Midnight Cowboy (1969)

User Rating:

8.0/10   

Director:

John Schlesinger

Writers:

Waldo Salt (screenplay)
James Leo Herlihy (novel)

Release Date:

16 June 1969 (Brazil)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Whatever you hear about Midnight Cowboy is true.

Plot:

A naive male prostitute and his sickly friend struggle to survive on the streets of New York City.

Plot Keywords:

Friend | Texas | Male Prostitute | Hustler | New York City

Awards:

Won 3 Oscars. Another 23 wins & 12 nominations

Cast

Dustin Hoffman	...	Ratso
Jon Voight	...	Joe Buck
Sylvia Miles	...	Cass
John McGiver	...	Mr. O'Daniel
Brenda Vaccaro	...	Shirley
Barnard Hughes	...	Towny
Ruth White	...	Sally Buck - Texas
Jennifer Salt	...	Annie - Texas
Gilman Rankin	...	Woodsy Niles - Texas (as Gil Rankin)
Gary Owens	...	Little Joe - Texas
T. Tom Marlow	...	Little Joe - Texas
George Eppersen	...	Ralph - Texas
Al Scott	...	Cafeteria Manager - Texas
Linda Davis	...	Mother on the Bus - Texas
J.T. Masters	...	Old Cow-Hand - Texas
Arlene Reeder	...	The Old Lady - Texas
Georgann Johnson	...	Rich Lady - New York
Jonathan Kramer	...	Jackie - New York
Anthony Holland	...	TV Bishop - New York
Bob Balaban	...	The Young Student - New York
Jan Tice	...	Freaked-Out Lady - New York
Paul Benjamin	...	Bartender - New York
Peter Scalia	...	Vegetable Grocer - New York
Vito Siracusa	...	Vegetable Grocer - New York
Peter Zamagias	...	Hat Shop Owner - New York
Arthur Anderson	...	Hotel Clerk - New York
Tina Scala	...	Laundromat Lady - New York
Alma Felix	...	Laundromat Lady - New York
Richard Clarke	...	Escort Service Man - New York
Ann Thomas	...	The Frantic Lady - New York
Viva	...	Gretel McAlbertson - The Party
Gastone Rossilli	...	Hansel McAlbertson - The Party
Ultra Violet	...	The Party
Paul Jabara	...	The Party
International Velvet	...	The Party
Cecelia Lipson	...	The Party
Taylor Mead	...	The Party
Paul Morrissey	...	The Party
Joan Murphy	...	The Waitress - Florida
Al Stetson	...	Bus Driver - Florida
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Pat Ast	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Mary Boylan	...	Old Lady in Subway (uncredited)
Philip Bruns	...	Man in TV Montage (uncredited)
Randall Carver	...	Rapist in Flashback (uncredited)
Marlene Clark	...	Girl at Party (uncredited)
William Door	...	Man at Party (uncredited)
Sandy Duncan	...	Woman in TV Montage (uncredited)
Trent Gough	...	Man at Lunch Counter (uncredited)
Paul Jasmin	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Jay Morran	...	Pimp (uncredited)
Waldo Salt	...	Joe Pyne on TV Show (uncredited)
Renee Semes	...	Hippie in Coffee Shop (uncredited)
Jeffrey Walker	...	Hippie #3 (uncredited)
M. Emmet Walsh	...	Bus Passenger (uncredited)
W.A. Walters	...	St. Bernard Owner (uncredited)

Directed by
John Schlesinger

Writing credits
Waldo Salt		(screenplay)
James Leo Herlihy		(novel)

Produced by
Jerome Hellman	....	producer
Kenneth Utt	....	associate producer

Original Music by
John Barry		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Adam Holender		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Hugh A. Robertson

Production Design by
John Robert Lloyd

Set Decoration by
Philip Smith		(as Phil Smith)

Costume Design by
Ann Roth

Makeup Department
Irving Buchman	....	make-up
Bob Grimaldi	....	hairdressing
Dick Smith	....	makeup consultant

Production Management
Fred C. Caruso	....	assistant production manager (as Fred Caruso)
Hal Schaffel	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Burtt Harris	....	second unit director
Terence A. Donnelly	....	first assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Willis Conner	....	assistant art director
Edward Garzero	....	master scenic artist (as Ed Carzero)
William J. Gerrity	....	construction grip
Edward Swanson	....	head carpenter (as Ed Swanson)

Sound Department
John Bloom	....	sound restoration supervisor: Chace Productions: 25th anniversary restoration
Vincent Connelly	....	sound editor
Jack Fitzstephens	....	sound editor
Tom Long	....	sound restoration supervisor: Chace Productions: 25th anniversary restoration
Michael Minkler	....	sound re-recording mixer: Skywalker Sound: 25th anniversary restoration
Abe Seidman	....	sound
Dick Vorisek	....	sound mixer
James B. Young	....	sound restoration supervisor: Chace Productions: 25th anniversary restoration
Stephen Fitzstephens	....	foley artist (uncredited)
James Perdue	....	sound recordist (uncredited)
Robert Rogow	....	boom operator (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Joshua White	....	special lighting effects (as Joshua Light Show)

Camera and Electrical Department
Richard C. Kratina	....	camera operator (as Dick Kratina)
Norman Leigh	....	chief electrician
Michael Mahony	....	key grip (as Mike Mahony)
Willie Meyerhoff	....	chief electrician
Tom Priestley Jr.	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Al Stetson	....	electrician (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Max Soloman	....	wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
Richard P. Cirincione	....	assistant editor (as Richard Cirincione)
Keith Parrish	....	color timer: new negative (25th anniversary restoration)
Ed Rothkowitz	....	assistant editor (as Edward Rothkowitz)
Len Saltzberg	....	assistant editor (as Leonard Saltzberg)

Music Department
John Barry	....	music supervision
Toxey French	....	musical production
Garry Sherman	....	arranger and conductor
Toots Thielemans	....	musician: harmonica played by (as Jean 'Toots' Thielemans)
Walter E. Sear	....	musician: electronic music, Sear Electronic Music Production (uncredited)

Other crew
Michael Childers	....	assistant to director
Jim Clark	....	creative consultant
Pablo Ferro	....	graphic effects
Jerome Hellman	....	restoration supervisor (25th anniversary restoration)
Adam Holender	....	restoration supervisor (25th anniversary restoration)
John Schlesinger	....	restoration supervisor (25th anniversary restoration)
Nicholas Sgarro	....	continuity (as Nick Sgarro)
Jeff Kanew	....	trailer (uncredited) (unconfirmed)
Jim B. Smith	....	technical advisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Florin Productions (uncredited)
• Jerome Hellman Productions

Distributors

• United Artists (1969) (USA) (theatrical)
• Criterion Collection, The (1992) (USA) (VHS)
• Criterion Collection, The (1992) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1994) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1994) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1997) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2000) (USA) (VHS)
• Asociace Ceských Filmových Klubu (ACFK) (2005) (Czech Republic) (theatrical)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2006) (USA) (VHS)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1969) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (????) (Brazil) (DVD)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1974) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2006) (Canada) (DVD) (Collector's Edition)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD) (collector's edition)
• Spiegel Media GmbH (????) (Switzerland) (VHS)
• Svensk Filmindustri (SF) (2001) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)

Other Companies

• International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE)  this picture made under the jurisdiction of (as I.A.T.S.E.)
• Marion Dougherty Associates  casting (uncredited)
• Sear Electronic Music Production  electronic music by
• Solters & Digney  publicity (uncredited)

Runtime:

113 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Italian

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono | Dolby Digital (DVD Release)

Certification:

Canada:R (Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Canada:14A (Manitoba) (DVD rating) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) (original rating) | Iceland:16 | South Korea:18 | Brazil:16 | Canada:18A (Canadian Home Video rating) | Norway:15 (TV rating) | USA:TV-MA (TV rating) | Argentina:18 | Australia:M | Canada:18+ (Quebec) | Chile:18 | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Netherlands:12 (re-rated) | New Zealand:R18 | Norway:18 | Portugal:M/16 | Singapore:M18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 (video rating) (1988) | UK:X (original rating) | USA:R (re-rating) (1971) | USA:X (original rating) | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

114 East 72nd Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Florin Productions

Trivia:

Harry Nilsson wrote the song "I Guess the Lord Must Be In New York City" specifically for this film, but John Schlesinger preferred a Fred Neil song, "Everybody's Talkin'", which Nilsson had previously recorded. Other songs considered for the movie were Randy Newman's "Cowboy", and Bob Dylan's "Lay Lady Lay".

Goofs:

Errors in geography: After Joe Buck's encounter with Towny, he and Ratso board the bus to Miami. But the bus then enters the south tube of the Lincoln Tunnel, which only carries eastbound traffic into New York.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Joe Buck: Whoopee-tee-yi-yo. Get along little dogies. It's your misfortune and none of my own.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "X-Rated" (2004)

Soundtrack:

Caisson Song

Unique

The only reason I knew of Midnight Cowboy was because it was in the AFI Critic's Top 100. For a top 100 it is not a very well known movie; indeed, I had to look hard to find a copy, I got the DVD version for about half-price. Surprisingly it was only rated M15+ (the uncut version).

I doubt many will take notice of this review (more like comment) so I'll make it brief.

This is perhaps one of the strangest movies I've seen, partly because of the use of montages, artistic filming (very art-house) and the unusual theme. There are many things in the film I still don't understand (I've seen it twice), and it makes for an emotionally confusing film.

The filming and acting were very good, and it is the larger than life characters which make this film memorable. The main character is Joe Buck, a 'cowboy' from Texas who moves to New York to become a male prostitute. He meets the crippled conman Enrico 'Ratso' Rizzo and, of course they become friends going through the usual escapades. What makes the film interesting is the two characters are so different.

I felt the film didn't really develop the relationship between Buck and Enrico Rizzo for the audience to have any real emotional connection, although the ending is certainly quite sad and tragic. You probably already know what happens by reading the reviews, but its pretty obvious from the start.

I personally think the film beautifully and poignantly explores its main themes. The deprivation of humanity (shown by the darkness of the city streets, the breaking-down tenements). Most of the characters in the film exist beyond the law (a conman, giggolo.etc) yet you can't help liking them. Joe Buck is endearing because he is so naive and optimistic, while we begin to feel pity for Ratso later in the film.

I think the film was rated so high because it was certainly very ground-breaking for its period. At the time (And even now) it was definitely not a typical movie (quite art-house). At a time when the cinema was dominated by tired westerns, musicals and dramas a film with such an unusual theme as Midnight Cowboy pops up.

On a personal level, I must say I quite liked the film. The imagery conveyed a dream-like quality. I particularly liked the scene at the party, the music, images etc stay in your mind for a long time after watching. However, as a movie for entertainment's sake it was a bit lacking (not really my style of movie) in thrills. This is a film to be savoured and appreciated, rather than a cheap thrills action flick.

Although I would hardly consider myself qualified to analyse this film, the characters and their motives were quite interesting. From what I understand from the flashbacks, Joe Buck was sexually abused as a child by his grandmother, although it still doesn't seem to be relevant to the story. He is a happy-go-lucky young stud, who suppresses his darker memories. The religious connotations in the film are also puzzling. Some have suggested a homosexual connection between Buck and Ratso, although I fail to see where they have got the idea from. The theme of homo-sexuality in general is more than touched upon in their conversation, and later in Joe Buck's encounter with a lonely old man, but it has little to do with the main story.

Certainly from a technical point of view one of the finest films of the decade (it has more of a 70s feel to it than a 60s feel) and revolutionary for its time touching on subjects few other films dared to do. While it has a simple, sentimental story to it (disguised by a hard edge) the beauty of the film is in the strange, often psychedelic sequences.