They Shoot Horses, Don't They?

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They Shoot Horses, Don't They? ★★★½ 1969 (R)

Powerful period piece depicting the desperation of the Depression Era. Contestants enter a dance marathon in the hopes of winning a cash prize, not realizing that they will be driven to exhaustion. Fascinating and tragic. 121m/C VHS, DVD . Jane Fonda, Michael Sarrazin, Susannah York, Gig Young, Red Buttons, Bonnie Bedelia, Bruce Dern, Allyn Ann McLerie, Severn Darden, Al Lewis, Michael Conrad; D: Sydney Pollack; W: James Poe; C: Philip Lathrop; M: Johnny Green. Oscars ‘69: Support. Actor (Young); British Acad. ‘70: Support. Actress (York); Golden Globes ‘70: Support. Actor (Young); N.Y. Film Critics ‘69: Actress (Fonda).