Goin' South (1978)

Due to the lack of men after the Civil War, a small western town allows a bachelorette with ulterior motives to save a horse thief from the gallows by marrying him. They must deal with his old gang, the Sheriff, the bank, and each other.

Director:

Jack Nicholson

Writers:

John Herman Shaner (story), Al Ramrus (story)

Stars:

Jack Nicholson, Mary Steenburgen, Christopher Lloyd

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jack Nicholson	...	Henry Lloyd Moon
Mary Steenburgen	...	Julia Tate Moon
Christopher Lloyd	...	Deputy Towfield
John Belushi	...	Deputy Hector
Veronica Cartwright	...	Hermine, Moon's Old Gang
Richard Bradford	...	Sheriff Andrew Kyle
Jeff Morris	...	Big Abe, Moon's Old Gang
Danny DeVito	...	Hog, Moon's Old Gang
Tracey Walter	...	Coogan, Moon's Old Gang
Gerald H. Reynolds	...	Polty, Rail Road Manager
Luana Anders	...	Lorette Anderson
George W. Smith	...	Mr. Anderson
Lucy Lee Flippin	...	Diane Haber
Ed Begley Jr.	...	Whitey Haber
Maureen Byrnes	...	Mrs. Warren

Storyline

Texas, shortly after the Civil War. Henry Moon is an outlaw, on the run from the law. He is captured trying to escape to Mexico and taken back to town to be hanged. The town has a special law that a condemned man can walk free if one of the single women of the town offer to marry him. Henry is in luck - at the last moment Julia Tate offers to marry him, and pretty soon they are married. However, Henry soon discovers that Julia's motives are purely business-orientated - she needs someone to work the mine on her property. This makes for a very cold marriage.

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Plot Keywords:

bare chested male | hairy chest | implied nudity | implied male nudity | man undressing | 

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Taglines:

For Henry Moon, life was just beginning.

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Romance | Western

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 October 1978 (USA)

Also Known As:

Con el lazo al cuello

Filming Locations:

Durango, Mexico

Box Office

Gross USA:

$7,435,671, 31 December 1978

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min 109 min (DVD)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Mono)

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Christopher Lloyd and Lin Shaye appeared in Wish You Were Dead (2001).

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Goofs

After the ladies had their chat in the kitchen, a whistle tells that the water is boiling. The kettle shown in close up is a plain water kettle and has no whistle.

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Quotes

Hermine, Moon's Old Gang: [to Henry Moon just prior to his hanging] You was the best I ever had... 'cept maybe for that circus fella.

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Crazy Credits

The Paramount logo plays in reverse.

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Connections

Referenced in The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson: Danny DeVito/Calvin Trillin/Rohan Varavadekar (1987)

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Soundtracks

Available Space
Music by Ry Cooder (uncredited)
Performed by Ry Cooder
Courtesy Warner Bros. Records, Inc.

User Reviews

One of my favorites!

I have always loved this movie, me and my family first saw it together when I was 5 years old. I loved it then but didn't understand it. Now I'm 18. This movie is directed by Jack Nicholson, he puts together a very good cast including John Belushi, Christopher Loyd, Danny Devito, and Mary Steenburgen in her first movie. He plays a wonderful,funny part in this movie as an outlaw that is saved from the gallows from a very pretty woman named Julia, she and him don't get along at first, they have nothing in common then they learn how to get along by a strange coincidence. One of my top five Jack Nicholson films one for the family and everyone!