THE BALLAD OF CABLE HOGUE (USA/1970)

Sam Peckinpah earned the moniker "Bloody Sam" with the release of The Wild Bunch in 1969. It was controversial but it made a lot of money for Columbia. The studio executives were not happy with this soulful, romantic and funny western. They failed to publicize it and let it die a quick death. It's the story of grizzled frontiersman Cable Hogue (Jason Robards) who's robbed and left to die in the desert. Luckily, he finds a water spring 20 miles from the nearest town, on the stagecoach line, and turns it into a rest stop. He befriends a passing preacher, a young handsome guy who uses his power of oratory to seduce young women, and falls in love with an independent prostitute (Stella Stevens) in town. The opportunity for revenge will manifest itself but Cable is a most reluctant avenger. Peckinpah celebrates the pioneering spirit of his ancestors with warmth and lyricism. Robards and Stevens were never better than here. The recent dvd release is finally giving The Ballad of Cable Hogue deserved exposure.