The Ballad of Cable Hogue (1970)

A hobo accidentally stumbles onto a water spring, and creates a profitable way station in the middle of the desert.

Director:

Sam Peckinpah

Writers:

John Crawford, Edmund Penney

Stars:

Jason Robards, Stella Stevens, David Warner

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jason Robards	...	Cable Hogue
Stella Stevens	...	Hildy
David Warner	...	Joshua
Strother Martin	...	Bowen
Slim Pickens	...	Ben Fairchild
L.Q. Jones	...	Taggart
Peter Whitney	...	Cushing
R.G. Armstrong	...	Quittner
Gene Evans	...	Clete
William Mims	...	Jensen
Kathleen Freeman	...	Mrs. Jensen
Susan O'Connell	...	Claudia
Vaughn Taylor	...	Powell
Max Evans	...	Webb Seely
James Anderson	...	Preacher

Storyline

Double-crossed and left without water in the desert, Cable Hogue is saved when he finds a spring. It is in just the right spot for a much needed rest stop on the local stagecoach line, and Hogue uses this to his advantage. He builds a house and makes money off the stagecoach passengers. Hildy, a sex worker from the nearest town, moves in with him. Hogue has everything going his way until the advent of the automobile ends the era of the stagecoach.

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Plot Keywords:

arizona desert | arizona territory | territory | buxom | big breasts | 

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Taglines:

Cable Hogue says..."Do unto others... as you would have others do unto you."

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance | Western

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 May 1970 (Finland)

Also Known As:

The Ballad of Cable Hogue

Filming Locations:

Gold Canyon, Arizona, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$3,716,946 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$3,500,000, 31 December 1975

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$5,000,000, 31 December 1980

Company Credits

Production Co:

Eaves Movie Ranch,Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

121 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The automobile featured in the film is the "Leslie Special," from The Great Race (1965). The car was repainted from white to green, and the red upholstery replaced with white upholstery.

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Goofs

When Strother Martin is in the sand pit, his hat is shot off by Cable Hogue. However, the gun shot sound comes significantly after the hat flies off.

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Quotes

Cable Hogue: I'll live to spit on your grave!

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Connections

Referenced in Convoy (1978)

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Soundtracks

Wait for Me, Sunrise
Written and Performed by Richard Gillis
Arranged by Jerry Goldsmith

User Reviews

A movie you will always remember

I saw The Ballad of Cable Hogue while stationed in Virginia. I am not a huge fan of westerns, but this movie is one of the finest movies I have ever seen. The music itself makes the movie endearing and the characters and what they do makes the movie interesting from the start. It's a story of revenge, but there's no shoot 'em up heroics and bloody corpses lying around. Cable bides his time. What happens during this time is hilarious and the preacher is Cable's best friend. The ending is a twist that left me stunned and speechless. I won't say what happened cause there may be someone out there that has not seen the movie yet, but I highly recommend this movie. It is pure enjoyment and I am hoping that it is re-released in DVD with Dolby stereo enhancement, cause the music at the beginning is very moving. You will be humming that tune for the rest of your life. Thank you for reading my input. I would appreciate an email if the movie will be out on DVD someday.