THE BALLAD OF CABLE HOGUE

***The Ballad of Cable Hogue*** is a 1970 American Technicolor Western film directed by Sam Peckinpah and starring Jason Robards, Stella Stevens and David Warner. Set in the Arizona desert during a period when the frontier was closing, the film follows three years in the life of a failed prospector. While unmistakably a Western, the movie is unconventional for the genre and for the director. It contains only a few brief scenes of violence and gunplay, relying more on a subtly crafted story that could better be characterized as comedic in nature.

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* Stella Stevens
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## Plot

Sometime around 1905, Cable Hogue is isolated in the desert awaiting his partners, Taggart and Bowen, who are scouting for water. The two plot to seize what little water remains to save themselves. Cable, who hesitates to defend himself, is disarmed and abandoned to almost certain death.

Confronted with sandstorms and other desert elements, Cable bargains with God. Four days later, about to perish, he stumbles upon a muddy pit. He digs and discovers an abundant supply of water.

After discovering that his well is the only source of water between two towns on a stagecoach route, he decides to live there and build a business. Cable's first paying customer is the Rev. Joshua Duncan Sloane, a wandering minister of a church of his own revelation. Joshua doubts the legitimacy of Cable's claim to the spring, prompting Cable to race into town to file at the land office.

Cable faces the mockery of everyone he tells about his discovery. That does not deter him from buying 2 acres (0.8 ha) surrounding his spring. He immediately goes to the stage office to drum up business but is thrown out by the skeptical owner. He pitches his business plan to a bank president, who is dubious about the claim. Cable impresses the banker with his attitude and he is staked to $100.

Cable, who hasn’t bathed since his desert wanderings, decides to treat himself to a night with Hildy, a prostitute in the town saloon. They quickly develop a jovial understanding but before they can consummate the transaction, Cable remembers that he has still not set up his boundary markers and rushes out, much to Hildy's chagrin. She chases him out of the saloon in a sequence that wreaks havoc on the town.

Back at the spring, Cable and Joshua get to work, dubbing the claim Cable Springs. The two decide to go into town and are drunk by the time they arrive. Cable makes up with Hildy and spends the night with her, leaving Joshua to pursue his passion: the seduction of emotionally vulnerable women.

Cable and Joshua continue to run the robust business, delighting in shocking the often genteel travelers with the realities of frontier life. In moments of solitude, Cable and Joshua philosophize on the nature of love and the passing of their era. Joshua decides that he must return to town. Hildy arrives at Cable Springs having been "asked" to leave by the modernizing townfolk, who can no longer abide open prostitution in their midst. She tells Cable that she will leave for San Francisco in the morning but winds up staying with him for three weeks. This time elapses during a tender, romantic montage.

Joshua eventually wanders back to Cable Springs, having gotten into trouble with a married woman in Dead, but leaves a few days after Hildy decides to continue on way to San Francisco. Cable continues to run his establishment alone.

Then one day, Taggart and Bowen arrive on the stagecoach. Cable lets them believe that he bears them no ill will, and he alludes to a huge stash of cash that he has hoarded, knowing that the two men will return to steal it. When they do, Cable outwits them, by throwing rattlesnakes into the pit they have dug. When they surrender, he orders them to strip to their underwear to venture into the desert, just as he had been forced to do. Taggart, believing Cable will once again hesitate to defend himself, reaches for his gun but Hogue shoots him dead.

A motor car appears, driving right past Cable Springs with no need or interest in stopping for water. The drivers laugh at the archaic scene of western violence as they race past. "Went right on by," says Cable in amazement. "Well, that's gonna be the next fella's worry."

Cable takes mercy on the grovelling Bowen. He even gives him Cable Springs, having decided to go to San Francisco to find Hildy. The stagecoach arrives and Cable gets ready to pack up when suddenly another motorcar  appears. This one does stop and Hildy emerges, opulently dressed. She has become prosperous (by marrying a rich man who "died in bed of a stroke") and, now on her way to New Orleans, has come to see if Cable is ready to join her. He agrees but while he loads the motorcar he accidentally trips its brake. The car runs over him as he pushes Bowen out of the way.

Joshua, who arrives by a black motorcycle with a sidecar, gives a eulogy for Cable as he dies. This segues into a funeral with the cast standing mournfully over Cable's grave. They are grieving not only the death of the man but the era he represents. The stagecoach and motorcar drive off in opposite directions. A coyote wanders into the abandoned Cable Springs. But the coyote has a collar – possibly symbolising the taming of the wilderness.

## Cast

* Jason Robards as Cable Hogue
* Stella Stevens as Hildy
* David Warner as Joshua
* Strother Martin as Bowen
* Slim Pickens as Ben Fairchild
* L. Q. Jones as Taggart
* Peter Whitney as Cushing
* R. G. Armstrong as Quittner
* Gene Evans as Clete
* William Mims as Jensen
* Kathleen Freeman as Mrs Jensen
* Susan O'Connell as Claudia
* Vaughn Taylor as Powell
* Max Evans as Webb Seely
* James Anderson as Preacher
* Felix Nelson as William
* Darwin Lamb as The Stranger
* Mary Munday as Dot
* William D. Faralla as Lucius
* Matthew Peckinpah as Matthew
* Easy Pickens as Easy

## Production

Sam Peckinpah followed his violent, critically acclaimed 1969 film *The Wild Bunch* with this mostly non-violent Western. Utilizing many of the same cast (L.Q. Jones, Strother Martin) and crew members of *The Wild Bunch*, Peckinpah shot on location in the desert of Nevada and Apacheland Movie Ranch located in Apache Junction, Arizona. The production was plagued by poor weather, Peckinpah's renewed alcohol consumption and his brusque firing of 36 crew members. When unable to shoot due to weather conditions, the cast and crew would go to a local bar, eventually running up a tab of $70,000. The chaotic filming wrapped 19 days over schedule and $3 million over budget, terminating his tenure with Warner Bros.-Seven Arts. In retrospect, it was a damaging career move. The critical and box office hits *Deliverance* (1972) and *Jeremiah Johnson* (1972) were in development at the time and Peckinpah was considered the first choice to direct them. His alienation of Warner Brothers left him with a limited number of directing jobs. Peckinpah was forced to do a 180-degree turn from *The Ballad of Cable Hogue*and traveled to England to direct *Straw Dogs* (1971), one of his darkest and most psychologically disturbing films.

## Soundtrack

*The Ballad of Cable Hogue* has an original score by Jerry Goldsmith and songs by Richard Gillis. Each of the main characters has a theme: Hogue's "Tomorrow is the Song I Sing", Hildy's "Butterfly Morning", and Joshua's "Wait for Me, Sunrise." The soundtrack was eventually released in 2001, by Varèse Sarabande in a limited edition album of only 3000 copies.

## Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 94% based on reviews from 16 critics.

Roger Ebert of the *Chicago Sun-Times* gave the film three-and-a-half stars out of four and called it "a splendid example of the New Western. It's also a fine movie, a wonderfully comic tale we didn't quite expect from a director who seems more at home with violence than with humor."Roger Greenspun of *The New York Times* called it "Peckinpah's gentlest, boldest, and perhaps most likable film to date. It is also thematically his most ambitious." Gene Siskel of the *Chicago Tribune* gave the film three stars out of four and wrote that there were "many things to cherish in 'Cable Hogue,' especially Jason Robards' flawless performance. Robards is able to be both as tough and as compassionate as his character." Siskel's main complaints was during the second act when "one of two things happened. Either my needs require a quicker-moving film or gunplay, or Peckinpah did not have enough of a story." Arthur D. Murphy of *Variety* called it "a Damon Runyon-esque oater" that was "[l]oaded with bawdy, lusty and gritty elements, plus genuine tenderness and feeling, as well as too much length ... This is a notable, but not substantial, flaw in an otherwise excellent film." Charles Champlin of the *Los Angeles Times* stated that the film "gets away to a shocking and immensely cinematic start. The trail, I'm afraid, winds down from there, but even at his most heavy-handed, simplistic and protracted, Peckinpah remains just about the most genuinely individualistic American director of his generation." Gary Arnold of *The Washington Post* called it "a mood piece in which the right mood—a laconic fairy tale, rather like William Wyler's 'The Westerner' with Gary Cooper and Walter Brennan—is only fitfully achieved and sustained. There are nice moments, nice feelings, but the film has a jerky rhythm and uneven tone. It feels rather absent-minded, as if Peckinpah were distracted during the shooting (as indeed, he was—by editing 'The Wild Bunch') and never found a consistent style for this material."

Largely ignored upon its release, *The Ballad of Cable Hogue* has been rediscovered and is often held by critics as an example of the breadth of Peckinpah's talent. They claim that the film proves Peckinpah's ability to make unconventional and original work without resorting to explicit violence. Over the years, Peckinpah cited the film as a favorite. All the town scenes were filmed on location at Apacheland Movie Ranch in Apache Junction, Arizona. The desert scenes at Cable Springs and elsewhere were filmed in Nevada at Valley of Fire State Park.

Critics have called *The Ballad of Cable Hogue* a "Death of the West" film, depicting the transition from old to modern civilization. Other films of this category include *Once Upon a Time in the West* (1968), *Paint Your Wagon* (1969), *Monte Walsh* (1970), *The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean* (1972), *The Shootist* (1976), *Unforgiven* (1992) and Peckinpah's *Ride the High Country* (1962), *The Wild Bunch* (1969) and *Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid* (1973).

### Box office

*The Ballad of Cable Hogue* had an operating budget of $3,716,946. The film earned $5,000,000 worldwide, with $3,500,000 in box office sales in the United States, and an additional $1,500,000 internationally.

## Popular culture

Welsh musician John Cale wrote and recorded a song titled "Cable Hogue" for his 1975 album *Helen of Troy.*

Tucson band Calexico wrote a song called "Ballad Of Cable Hogue" on their 2000 album Hot Rail, which shares similar lyrical themes to the plot of the film.

## Trivia

1. Production on the film fell weeks behind schedule due to bad weather. When filming was suspended, director Sam Peckinpah, along with cast and crew, would drink. When filming finally wrapped, the bar bill came to over $70,000 (equivalent to over $483,000 in 2021).
2. The chaotic filming wrapped 19 days over schedule and $3 million over budget, terminating Sam Peckinpahs tenure with Warner Bros./Seven Arts, and caused permanent damage to his career. The critical and box office hits Deliverance (1972) and Jeremiah Johnson (1972) were in development at the time, and Peckinpah was considered the first choice to direct them. His departure from Warner Brothers left him with a limited number of directing jobs. Peckinpah was forced to do a 180-degree turn from this film, and travelled to England to direct Straw Dogs (1971), one of his darkest and most psychologically disturbing films.
3. This was the favorite film of the director. Often, when asked to speak about his work, he brought a print of this film to show, instead of one of his more famous works.
4. The automobile featured in the film is the "Leslie Special," from The Great Race (1965). The car was repainted from white to green, and the red upholstery replaced with white upholstery.
5. According to David Weddle, author of "If They Move, Kill 'Em: The Life And Times Of Sam Peckinpah", in August 1969 Warner Brothers showed its distributors a two and a half hour rough cut of the film without the knowledge of either Peckinpah or producer Phil Feldman. The director had urged the studio to hold off on their judgment (which was generally negative towards this rough cut) until he could cut another half hour from it. The studio allowed him to do so, but much more out of apathy than for any respect for his talent. Despite positive audience reactions of seventy percent at its previews in January and February 1970, the film was dumped onto the market in the spring with hardly any promotion behind it. According to Stella Stevens, "Warner Brothers didn't release it, they flushed it."
6. Only credit for actor Slim Pickens' brother, Easy Pickens.
7. Several crew members were fired from this film. It was the job of one crew member to have bus tickets back to Los Angeles for a fired crew member. If someone lost their job, Sam Peckinpah would ask, "Do you have a bus ticket for them?"
8. Warren Oates was originally intended for the lead role.
9. Charlton Heston turned down the lead role, saying that it wasn't a great script.
10. Henry Fonda was interested in playing Joshua, but negotiations broke down.
11. Stella Stevens was always Sam Peckinpah's first choice for the role of Hildy, and reassured her, even when Stevens doubted she was right for the part. As Stevens and the producers clashed over money and billing, executive producer Phil Feldman looked at Joanne Woodward as a possible replacement, but, she wanted too much money, so Stevens got the part.
12. Sam Peckinpah fired thirty six people during the thirty six days of shooting. A car was always on location only to bring the "casualties" to the Las Vegas airport.
13. James Stewart was offered the lead role, but turned it down, thinking it would be bad for his image.
14. David Warner suffers from vertigo and had a panic attack before he was due to fly out to the set. Although they had never met and the Englishman wasn't a name to conjure with in Hollywood, Sam Peckinpah was so determined to cast Warner that it was arranged he should sail over to America, even though this meant holding up his scenes three weeks. Warner deeply appreciated this and they made two more films together: Straw Dogs(1971) and Cross of Iron (1977).
15. Stella Stevens said in a 2004 interview that she adored Jason Robards Jr., but David Warner, on the other hand, was very strange. He had just come over from England and it was his first big film in the United States. She described a scene where he was supposed to be leaning on her as she helps him into the house, but he wouldn't touch her or really lean. And director Sam Peckinpah yelled at her saying "What are you doing? What's the matter with you?" She said "Warner wasn't really leaning; he was pretending. Actors are not pretenders. We are be-ers. We do not pretend. And he pretended. That did not sit well with me. When you see me trying to throw that pitcher at him, I mean it!"
16. Sam Peckinpah started work on this film almost immediately after finishing work on the landmark The Wild Bunch (1969). That is why Strother Martin and L.Q. Jones were cast in similar roles in both films.
17. The United States flag that Cable Hogue flies has 46 stars, indicating that the film is set sometime between late 1908 and early 1912.
18. Stella Stevens said once that director Sam Peckingpah was not a great comedy director, but he kept calling Cable Hogue a comedy. She added "I kept looking at him until finally I said, 'Sam, this is not a comedy; the hero dies at the end. This is a love story. It may have some funny stuff in it, but it is not a comedy.' He, however, always called it a comedy."
19. Hogue's Castle was a real-life hotel which was acquired in Bishop, California. It was packed-up and transported along with its own furniture to its shooting location across the border in Nevada.
20. Sam Peckinpah decided to really kill animals on the set of the movie.
21. Stella Stevens said in an interview that Sam Peckinpah was a great director, but he was tough to put up with. He had an alcohol problem, he was a bitter man, knowing how talented he was and not being acknowledged by the studios he had worked for. The more it went on, the more he drank and the worse it got. She described working with him during a 1995 interview, "Sam is probably one of the greatest characters whom I ever worked with. It was like working with a wounded rattlesnake. He was a very volatile personality. You never knew if he was going to love or hate you. He hid behind dark glasses or mirrored sunglasses and mumbled when he spoke on the set, so you'd have to go right up to his face to hear what he was directing you to do. He did everything he could to drive everybody crazy."
22. The production base for the film was at Echo Bay, Nevada.
23. Last film of Peter Whitney.
24. According to Stella Stevens, Sam Peckinpah fired around 35 people off the crew and sent them home for various "little political games." But then the union warned him that if he fired one more person, they'd shut him down and he wouldn't be able to make the film. So he straightened up and used the crew he had.