The Ballad of Cable Hogue (1970)

92% of critics liked it
(13 reviews)
77% of users liked it
(3,514 ratings)

After the intense bloodshed of The Wild Bunch (1969), this comic western fable took the opposite approach to director Sam Peckinpah's continuing examination of the end of the West. Left for dead by a couple of lizard-slaughtering desperados in the middle of the desert, prospector Cable Hogue (Jason… More After the intense bloodshed of The Wild Bunch (1969), this comic western fable took the opposite approach to director Sam Peckinpah's continuing examination of the end of the West. Left for dead by a couple of lizard-slaughtering desperados in the middle of the desert, prospector Cable Hogue (Jason Robards) is saved by his unexpected discovery of water "where there wasn't any." Hogue turns the water hole, felicitously located near a stagecoach route, into a thriving business, creating a rest stop for a never-ending series of parched travelers. On his occasional trips to the closest town, he meets chipper prostitute Hildy (Stella Stevens), who joins him in his oasis, completing Hogue's little paradise. But even though Hogue may be able to succeed and avenge himself against his original attackers, there is one thing that he cannot stop: progress. Completed before The Wild Bunch was released, and replete with comical and even musical interludes, Peckinpah's gently picaresque telling of Hogue's rise and fall stands in distinct contrast to the visual violence of its predecessor. The underlying message about the cost of modernity, however, equals The Wild Bunch in seriousness. The callous randomness of Hogue's fate is as shocking as the Bunch's final blaze of glory; as in Robert Altman's McCabe and Mrs. Miller from the same period, a tool of "civilization" provokes a most uncivilized end for an Old West dreamer. Although the film was as light-hearted in approach as the 1969 smash hit revisionist western Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Warner Bros. mishandled the release and it did barely any business; Peckinpah returned to his trademark gore in his next film, the controversial Straw Dogs (1971). Still, The Ballad of Cable Hogue is less an anomaly for a master of violence than an ironically charming chapter in Peckinpah's career-long elegy to the western. ~ Lucia Bozzola, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 55 min.
Directed By: Sam Peckinpah
Written By: John Crawford/Edmund Penney
Genres: Western, Action & Adventure, Romance, Classics, Comedy

In Theaters: May 13, 1970 Wide
On DVD: Jan 10, 2006
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures

Critic Reviews

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
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, New York Times
Peckinpah's gentlest, boldest, and perhaps most likable film to date.
Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader
Sam Peckinpah followed The Wild Bunch with this intimate, eccentric, appealing 1970 comedy, which treats many of the same themes in a soft, regretful mode.
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
Robards' warm performance makes the film into a casual delight.
Fernando F. Croce, CinePassion
The calm between Peckinpah's tempests
, TV Guide's Movie Guide
Not a hit at the box office, it remains one of his finest efforts, funny, touching and never mawkishly sentimental.
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice
A funky and appealing Western parable directed by Sam Peckinpah.
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
Peckinpah shows atypical humor and sense of music too in this original and lyrical comedy-Western-musical, with Jason Robards in top form as one of the director's most sympathetic character.
Marjorie Baumgarten, Austin Chronicle
Jason Robards shines in one of his most touching and humorous performances, and David Warner is memorable as a sinning preacher man.

Read all 9 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Pierluigi P

Peckinpah buries his favorite genre with the help of an outstanding trio: Jason Robards as an outlaw with strict moral codes, Stella Stevens as a town whore with too much heart, and David Warner as a preacher full of lust. This isn't by any means a languid, morose funeral; but a… More
Peckinpah buries his favorite genre with the help of an outstanding trio: Jason Robards as an outlaw with strict moral codes, Stella Stevens as a town whore with too much heart, and David Warner as a preacher full of lust. This isn't by any means a languid, morose funeral; but a festive farewell to a time and place that seemed to stay isolate from the rest of the ever changing modern world.
Adam M

The heart of this movie, which make the rest of it come alive -- zigzagging dissolves and all -- is Robards' and Stevens' performances and some of Lucien Ballard's shots, mostly cloudscapes he catches behind the characters. I don't know whether Peckinpah had to… More
The heart of this movie, which make the rest of it come alive -- zigzagging dissolves and all -- is Robards' and Stevens' performances and some of Lucien Ballard's shots, mostly cloudscapes he catches behind the characters. I don't know whether Peckinpah had to direct this, and I don't mean because of the low level of violence. It's a comic elegy to the pioneer individualist where the system isn't trying to beat him down. He slides one way, while the system slides the other; both taking 'er easy. Of course the system slides the pavement under Hogue's feet, but there's no dialectic Peckinpah is experimenting with this time. Yeah, I know we're all charmed with what Hogue represents and we hate to see him go, but almost a whole movie about collectively basking in that feeling? Even the banker is nice in this one. ------------------ A reconsideration, with some SPOILERS: *** Maybe we're deliberately left with handful of unsatisfying suggestions about what he might represent in history. "He was a man," I think the Preacher says solemnly -- emptily??? The movie basks in our feeling for this guy, who is between worlds that won't fully have him -- since he is his own man, by choice. It's sad to watch that feeling contrast with the quickness of each character's mourning for him at the end. ??"He was a man" ... Maybe this movie ends up being about loneliness as our sacrifice in living out American ideals. Cable makes that sacrifice more honorably than most of us would even aspire to, without any regrets.
Michael G

The Ballad of Cable Hogue was proof that Jason Robards is possibly the most underappreciated actor ever. Sam Peckinpah's uncharacteristically upbeat Western wasn't what I expected and despite the contrast with Peckinpah's usual fare, I really liked it. Robards steals… More
The Ballad of Cable Hogue was proof that Jason Robards is possibly the most underappreciated actor ever. Sam Peckinpah's uncharacteristically upbeat Western wasn't what I expected and despite the contrast with Peckinpah's usual fare, I really liked it. Robards steals the show, but the rest of the cast (especially David Warner) was great. The Ballad of Cable Hogue is by no means a perfect movie as the duet with Robards and Stella Stevens was a tad on the painful side and the goofy sped-up nonsense was cringe-worthy, but the last 20 minutes and a scowl-inducing but necessary and perfectly sensible ending more than justify it.
Conner R

A completely different movie than you'd probably expect, given the director and actors. This is really a light-hearted western compared to Sam Peckinpah's others. It's about a man finding his place in the world and admitting that he's not as tough as he might like… More
A completely different movie than you'd probably expect, given the director and actors. This is really a light-hearted western compared to Sam Peckinpah's others. It's about a man finding his place in the world and admitting that he's not as tough as he might like to be. Jason Robards does a great job in his role, bringing such a charming person to the screen. This does have beautiful cinematography like The Wild Bunch and Pat Garrett so you shouldn't expect a downgrade in quality.
Randy T

Peckinpah lite. A western comedy with heart featuring the immensely likable Jason Robards and the always BEAUTIFUL Stella Stevens. A surprising amount of warmth and romance for a Sam Peckinpah film.
Tim S

Robards and Peckinpah. Why haven't I seen this movie sooner? The final death scene is genius and the character actors that make up the cast are amazing. I could watch this movie for hours.
Jonny C

Decent enough western from Sam Peckinpah. The cast put in likable performances, but the story is too slow and a little uninteresting.
MJS M

Sam Peckinpah?s follow up to The Wild Bunch probably confounded fans expecting another blood soaked epic. What they got was a lighter, more allegorical, slightly theatrical film. It chronicles the plight of the titular character who finds water in the middle of the desert, stakes a… More
Sam Peckinpah?s follow up to The Wild Bunch probably confounded fans expecting another blood soaked epic. What they got was a lighter, more allegorical, slightly theatrical film. It chronicles the plight of the titular character who finds water in the middle of the desert, stakes a claim to the well, and opens a way station for travelers. The film is greatly elevated by a magnificent performance by Jason Robards, who?s able to perfectly match the film?s tone with his work here. The film is marred by a few misguided moments of broad comedy, but it makes up for it with a great ending which is at the same time both bizarre and touching.