The Ballad of Cable Hogue
Seen it?1970 | 121 min | Comedy, Western, Action
Sunday Safe BetWhy it’s a Sunday Safe Bet
Critics loved it (94% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had soft box office. A safe bet when you want something reliable.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for anyone who wants a laugh and action fans. If you loved The Ballad of Buster Scruggs or The Professionals, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Light and funny.
- The pace
- Fast-moving, at 2 hr 1 min.
- What might put you off
- Rated R: meant for adults.
- Made in 1970: an older pace and style.
- Audiences were cooler on it than critics.
Double-crossed and left without water in the desert, Cable Hogue is saved when he finds a spring. It is in just the right spot for a much needed rest stop on the local stagecoach line, and Hogue uses this to his advantage. He builds a house and makes money off the stagecoach passengers. Hildy, a prostitute from the nearest town, moves in with him. Hogue has everything going his way until the advent of the automobile ends the era of the stagecoach.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsVery strong
94% on Rotten Tomatoes
- AudiencesSolid
7.0 out of 10
- AwardsNot counted
No major awards or nominations
- Box office & staying powerBelow par
$5 million worldwide on a $4 million budget; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactSolid
About 43K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Sam Peckinpah
- Jason RobardsCable Hogue
- Stella StevensHildy
- Slim PickensBen Fairchild
- David WarnerJoshua
- L.Q. JonesTaggart
- Strother MartinBowen
- R.G. ArmstrongQuittner
- Peter WhitneyCushing
- Gene EvansClete
- William MimsJensen