They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969)
Directed by Sydney Pollack
Genres - Drama | Sub-Genres - Melodrama, Period Film | Run Time - 121 min. | Countries - USA | MPAA Rating - PGShare on
Synopsis by Karl Williams
A total of nine Academy Award nominations went to this wildly acclaimed, allegorical drama set amongst the contestants in a marathon dance contest during the Great Depression. Gig Young stars as Rocky, the obnoxious emcee for a dance marathon that offers prize money of $1,500, a small fortune during hard economic times that brings out the worst in several participants. Among them are Gloria Beatty (Jane Fonda), a malcontent who's partnered with a drifter, Robert Syverton (Michael Sarrazin); a pregnant farm girl (Bonnie Bedelia) and her husband (Bruce Dern); a sailor (Red Buttons); and an aspiring actress (Susannah York). As the marathon winds into a staggering second month, suspicion, doubt and insecurity rages among the competitors and even the decaying and increasingly manipulative Rocky, leading to a shocking crime.
Characteristics
Moods
Themes
Keywords
dance [art], competition, Great-Depression, prize, poverty, ballroom, survivor, against-all-odds, marathon
Attributes
High Artistic Quality
