Outlaw Blues (1977)

Susan St. James helps Peter Fonda, an ex-convict who goes after the country music star who stole his song and made it a hit.

Director:

Richard T. Heffron

Writer:

Bill Norton (as B.W.L. Norton)

Stars:

Peter Fonda, Susan Saint James, John Crawford

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Peter Fonda	...	Bobby Ogden
Susan Saint James	...	Tina Waters
John Crawford	...	Buzz Cavenaugh
James T. Callahan	...	Garland Dupree
Michael Lerner	...	Hatch
Steven Fromholz	...	Elroy (as Steve Fromholz)
Richard Lockmiller	...	Associate Warden
Matt Clark	...	Billy Bob
Jan Rita Cobler	...	Cathy Moss
Gene Rader	...	Leon Warback
Curtis Harris	...	Big Guy
Jerry Greene	...	Disc Jockey
Dave Helfert	...	Anchorman
Jeffrey Friedman	...	Newsman
James N. Harrell	...	Cop Chauffeur

Storyline

Upon his imminent parole after serving six years in Huntsville Prison, Bobby Ogden hopes to carve out a career as a country music singer/songwriter. The prison's associate warden believes Bobby has what it takes if he only gets the opportunity. With country music star Garland Dupree performing for the prisoners, the associate warden, as one of those opportunities, has Bobby perform one of his songs, Outlaw Blues, for Garland, even if it's only for the concert's sound check, hoping that Garland will help Bobby out when he's paroled. While Garland seems disinterested in Bobby's performance, he actually was listening carefully as the world eventually not only hears Garland perform Outlaw Blues on the radio, but he has copyrighted the song claiming it as his own work. Once released, Bobby has to decide what to do about Garland stealing his song, knowing largely that it's his word and that of a bunch of other convicts against that of a renowned country music star. What happens between ...

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Plot Keywords:

music industry | musician | boat | prison | outlaw | 

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Taglines:

On the make, on the run, getting famous and having fun.

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

August 1977 (USA)

Also Known As:

All'ultimo secondo

Filming Locations:

Austin, Texas, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,900,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Sequoia Productions (II)

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Kris Kristofferson was offered the male lead. He turned it down to do Convoy (1978).

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Goofs

When they are at the football game, close up shots of the band were done earlier during the week and the field was dry. Long shots were done on an actual game on a rainy Saturday, so there are two colors of Astroturf being shown back and forth.

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Connections

Referenced in Angel (1982)

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Soundtracks

Whisper in a Velvet Night
Written by Lee Clayton
Performed by Hoyt Axton

User Reviews

Outlaws, Guns, And Country Music

When recently released convict Peter Fonda shoots James T. Callahan for stealing his song, Susan St. James sees a chance to make a buck. No one will pay her a dime, so she teams up with Fonda to go on a crime-publicity spree.

It's a very 1970s movie, with Fonda playing his counter-culture shtick to the hilt. There are lots of banjos in the score, corrupt sheriffs up for re-election, as well as the usual Football nationalism that made up the movies' post-1960s ideas of Texas. Fonda May have begun his career in beach movies and being a young doctor, but after EASY RIDER, Fonda had a star persona he didn't shake until the 1990s.