The Ballad of Cable Hogue (1970)

Director:

Sam Peckinpah

Writers:

John Crawford (writer)
Edmund Penney (writer)
(more)

Release Date:

22 May 1970 (Finland)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance | Western

Tagline:

Cable Hogue says..."Do unto others... as you would have others do unto you."

Plot:

A hobo accidentally stumbles onto a water spring, and creates a profitable way station in the middle of the desert.

Plot Keywords:

Stagecoach | Desert | Water | Revenge | Reverend

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Jason Robards	...	Cable Hogue
Stella Stevens	...	Hildy
David Warner	...	Joshua
Strother Martin	...	Bowen
Slim Pickens	...	Ben Fairchild
L.Q. Jones	...	Taggart
Peter Whitney	...	Cushing
R.G. Armstrong	...	Quittner
Gene Evans	...	Clete
William Mims	...	Jensen
Kathleen Freeman	...	Mrs. Jensen
Susan O'Connell	...	Claudia
Vaughn Taylor	...	Powell
Max Evans	...	Webb Seely
James Anderson	...	Preacher
Felix Nelson	...	William
Darwin Lamb	...	The Stranger (as Darwin W. Lamb)
Mary Munday	...	Dot
William D. Faralla	...	Lucius
Matthew Peckinpah	...	Matthew
Victor Izay	...	Stage Office Clerk
Easy Pickens	...	Easy

Directed by
Sam Peckinpah

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
John Crawford		writer
Gordon T. Dawson		uncredited
Edmund Penney		writer

Produced by
Gordon T. Dawson	....	associate producer (as Gordon Dawson)
William D. Faralla	....	co-producer (as William Faralla)
Phil Feldman	....	executive producer
Sam Peckinpah	....	producer

Original Music by
Jerry Goldsmith

Cinematography by
Lucien Ballard

Film Editing by
Lou Lombardo
Frank Santillo

Art Direction by
Leroy Coleman

Set Decoration by
Jack Mills

Makeup Department
Kathryn Blondell	....	hair stylist (as Kathy Blondell)
Al Fleming	....	makeup artist
Gary Liddiard	....	makeup artist

Production Management
George Templeton	....	unit production manager (as Dink Templeton)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
John Gaudioso	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Don Rush	....	sound
Tex Rudloff	....	sound re-recording mixer (uncredited)
Dan Wallin	....	sound re-recording mixer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Bud Hulburd	....	special effects

Stunts
Mickey Gilbert	....	stunts (uncredited)
Steve Ward	....	stunts (uncredited)
Troy Ward	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jack Williams	....	stunts (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Robert Fletcher	....	costumes: Miss Stevens

Music Department
Sonny Burke	....	music supervisor
Richard Gillis	....	composer: song "Butterfly Mornings"
Richard Gillis	....	musician
Arthur Morton	....	orchestrator
Dan Wallin	....	score mixer (uncredited)

Other crew
Frank Kowalski	....	dialogue supervisor

Production Companies

• Warner Bros. Pictures

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1970) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1970) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1976) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Warner Home Video (1990) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (Finland) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD) (special edition)
• Warner Bros. Finland (1970) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1983) (Finland) (TV)
• TV3 (1988) (Finland) (TV)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1998) (2000) (Finland) (TV)

Other Companies

• Latigo Productions  titles

Also Known As:

Balladen om Cable Hogue (Finland: Swedish title) (Sweden) [sv]
Çöl seytani (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
A Morte Não Manda Recado (Brazil) [pt]
A pap, a kurtizán és a magányos hõs (Hungary) [hu]
Abgerechnet wird zum Schluß (West Germany) [de]
Ballada o Cable Hogue (Poland) [pl]
Ballade von Cable Hogue (West Germany) [de]
Balladi Cable Hoguesta (Finland) [fi]
Cable Hogue - præriens tørstige mand (Denmark) [da]
Gypes pano apo tin erimo (Greece) [el]
La balada de Cable Hogue (Spain) [es]
La balada del desiertio (Mexico) [es]
La ballata di Cable Hogue (Italy) [it]
Un nommé Cable Hogue (France) [fr]

Runtime:

121 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:PG | Singapore:NC-16 | West Germany:12 (re-rated) | West Germany:16 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 (1970) | USA:R | Iceland:12

Filming Locations:

Apache Junction, Arizona, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

This film fell weeks behind schedule due to bad weather. When they could not film, director Sam Peckinpah and his cast and crew would drink. When the film did wrap production, the bar bill came to over $70,000.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: When the Rev. Sloan is comforting Claudia and unbuttons her blouse, it is obvious that her skirt has a zipper. The movie takes place in 1908, but the modern zipper that would be used on clothing wasn't designed until 1913 and patented in 1917.

Quotes:

Reverend Joshua Sloan: Did it ever occur to you, Cable, how wise and bountiful God was to put breasts on a woman? Just the right number in just the right place. Did you ever notice that, Cable?
Cable Hogue: Well, where in the hell would he put 'em? On their backside?
Reverend Joshua Sloan: It's a thought.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Ladiest Damn'd Lady: An Afternoon with Stella Stevens (2006) (V)

Soundtrack:

A Soothing Hand

A tribute to the passing days of the Old West by a director/genius

"The Ballad of Cable Hogue", when first released in 1970, may have caught the viewing public asleep. But, over the years, people have seen this film for what it truly is--a tribute by director Sam Peckinpah to the passing away of the old west, and a brilliant performance turned in by Jason Robards as a desert hobo who finally awakens to his need for touching base with the human race, ever so often.

Cable is left out in the desert by two comrades, Bowen and Taggart, to make his own way, or perish trying, as they head back to civilization. Hogue vows to catch up to them, but first, he has to find water, which he does, then establish a business for the stage line, which he is able to do, and show a profit. All this happens, and after several years of waiting, the two former friends do happen onto his way station, and a touch of revenge is extracted by Cable upon the two who left him in the desert.

This film has some remarkable elements; a great supporting cast led by Stella Stevens, playing Hildy, David Warner portrays a lecherous preacher who becomes Hogue's partner in the desert, and Strother Martin and L. Q. Jones add the touch of villiany this film needed. Also, the musical background will stay with the viewer long after the final credits have rolled. This movie is a fantastic portrayal of the fading era of the west, and Peckinpah left the public with a classic. 9/10, easily.