Hammerman Ikon

Hammerman Ikon Film Guide

They Shoot Horses, Don't They?
1969
***½
Director: Sydney Pollack
Cast: Jane Fonda, Michael Sarrazin, Susannah York, Gig Young, Red Buttons, Bonnie Bedelia, Bruce Dern, Allyn Ann McLerie

Men and women from all walks of life come to compete in a dance marathon on the Santa Monica Pier for the grand prize of \$1,500. This desperate group of people includes a young and embittered woman named Gloria, strongly played by Jane Fonda. This adaptation of Horace McCoy's 1935 novel is a long and stagy but very moving character drama about broken dreams. It's set in the Depression era, but the story has relevance still today. In particular the greedy and opportunistic Mc who, much like reality television in the present day, manipulates the contest in order to maximise profits. Gig Young won an Academy Award for the role.