“YOWZA, YOWZA, YOWZA!”

By Raymond Benson

This was the film that convinced audiences and critics alike that Jane Fonda could act. After appearing throughout the Sixties in glamour-girl and comic roles (Cat Ballou, Barbarella) that barely scratched the surface of what this talented actress could do, along came They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?, which featured a tough, cynical, mean-spirited, and take-no-prisoners Jane Fonda as Gloria, a down-on-her-luck contestant in a Depression-era marathon dance contest. The showy role resulted in her first Best Actress Oscar nomination.

The picture also awarded Sydney Pollack his first Directing nomination; in fact, the film received a total of nine Oscar nominations, including Adapted Screenplay, Supporting Actress (Susannah York), and Supporting Actor (Gig Young, who won); but it did not, curiously, land a Best Picture nod. It deserved it.

The dance marathon contests in the early 1930s were an American display of spectacle and madness. On the one hand, they provided cheap entertainment for audiences who wanted to watch the progression of misery as dancers remained on their feet (aside from occasional ten-minute breaks for food and very rare longer breaks) for hours, days, weeks… until one couple was left standing. On the other hand, it provided some kind hope for the contestants themselves, as the payout was a whopping $1500—a big chunk of change in Depression-stricken America.

Gloria (Fonda) matches up with Robert (Michael Sarrazin) by default. There’s also Alice (York), a Jean Harlow wannabe, aging former Navy man Harry (Red Buttons), and married couple James and pregnant Ruby (Bruce Dern and Bonnie Bedelia). The proceedings are MC’d with ringmaster showmanship and a canny sense of sardonicism by Rocky (Young, who is marvelous in his award-winning role). “Yowza, yowza, yowza!” he calls into the microphone, as the contestants go through hell in the guise of showbiz.

When the picture was released in 1969, it provided a social commentary that was a metaphor for life itself—that we’re competing in a never-ending marathon of hardship until you either drop out, drop dead, or win the big prize. The final irony is that the big prize isn’t such a big prize after all. Not a feel-good movie, to be sure, but certainly a thoughtful statement on the human condition. Pollack’s direction is superb, an early indication of the long career he would have in Hollywood.