The Last Picture Show (1971)

User Rating:

8.1/10   

Director:

Peter Bogdanovich

Writers:

Larry McMurtry (novel)
Larry McMurtry (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

22 October 1971 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Anarene, Texas, 1951. Nothing much has changed...

Plot:

The coming of age of a youth named Sonny in a small Texas town in the 1950s.

Plot Keywords:

Texas | Death | Coming Of Age | High School | Jealousy

Awards:

Won 2 Oscars. Another 14 wins & 16 nominations

Cast

Timothy Bottoms	...	Sonny Crawford
Jeff Bridges	...	Duane Jackson
Cybill Shepherd	...	Jacy Farrow
Ben Johnson	...	Sam the Lion
Cloris Leachman	...	Ruth Popper
Ellen Burstyn	...	Lois Farrow
Eileen Brennan	...	Genevieve
Clu Gulager	...	Abilene
Sam Bottoms	...	Billy
Sharon Ullrick	...	Charlene Duggs (as Sharon Taggart)
Randy Quaid	...	Lester Marlow
Joe Heathcock	...	The Sheriff
Bill Thurman	...	Coach Popper
Barc Doyle	...	Joe Bob Blanton
Jessie Lee Fulton	...	Miss Mosey
Gary Brockette	...	Bobby Sheen
Helena Humann	...	Jimmie Sue
Loyd Catlett	...	Leroy
Robert Glenn	...	Gene Farrow
John Hillerman	...	Teacher
Janice E. O'Malley	...	Mrs. Clarg (as Janice O'Malley)
Floyd Mahaney	...	Oklahoma patrolman
Kimberly Hyde	...	Annie-Annie Martin
Noble Willingham	...	Chester
Marjorie Jay	...	Winnie Snips
Joye Hash	...	Mrs. Jackson
Pamela Keller	...	Jackie Lee French
Gordon Hurst	...	Monroe
Mike Hosford	...	Johnny
Faye Jordan	...	Nurse
Charles Seybert	...	Andy Fanner
Grover Lewis	...	Mr. Crawford
Rebecca Ulrick	...	Marlene
Merrill Shepherd	...	Agnes
Buddy Wood	...	Bud
Kenny Wood	...	Ken
Leon Brown	...	Cowboy in cafe
Bobby McGriff	...	Truck driver
Jack Mueller	...	Oil pumper
Robert Arnold	...	Brother Blanton
Frank Marshall	...	Tommy Logan
Tom Martin	...	Larry
Otis Elmore	...	Mechanic #1
Charles Salmon	...	Roughneck driver
George Gaulden	...	Cowboy
Will Morris Hannis	...	Gas station man
The Leon Miller Band	...	Themselves
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Peter Bogdanovich	...	DJ (voice)
Tom Tyler	...	The Quitter in 'Red River' (archive footage)
Antonia Bogdanovich	...	Singer (uncredited)

Directed by
Peter Bogdanovich

Writing credits
Larry McMurtry		(novel)
Larry McMurtry		(screenplay) and
Peter Bogdanovich		(screenplay)

Produced by
Stephen J. Friedman	....	producer
Bert Schneider	....	executive producer
Harold Schneider	....	associate producer

Cinematography by
Robert Surtees

Film Editing by
Donn Cambern

Casting by
Ross Brown

Production Design by
Polly Platt

Art Direction by
Walter Scott Herndon

Costume Design by
Polly Platt		(uncredited)

Production Management
Don Guest	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
William A. Morrison	....	second assistant director (as William Morrison)
Robert Rubin	....	assistant director

Art Department
Vincent M. Cresciman	....	design assistant (as Vincent Cresciman)
Louis Donelan	....	props
George Lillie	....	painter
Al Litteken	....	construction coordinator
Ed Shanley	....	construction supervisor
Walter Starkey	....	props

Sound Department
Tom Overton	....	sound mixer
Dean Salmon	....	boom operator

Camera and Electrical Department
Alan Goldenhar	....	gaffer
Leonard Lookabaugh	....	dolly grip
Carl Manoogian	....	key grip
Terry Meade	....	camera operator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Nancy McArdle	....	wardrobe
Mickey Sherrard	....	wardrobe

Other crew
Gary Chason	....	assistant to director
Marilyn La Salandra	....	production coordinator
Frank Marshall	....	location manager
Elly Mitchell	....	production secretary
Marshall Schlom	....	script supervisor
Mae Woods	....	production assistant

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation
• BBS Productions

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1971) (USA) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1974) (USA) (TV)
• Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (2001) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar (Brazil) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (1991) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• LK-TEL Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• LK-TEL (Argentina) (VHS)
• Progress Film-Verleih (1973) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (1991) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (1993) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD) (director's cut)
• VEB Progress Film-Vertrieb (1973) (East Germany) (theatrical)

Other Companies

• Edit-Rite  sound effects
• Producers' Sound Services  re-recording

MPAA:

Rated R for sexuality, nudity and language.

Runtime:

118 min | 126 min (director's cut)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:15 (video rating) (1992) | UK:X (original rating) | Iceland:L | Singapore:M18 | Canada:18+ (Quebec) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Canada:R (Ontario) | West Germany:16 (f) | Brazil:14 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Italy:T | Sweden:11 | USA:R | Argentina:Atp | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:18

Filming Locations:

115 East Main Street, Archer City, Texas, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

The last picture shown was Red River (1948).

Goofs:

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: The Texaco sign is missing the letter "E" on one side and "A" on the other; as both sides are seen, some people got confused.

Quotes:

Genevieve: One thing I know for sure. A person can't sneeze in this town without somebody offering them a handkerchief.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Charmed: The Lost Picture Show (#8.7)" (2005)

Soundtrack:

Blue Velvet

No doubt one of the top 10 best movies ever made.

A beautiful and heart wrenching movie that gets better and better as the years go by. I saw this when it came out in 1971, I knew it was good, but I didn't really understand how good or why. Over the years I have gone back and watched it again, and as my life changed I began to relate deeper each time I saw it. Bogdonovich was WAY ahead of the game on this one.

This is one of those rare movies that you can go back every five years and watch for the first time. Myself having been raised in Del Rio, Texas in the late 50's and early sixties, I can attest that this is a totally accurate picture of what coming of age in west Texas was really like for most of us.