They Shoot Horses, Don't They? poster

1969·120 min·Released

They Shoot Horses, Don't They?

“People are the ultimate spectacle.”

Drama

In the midst of the Great Depression, manipulative emcee Rocky enlists contestants for a dance marathon offering a $1,500 cash prize. Among them are a failed actress, a middle-aged sailor, a delusional blonde and a pregnant girl.

7.6(371 votes)

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Videos

They Shoot Horses, Don't They? Official Trailer #1 - Bruce Dern Movie (1969) HD

Cast & Crew

Jane Fonda

Jane Fonda

Gloria Beatty

Michael Sarrazin

Michael Sarrazin

Robert Syverton

Susannah York

Susannah York

Alice LeBlanc

Gig Young

Gig Young

Rocky Gravo

Red Buttons

Red Buttons

Sailor

Bonnie Bedelia

Bonnie Bedelia

Ruby Bates

Michael Conrad

Michael Conrad

Rollo

Bruce Dern

Bruce Dern

James Bates

Al Lewis

Al Lewis

Turkey

Robert Fields

Robert Fields

Joel

Severn Darden

Severn Darden

Cecil

Allyn Ann McLerie

Allyn Ann McLerie

Shirl

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CinemaSerf

Written on 7/15/2025

Despite the constant streams of sweat on display here, there is something physically and emotionally arid about this two hours of cinematic torture. With the depression in full swing, the down-at-heart “Gloria” (Jane Fonda) heads to California in the hope of becoming a starlet. Meantime, equally disheartened “Robert” (Michael Sarazin) is frustrated that he can’t make a career at the other end of the camera. Desperate for cash, they join a throng of other unfortunate folks in a dance marathon which awards the winners $1,500 (minus deductions!). The whole thing is rather cynically administered by “Rocky” (Gig Young) and as the dancers go round the floor, so we go round the dancers and we meet an group of people whose problems and demons are laid bare. First amongst those somewhat tragic equals would appear to be “Alice” (Susannah York) but it’s a close run thing with a pregnant couple really struggling to keep pace and with, for me anyway, the most poignant of all - the sailor (Red Buttons) who had done his bit for Uncle Sam, but was now reduced to this most torturous form of fund raising which his body was now ill equipped to handle. As the days pass, and the excellent make-up artists do their work, the visceral nature of the characterisations emerge unrelentingly, leaving us with a distinctly uncomfortable watch that exposes a fruitlessly venal culture based on the premise of dog eat dog. Perhaps, though, as these people endure physically and psychologically, they might begin to realise that the pot of gold at the end of this rainbow isn’t actually the cash, but a sense of self-respect. The last ten minutes settle things in quite traumatic fashion and suffice to say there is no chocolates and Champagne. The dialogue is sparingly potent with gentleness and optimism gradually replaced by a stoic realisation of the relentlessness of their predicament and I think Sarazin, Fonda and particularly York give the performances of their careers in the slow-burning exposé of human toxicity.

Media

They Shoot Horses, Don't They? Official Trailer #1 - Bruce Dern Movie (1969) HD

They Shoot Horses, Don't They? Official Trailer #1 - Bruce Dern Movie (1969) HD