The Electric Horseman (1979)

A rodeo star past his prime steals his company's horse and rides into the desert, with a feisty reporter accompanying him.

Director:

Sydney Pollack

Writers:

Robert Garland (screenplay by), Paul Gaer (screen story by)

Stars:

Robert Redford, Jane Fonda, Valerie Perrine

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Robert Redford	...	Sonny
Jane Fonda	...	Hallie
Valerie Perrine	...	Charlotta
Willie Nelson	...	Wendell
John Saxon	...	Hunt Sears
Nicolas Coster	...	Fitzgerald
Allan Arbus	...	Danny
Wilford Brimley	...	Farmer
Will Hare	...	Gus
Basil Hoffman	...	Toland
Timothy Scott	...	Leroy
James Sikking	...	Dietrich (as James B. Sikking)
James Kline	...	Tommy
Frank Speiser	...	Bernie
Quinn K. Redeker	...	Bud Broderick (as Quinn Redeker)

Storyline

Sonny Steele used to be a rodeo star, but his next appearance is to be on a Las Vegas stage, wearing a suit covered in lights, advertising a breakfast cereal. When he finds out they are going drug the horse in case its too frisky, he rides off into the desert...

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Plot Keywords:

las vegas nevada | horse | cowboy | media | journalist | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance | Western

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

After The China Syndrome (1979), this is the second consecutive film in which Jane Fonda plays a television journalist.

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Goofs

The video footage shown on television of Sonny Steele's speech about the horse doesn't match what Alice would have actually shot. The camera movement, lighting and direction of where Steele was facing while talking is completely different.

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Quotes

Hallie Martin: You ride off with somebody else's twelve million dollar horse, did you think we wouldn't notice?

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Alternate Versions

The film's original soundtrack has been changed in different ways for its two DVD releases:

• The Image DVD replaces Dave Grusin's beautiful "Freedom Epilogue" score music (where the horse is set free) with a reprise of "My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys" by Willie Nelson, originally heard during the opening credits. This actually works well, though one wonders why a piece of original score had to be changed.
• The newer Universal release goes a step further, removing "My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys" from the opening credits (and in fact from the film completely) as well as "Freedom Epilogue" and replaces them both with a very inappropriate generic harmonica-driven instrumental which is meant to sound like a Willie Nelson song.

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Connections

Referenced in The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson: Dyan Cannon/Rodney Dangerfield/Arnaud de Borchgrave/Jim Fowler (1980)

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Soundtracks

Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys
(uncredited)
Written by Ed Bruce
Performed by Willie Nelson

User Reviews

Redford And Fonda, Together Again!

Saddle up! for this Excellent romantic-comedy, Robert Redford stars as Sonny Steele who once was a world class Rodeo star, but is now a washed up drunkard reduced to advertising breakfast cereal on TV for the shady AMPCO corporation,whose latest Publicity campaign features prize winning race horse Rising Star,

AMPCO's next junket takes place at Las Vegas where Redford is to Launch the campaign ,Behind a backdrop of glamor and corporate greed, Redford discovers that the horse has been drugged with an abundance of steroids,Redford saddles up and literally takes off with the horse in protest,

Jane Fonda plays Hallie, a news reporter who might just get an exclusive, follows Redford on his quest to release Rising Star into the wild to roam free.

Sydney Pollack, always with a great eye for casting, even has country and western favorite Willie Nelson, Valerie Perrine has an appearance as An old flame of Redford's, Wilford Brimley has a small role as kindly farmer who helps Redford on his way, Usual Pollack regular Composer, Dave Grusin Contribute's Greatly,

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 December 1979 (USA)

Also Known As:

Electric

Filming Locations:

Santa Clarita, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$12,500,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$61,801,971

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$61,801,971

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures, Columbia Pictures, Wildwood Enterprises

Technical Specs

Runtime:

121 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1