of the couples are sponsored by Winkler's Travel Agency and Sills Collection Agency. Irwin Winkler and Theodore B. Sills are among the producers of the film.

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Goofs

The Edward Heyman/Johnny Green (as John Green) song "Easy Come, Easy Go", which is used as the film's title theme and is performed by a singer at the fictional dance marathon, was not published until 1934 (two years after the film's 1932 setting).

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Quotes

[final scene]
Robert: [standing outside looking at the ocean] I used to love to look at he ocean, walk by it, just sit and listen to it. Now I don't care if I ever see it again.
Gloria Beatty: That, or anything else.
Robert: What are you gonna do know? Try in the movies again?
Gloria Beatty: No. I'd never make it. And maybe it wouldn't make no difference, even if I did. Maybe it's just the whole damn world is like central casting: They got it all rigged before you ever show up.
Robert: I know what you mean. I know just what you mean.
Gloria Beatty: Do you?
Robert: What *...
[...]

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Connections

Referenced in Class of '96: They Shoot Baskets, Don't They (1993)

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Soundtracks

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
(1931) (uncredited)
Music by Harold Arlen
Played at the Dance Marathon

User Reviews

YOWZA! YOWZA! YOWZA!

This is one of the best movies I have ever seen. Set in the 1930s, it revoleved around a group of people entering/running a depression dance marathon. The group entering the contest(The principle characters being Fonda, Sarrazin, York, Buttons, Bedilia, Fields)Can't pass up the seven meals a day, or the top prize of 1500 dollars, no matter how grueling the dance will be. Fonda, is a drifter looking for money, Sarrazin wanders into the contest by accident, York and Fields are an actor and actress hoping to be "Discovered", and Buttons is also looking for money. The management of the contest is represented by Young, Lewis, and (To a lesser extent)Conrad. While this is not a "Pick me up" movie, it is definitely worth seeing. The cast is excellent, and the movie moves along well. Director Sydney Pollack filmed the movie in sequence, which helps to show the fatigue that the characters are feeling. They Shoot horses was nominated for nine academy awards, inglinging Best actress(Fonda), Best Supporting Actress(York) and Best Director(Pollack).

However, only Gig Young walked away with the statuette(For best Supporting Actor) and he deserved every inch of it. Playing against typecasting, he knew he was getting the role of a lifetime and he gives one of the best performance of his career. I actually liked Rocky, with his White Tux and his "Yowza!Yowza!Yowza!" I don't know if I would have liked the character if Gig Young had not been in the role.

Overall, this movie is definitely worth seeing. If you have a chance, give it a look.

10/10 ***** out of *****