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

Some movie posters featured a long blurb that read: "Tell me Norman . . . did you think it was going to be this tough to get rid of a pain in the ass like me? . . . . . Ma'am, I had no idea".

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Goofs

When Hallie is trying to get information from Leroy, Leroy tells her that Gus lives in Mesquite, "about 30 miles up the road". Mesquite is actually almost 90 miles from Las Vegas, near the Utah border.

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Quotes

Hallie Martin: I've been to the rodeo. Twice.
Sonny Steele: Did you stay for the rattlesnake round up?
Hallie Martin: Yes. I stayed. Right till the end. I saw the whole thing.
Sonny Steele: They don't have one. How're you gonna round up a rattlesnake?

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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 Directors: The Films of Sydney Pollack (2000)

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Soundtracks

My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys
(uncredited)
Composed by Sharon Vaughn

User Reviews

pretty good

This movie stars Robert Redford as an five time rodeo champion who is now a has-been promoting a breakfast cereal. Jane Fonda is a reporter who wants to interview Redford, but he just blows her off. Redford is basically upset always being told what to do and he steals a 12 million dollar horse that they're mistreating and he's going to take it out and set it free. The company that owns the horse wants to keep it quiet and then wants to send in the police. Fonda tracks him down and joins up with him so she can get a bigger story and of course, they have to fall in love. This movie seems to be a cross between It Happened One Night and Lonely Are The Brave. This was directed by Sydney Pollock who has worked with Redford several times before and also with Fonda.

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