THEY SHOOT HORSES, DON’T THEY? (1969) in 16mm

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THEY SHOOT HORSES, DON’T THEY (1969, Sydney Pollack, LPP 16mm)

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As bleak and disillusioned a film as Hollywood could muster in the late 1960s, THEY SHOOT HORSES, DON’T THEY? mobilizes the real-life tradition of Depression-era dance marathons to produce a gut-wrenching critique of American capitalism’s desire for competition and spectacle. Jane Fonda plays an unemployed background actress Gloria Beatty who enters a dance-until-you-drop competition in the hopes of winning the life-changing amount of $1,500. Ushered by tragi-comic emcee (Gig Young), a ragtag group of contestants, including a retired sailor, a pregnant young woman, and an aspiring movie star, are brought past the limits of mind and body in this cruel sport. Despite being widely acclaimed and nominated for 9 Academy Awards at its release, THEY SHOOT HORSES has been nearly unwatchable for decades due to a bankrupt distributor, followed by limited home viewing options. For those lucky enough to experience it, director Sidney Pollack’s intoxicating allegory of exploitation continues to resonate for moviegoers today.

A special low-fade positive filmstock 16mm print presented courtesy of Visual Studies Workshop.

Contact The Block Museum of Art for more information: (847) 491-4000 or email us at block-museum@northwestern.edu