Sam Peckinpah's "The Ballad of Cable Hogue," although still very much concerned with the sere and yellow, offers light, or, at least, lighter relief
Thirst does very much play a part in his history at the outset . Robbed and abandoned by his partners (Strother Martin and L. O. Jones) in the desert, Jason Robards is saved from certain death by finding water from a spring And out of this discovery comes a sort of success story
The spring is handy to the stagecoach route and so, assisted by a banker in the nearby of an unexciting town (Deaddog is the indicative name), he sets up a 'halt' on the trail In Deaddog he also chums up with the local whore (Stella Stevens). And always aiding and encouraging him is a mischievous preacher (David Warner) who is ever willing and able to give more than spiritual comfort to the female members of his flock
The old fellow's project prospers; the sympathetic prostitute pays him a fleeting but rewarding visit; he eventually gets revenge on one of the partners who left him to die And the happiest ending seems to purr into view in the form of a splendid car carrying the good-time gal who has finally decided to settle down with him
Allegory? Or straight romantic comedy? One is never sure but it's a warm and vivid film with a distinctive flavor that teases the sense of taste Whether the style is peak Peckinpah is another matter
Thirst does very much play a part in his history at the outset . Robbed and abandoned by his partners (Strother Martin and L. O. Jones) in the desert, Jason Robards is saved from certain death by finding water from a spring And out of this discovery comes a sort of success story
The spring is handy to the stagecoach route and so, assisted by a banker in the nearby of an unexciting town (Deaddog is the indicative name), he sets up a 'halt' on the trail In Deaddog he also chums up with the local whore (Stella Stevens). And always aiding and encouraging him is a mischievous preacher (David Warner) who is ever willing and able to give more than spiritual comfort to the female members of his flock
The old fellow's project prospers; the sympathetic prostitute pays him a fleeting but rewarding visit; he eventually gets revenge on one of the partners who left him to die And the happiest ending seems to purr into view in the form of a splendid car carrying the good-time gal who has finally decided to settle down with him
Allegory? Or straight romantic comedy? One is never sure but it's a warm and vivid film with a distinctive flavor that teases the sense of taste Whether the style is peak Peckinpah is another matter