The Ballad of Cable Hogue

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© 1970 - Warner Bros. All rights reserved.

Jason Robards (left) and Stella Stevens in "The Ballad of Cable Hogue."

Jason Robards (left) and Stella Stevens in "The Ballad of Cable Hogue."

The filmography of director Sam Peckinpah is filled with explorations of extreme characters and heavy-duty violence, which are often in the form of Westerns lamenting the end of the frontier days. The Ballad of Cable Hogue is Western with extreme characters set around the turn of the 20th century which sets up a revenge plot…but otherwise, viewers who are familiar with Peckinpah and haven’t seen it should expect to be very surprised. And perhaps more than misty-eyed at the end. If the film hadn’t been ignored at the time, Jason Robards may have picked up the Oscar he deserved in the title role. Still to come in Cinematheque's Peckinpah series is a screening of the restored Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid on March 22.

media release: USA | 1970 | 35mm | 121 min.

Director: Sam Peckinpah

Cast: Jason Robards, Stella Stevens, David Warner

Cable Hogue (Robards) is a lonely prospector, robbed of his claim and left to die in the desert. He cheats death and fate when he stumbles on an oasis and turns it into a profitable stagecoach stop. Later, Cable falls for the beautiful Hildy (Stevens), a prostitute who wants him to choose between his love for her and his quest for revenge against the men who robbed him. This uncharacteristically sweet and light-hearted gem from Peckinpah also offers the filmmaker’s usual thoughtful reflections on mortality and a lost way of American life. An original 35mm Technicolor print will be screened from the collections of Chicago Film Society.

Admission free for all screenings, seating limited. No admission 15 minutes after scheduled start times. Please visit our website for a complete listing of programs and descriptions.