Goin' South (1978)

Director:

Jack Nicholson

Writers:

John Herman Shaner (story) &
Al Ramrus (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

6 October 1978 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Western

Tagline:

Saved from the hangman, for a fate worse than death!

Plot:

Henry Moon is captured for a capital offense by a posse when his horse quits while trying to escape to Mexico...

Plot Keywords:

Horse | Small Town | Sheriff | Gold | Whiskey

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe.

Cast

Jack Nicholson	...	Henry Lloyd Moon
Mary Steenburgen	...	Julia Tate / Moon
Christopher Lloyd	...	Deputy Towfield
John Belushi	...	Deputy Hector
Richard Bradford	...	Sheriff Andrew Kyle
Veronica Cartwright	...	Hermine, Moon's Old Gang
Jeff Morris	...	Big Abe, Moon's Old Gang
Danny DeVito	...	Hog, Moon's Old Gang
Tracey Walter	...	Coogan, Moon's Old Gang
Gerald H. Reynolds	...	Polty, Rail Road Manager
Luana Anders	...	Lorette Anderson
George W. Smith	...	Mr. Anderson
Lucy Lee Flippin	...	Diane Haber
Ed Begley Jr.	...	Whitey Haber
Maureen Byrnes	...	Mrs. Warren
B.J. Merholz	...	Mr. Warren
Britt Leach	...	Parson Weems
Georgia Schmidt	...	Florence
Barbara Ann Grimes	...	Spinster #1 (as Barbara Ann Walters)
Anne Ramsey	...	Spinster #2
Marsha Ferri	...	Spinster #3
Lin Shaye	...	Parasol Lady
Don McGovern	...	Norvell the Bartender
Dennis Fimple	...	Hangman
Annie Marshall	...	Painted Lady (as Anne T. Marshall)
Anita Terrian	...	Painted Lady
Robert L. Wilson	...	Drunk
Carlton Risdon	...	Cotton the Stage Driver
Nancy Coan Kaclik	...	Miriam Standard
R.L. Armstrong	...	Farmer Standard

Directed by
Jack Nicholson

Writing credits
John Herman Shaner		(story) &
Al Ramrus		(story)
John Herman Shaner		(screenplay) &
Al Ramrus		(screenplay) and
Charles Shyer		(screenplay) &
Alan Mandel		(screenplay)

Produced by
Harry Gittes	....	producer
Harold Schneider	....	producer

Original Music by
Perry Botkin Jr.
Van Dyke Parks

Cinematography by
Néstor Almendros		(as Nestor Almendros)

Film Editing by
John Fitzgerald Beck
Richard Chew

Production Design by
Toby Carr Rafelson

Art Direction by
Agustín Ituarte		(as Agustin Ytuarte)

Costume Design by
William Ware Theiss

Makeup Department
María de Jesús Lepe	....	hair stylist (as Ma. de Jesus Lepe)
Edie Panda	....	hair stylist
Bob Westmoreland	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Alberto A. Ferrer	....	production manager
Marco Aurelio Ortiz	....	assistant production manager
Clark L. Paylow	....	unit manager (as Clark Paylow)
Sergio David Prieto	....	assistant production manager (as David Prieto)
Lindsley Parsons Jr.	....	executive production manager: Paramount (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
William S. Beasley	....	second assistant director (as William Beasley)
Michael Daves	....	first assistant director
Jesús Marín	....	assistant director (as Jesus Marin)

Art Department
Tony Castañola	....	set dresser assistant
Antonio Mata	....	head prop man
Robert Scaife	....	construction coordinator
Marty Wunderlich	....	property master

Sound Department
Art Rochester	....	production sound mixer (as Arthur Rochester)
Bill Rowe	....	sound re-recording mixer
Frank E. Warner	....	sound effects editor
Ken Dufva	....	foley artist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Raúl Camarena	....	special effects
Lawrence J. Cavanaugh	....	special effects (as Larry Cavanaugh)

Stunts
May Boss	....	stunts (as May R. Boss)
Loren Janes	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Dick Deats	....	key grip
Rafael Delong	....	crane grip
Hugh K. Gagnier	....	additional photographer (as Hugh Gagnier)
Alfredo Ruvalcaba	....	best boy
Manuel Santaella	....	camera operator
Hal Trussell	....	gaffer

Casting Department
Luis Sánchez	....	extras casting (as Luis Sanchez)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Thomas S. Dawson	....	costumer: men (as Thomas Dawson)
Alfonso Govea	....	wardrober men
Frances Kandelin Harrison	....	costumer: women
Juana Oliver	....	wardrober women
Alicia Soto	....	dress maker

Editorial Department
Carlos Puente	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Else Blangsted	....	music editor
Ry Cooder	....	musician: "Available Space"
Ken Lauber	....	composer: additional music

Other crew
Ricardo Frera	....	production assistant
Don Henry	....	production accountant
Nancy Coan Kaclik	....	assistant to producer
Francisco Ledesma	....	delegate: actors
Chayo Lopez	....	production associate
Joe O'Har	....	location manager
Guillermo Panuco	....	wrangler
Pedro Perez Rivera	....	medic
Kathleen Dolan Sumner	....	assistant: Mr. Nicholson
Anita Terrian	....	assistant to producer
Julia Tucker	....	script supervisor
Robert L. Wilson	....	wrangler (as Robert Wilson)
'Chema' Hernandez	....	livestock coordinator (uncredited)
'Chico' Hernandez	....	wrangler (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1978) (USA) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1982) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• CIC Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Modern Film Effects  titles and opticals
• Thorn EMI Elstree Studios  re-recording

Runtime:

105 min | USA:109 min (DVD version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Mono)

Certification:

Iceland:L | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Norway:12 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:PG | West Germany:12 | Singapore:PG | Netherlands:AL

Filming Locations:

Durango, Mexico

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Jane Fonda and Anne Bancroft turned down the lead.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: After the ladies had their chat in the kitchen, a whistle tells that the water is boiling. The kettle shown in close up is a plain water kettle and has no whistle.

Quotes:

Sheriff Andrew Kyle: Julia, are you drunk?
Julia Tate: Sheriff Kyle, you know I don't drink.
Henry Moon: 'Course she don't drink!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The 53rd Annual Academy Awards (1981) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Available Space

Not a classic, but I've been repeating its lines for 25 years . . .

The critics slammed this movie when it came out, as I recall. Exceedingly lofty expectations for Jack the director or something, I don't know. I just know that 25 years has made this movie better. I liked it from the start, and it seems that the rest of the world is coming around.

There are slow sections of this film, to be sure. But the great lines! "I wouldn't take you to a dog fight if you was the defendin' champion!" "We were just sayin' how much we needed a figurine." "Good mornin', ladies! I SHORE ENJOYED them CANNED APRICOTS LAST NIGHT!!!"

It bears up well to repeated watchings. What higher rating can a movie have?