They Shoot Horses, Don't They?
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- For other uses, see They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (disambiguation).
| They Shoot Horses, Don't They? | |
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| Directed by | Sydney Pollack |
| Produced by | Robert Chartoff Irwin Winkler |
| Written by | Horace McCoy (novel) Robert E. Thompson James Poe |
| Starring | Jane Fonda Michael Sarrazin Susannah York Gig Young Bruce Dern Red Buttons |
| Release date(s) | December 10, 1969 |
| Running time | 120 min |
| Language | English |
| IMDb profile | |
They Shoot Horses, Don't They? is a 1969 film which tells the story of several contestants in a Depression-era dance marathon. The movie was adapted by James Poe and Robert E. Thompson from the novel by Horace McCoy. It was directed by Sydney Pollack.
It stars Jane Fonda, Michael Sarrazin, Susannah York, Gig Young, Red Buttons, Bonnie Bedelia, Michael Conrad and Bruce Dern.
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[edit] Description
Sydney Pollack's dark and impassioned adaptation of Horace McCoy's novel examines the limits of devotion and endurance. The intricately interwoven plot centers on a marathon dance contest that takes place in the 1930s during the Great Depression. The poverty-stricken participants struggle to keep their footing in order to survive the hard times, with hope for the cash prize the sole reason for continuing to dance.
[edit] Awards
The film won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor (Gig Young) and was nominated for the Best Actress in a Leading Role (Jane Fonda), the Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Susannah York), the Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, the Best Costume Design, the Best Director, the Best Film Editing, the Best Music, Score of a Musical Picture (Original or Adaptation) and the Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium.
The movie has the dubious honor of being nominated for the most Academy Awards without receiving the nomination for Best Picture (9).
[edit] Trivia
- It is one of the first films that discusses and depicts assisted suicide.
- The story served as the inspiration for a 1976 hit single, of the same name by the band, Racing Cars.
- One of the 1999 episodes of Sex and the City is called, "They Shoot Single People, Don't They?".
- There is a chapter in the 2000 book, Murder with Puffins by Donna Andrews entitled "They Shoot Puffins, Don't They?".
- One of the 2002 episodes of the television show, Gilmore Girls, where Rory and Lorelai enter a dance marathon, is entitled "They Shoot Gilmores, Don't They?".
- A 2004 work by British video artist Phil Collins refers to the film. Entitled "They Shoot Horses", it consists of two 7 hour films, shown simultaneously, recording a group of Palestinian teenagers competing in a dance marathon in Ramallah.
- The 2006 music video for the song, "Dark Blue" by band Jack's Mannequin was inspired by the film and is set during a dance marathon.
- There is a chapter in the book, Julie & Julia by Julie Powell called "They Shoot Lobsters, Don't They?"
- In the video game Destroy All Humans 2 there is a mission entitled "They Shoot Hippies Don't They?"
