THE BALLAD OF CABLE HOGUE
Special Features: Intro by Silver Spring-based author, producer and screenwriter George Pelecanos on Jan. 31
While still completing the edit on 1969’s THE WILD BUNCH, Sam Peckinpah shot this change-of-pace, comedic fantasy of a Western, which went wildly overbudget, once again putting the director in the doghouse with the studios. Left for dead in the desert by his faithless associates, prospector Cable Hogue (a magnificent Jason Robards) bargains with God for deliverance, which arrives several days later in the form of a muddy puddle. That puddle marks the spot of the only fresh water spring for miles, and Cable is not only saved but also stakes a claim to the land. He builds the way station of Cable Springs, in partnership with itinerant preacher and drinking buddy Reverend Joshua Duncan Sloan (David Warner). Cable enjoys a measure of success, as well as love and companionship with Hildy (Stella Stevens), a formerly successful prostitute in the town of Dead Dog who was “asked to leave” as the townsfolk sought to gentrify. But when the first motorcars show up, it spells an end to Cable’s good luck. Critically praised but commercially ignored during its release, THE BALLAD OF CABLE HOGUE is a vital work by Peckinpah, the equal of his more celebrated titles and one he often cited as a personal favorite. DIR/PROD Sam Peckinpah; SCR John Crawford, Edmund Penney. U.S., 1970, color, 121 min. RATED R
Run Time: 121 Minutes
Opening Date: Friday, January 31, 2025
Genre: Western comedy