Gloria is a young woman of the Depression. She has aged beyond her years and feels her life is hopeless, having been cheated and betrayed many times in her past. Fantasizing about movies, she sees herself as an actress and decides to head for Hollywood, having got the idea from a movie magazine while recuperating in the hospital from a suicide attempt which resulted from another unhappy love affair. Robert, a desperate Hollywood citizen unsuccessfully trying to become a director, never doubting that he’ll eventually make it. Robert and Gloria meet and decide to enter a dance marathon, one of the crazes of the thirties. The grueling dancing takes its toll on Gloria’s already weakened spirit, and she tells Robert that she’d be better off dead, that her life is hopeless – all the while acting cruel and bitter, alienating those around her, trying to convince him to shoot her and put her out of her misery. After all, they shoot horses, don’t they?

They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969)
  • Rating: (7,630 votes)
  • Tagline:People are the ultimate spectacle »
  • Runtime:129 minutes
  • Director: Sydney Pollack
  • Country:USA
  • Actors:
    Gloria
    Jane Fonda
    Robert
    Michael Sarrazin
    Alice
    Susannah York
    Rocky
    Gig Young
    Sailor
    Red Buttons
    Ruby
    Bonnie Bedelia
    Rollo
    Michael Conrad
    James
    Bruce Dern
    Turkey
    Al Lewis
    Joel
    Robert Fields
  • Genre:Drama
  • Producers:
    Robert Chartoff
    producer  
    Johnny Green
    associate producer (as John Green) 
    Theodore B. Sills
    executive producer  
    Irwin Winkler
    producer  
  • Plot: Gloria is a young woman of the Depression. She has aged beyond her years and feels her life is hopeless, having been cheated and betrayed many times in her past. While recovering from a suicide attempt, she gets the idea from a movie magazine to head for Hollywood to make it as an actress. Robert is a desperate Hollywood citizen trying to become a director, never doubting that he'll make it. Robert and Gloria meet and decide to enter a dance marathon, one of the crazes of the thirties. The grueling dancing takes its toll on Gloria's already weakened spirit, and she tells Robert that she'd be better off dead, that her life is hopeless - all the while acting cruelly and bitterly, alienating those around her, trying to convince him to shoot her and put her out of her misery. After all, they shoot horses, don't they? Written by alfiehitchie
They Shoot Horses, Don't They?
  • User's comment:"I've got my eye on you!" ... "Which one?" by moonspinner55

    This is the movie that "The Day of the Locust" might have aspired to be. It captures the tone of desperation and helplessness of Depression-era characters (would-bes, wanna-bes, and fade-outs) like few films I've seen. It's a fascinating downer, ripe with interesting losers and gritty drama. Jane Fonda's performance as a marathon-entry at the end of her rope ranks with her very best work, and Oscar-winner Gig Young is smashing as the M.C. Also superb: Susannah York as a glamor girl who gets her clothes (and sanity) dirty, and Red Buttons as an over-the-hill sailor. There's not a happy or hopeful moment in sight, but for gripping human drama you could do no better. James Poe and Robert E. Thompson adapted their screenplay from Horace McCoy's novel; Sydney Pollack directed, impeccably. ***1/2 from ****


  • Quotes: Rocky: I may not know a winner when I see one, but I sure as hell can spot a loser. Rocky: My father never made it out of the fourth grade. He knew people. But he didn't know his ass from his elbow. You know what he was? He was a faith healer. I used to travel the circut with him. I was the one he healed. I was the shill, to set the crowd up. "Walk, my boy. When I lay my hands on you, you will walk." You will walk. Sodden old bastard. He thought it was him they believed in, but it was me. Rocky: Here they are again, folks! These wonderful, wonderful kids! Still struggling! Still hoping! As the clock of fate ticks away, the dance of destiny continues! The marathon goes on, and on, and on! HOW LONG CAN THEY LAST?
  • Also known as: El baile interminable (Argentina), El baile interminable (Venezuela), A Noite dos Desesperados (Brazil), A lovakat lelövik, ugye? (Hungary), Ammutaanhan hevosiakin (Finland), Atlari da vururlar (Turkey - TV title, Turkish title), Baile de ilusiones (Mexico - imdb display title), Czyz nie dobija sie koni? (Poland), Danzad, danzad, malditos (Spain), Hem Yorim Gum B'Susim (Israel - Hebrew title), I konje ubijaju, zar ne? (Serbia), Jamen, man skyder da heste? (Denmark), Kone se také strílejí (Czechoslovakia), Maratondansen (Sweden - video title), När man skjuter hästar så... (Sweden - imdb display title), Non si uccidono così anche i cavalli? (Italy), Nur Pferden gibt man den Gnadenschuß (West Germany), On achève bien les chevaux (France), Os cavalos Também Se Abatem (Portugal), Skotonoun t' aloga otan gerasoun (Greece - transliterated ISO-LATIN-1 title), Son gerçek (Turkey - Turkish title),

  1. brent Says:
    December 28th, 2010 at 9:10 pm

    so where is the movie? i’m getting a screen that says ‘buffering’ to no end.

  2. Jaro Says:
    December 29th, 2010 at 3:10 am

    If the movie is buffering, press pause and let it stream for 10-15 minutes. Come back and press play again and it should play fine. Ditto for the other movie you wrote the same thing about.

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