Midnight Cowboy (1969)

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 | New York City | Hustler | Male Prostitute

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:

Charles Durning was going to act in this film but dropped out.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Joe Buck is sitting on the porch, dressed in a military suit, talking about his grandmother's death, he spits backwards.

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 Wanderlust (2006) (TV)

Soundtrack:

The Last Round-Up (Git Along, Little Dogie, Git Along)

Everybody's Talkin' at me, I can't hear a word they're saying

One of the best films of the 60's and one of the kings of X rated films (among the few which include Valley of the Dolls, Clockwork Orange, and the only one to keep the title, Last Tango in Paris) is essentially a old fashioned type of movie, sorta like American Pie was (in a way). The film stars a young Jon Voight as a guy from the pig farms of Texas who moves to New York and becomes a man-whore. While in town, he meets the memorable Ratzo Rizzo played even more memorably by Dustin Hoffman. They then form a good yet sad friendship. Stylishly compelling, with two fine performances at it's core, and even thought the X rated form might scare away some people, most sex scenes go fast with quick yet excellent editing. A very well made film experience, however never watch this film on TV, and that goes for most films that have some explicit stuff. A+