Main Cast: E. Baca, R. Camargo, R. Manning, Wynn Pearce, Paul Newman, Lee Marvin, Strother Martin, Christine Belford, Kelly Jean Peters
Release Year: 1972
Country: US
Run Time: 99 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG
Plot
Two modern day cowboys smuggle a herd of cows across the border in this loosely amiable comedy. Jim Kane (Paul Newman) is a cowboy who unexpectedly finds himself deep in debt and in need of some fast cash. A less-than-scrupulous businessman approaches Kane and offers him a handsome payday to escort 200 head of cattle from Mexico into the United States for use of the rodeo circuit. While the deal seems dubious, Kane goes along with it, and persuades his friend Leonard (Lee Marvin) to tag along. However, the cattle drive proves to be more of a challenge than the men expected, with a number of less-than-welcome adventures following the cattlemen along the way. Pocket Money also features Strother Martin, Hector Elizondo and Wayne Rogers; keep an eye peeled for a cameo appearance by Terrence Malick, who wrote the film's screenplay years before directing the acclaimed Badlands and Days of Heaven. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Fred Graham - Herb; Poupee Bocar; Hector Elizondo - Juan; Richard Farnsworth; P.J. Johnson; Gregory Sierra - Chavarin; Mickey Gilbert - Stunt Double; Terrence Malick - Workman; Wayne Rogers - Stretch; Phillip Avenetti; Nina Roman - Filling Station Attendant; John Verros - Almara; E. Baca - Nieblas; R. Camargo - Don Tomas; R. Manning - Foreman; Wynn Pearce - Border Patrolman
Credit
Tambi Larsen - Art Director, Jim Linn - Costume Designer, Nat Tolmach - Costume Designer, Mickey McCardle - First Assistant Director, Stuart Rosenberg - Director, Bob Wyman - Editor, Alex North - Composer (Music Score), Carole King - Songwriter, Dick Cobos - Makeup, Laszlo Kovacs - Cinematographer, John C. Foreman - Producer, Darrell Silvera - Set Designer, Don Courtney - Special Effects, Larry Jost - Sound/Sound Designer, Terrence Malick - Screenwriter, John Gay - Screenwriter, J.P.S. Brown - Book Author
Also,
spending money. Cash for incidental or minor expenses, as in They don't believe in giving the children pocket money without asking them to do chores, or Can I borrow a dollar? I'm out of all my spending money. The first term, dating from the early 1600s, alludes to keeping small sums in one's pocket; the second alludes to money that may be spent (as opposed to saved) and dates from the late 1500s.
Broke and in debt, an otherwise honest cowboy known as Jim Kane (Newman) gets mixed up in some shady dealings with Stretch Russell (Rogers) and Bill Garrett (Martin), a crooked rancher. Russell tells Kane to escort 200 head of cattle from Mexico to the United States for a good sum of money. Kane agrees and brings along his friend Leonard (Marvin) to aid him. Unfortunately, the two come upon many unexpected events that often deter them from completing their job.
Cast
Paul Newman ... Jim Kane Lee Marvin ... Leonard Strother Martin ... Bill Garrett Wayne Rogers ... Stretch Russell Hector Elizondo ... Juan
Christine Belford ... Adelita
Kelly Jean Peters ... Sharon (Kane's ex-wife) Gregory Sierra ... Guerro Chavarin (as Gregg Sierra)
Fred Graham ... Uncle Herb
Matt Clark ... American prisoner
Claudio Miranda ... Manisterio Publico
Terrence Malick ... Worksman
Reception
The film received primarily mediocre to negative reviews. Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film two stars out of four and wrote, "The movie seems to be going for a highly mannered, elliptical, enigmatic style, and it gets there. We don't."[1] The film currently has a 60% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.[2]
