Urban Cowboy
(1980)
PG | 131 mins | Drama, Romance | 5 June 1980
Cast:
John Travolta, Debra Winger, Scott Glenn [ More ]Director:
James BridgesWriters:
James Bridges, Aaron LathamProducers:
Robert Evans, Irving AzoffCinematographer:
Ray VillalobosEditor:
David RawlinsProduction Designer:
Stephen GrimesProduction Company:
Paramount Pictures Corp.The summary and note for this entry were completed with participation from the AFI Academic Network. Summary and note were written in 2012 by independent scholar, Julia Zelman, Master's student at Paris III-La Nouvelle Sorbonne.
End credits include the following written statement: “Paramount Pictures Corporation expresses appreciation to the employees and management of Charter International Oil Company for their advice and assistance in the filming of this motion picture. And special thanks to Gilley’s for its warm Texas hospitality and for the use of its wide open indoor spaces.”
According to production notes from AMPAS library files, Urban Cowboy originated from a 1978 Esquire article by Aaron Latham titled “The Ballad of the Urban Cowboy: America's Search for True Grit.” The article celebrated Gilley's, a nightclub in Pasadena, TX, which claimed to be “the biggest honky-tonk in America,” and was “the size of two football fields,” with the capacity to accommodate roughly 8,000 patrons. Latham portrayed the establishment as the haunt of the contemporary Texas cowboy, who most likely worked at a chemical plant instead of a ranch. Latham stated that “the cowboy, the most enduring symbol of our country,” needed to be reinvented, generation after generation, by people of the American West. An 8 Nov 1978 DV news item announced that music industry manager, Irving Azoff, had purchased rights to Latham’s story and would coproduce a feature film adaptation with Robert Evans. Azoff reportedly paid $250,000 to Esquire and Gilley’s owner and musician, Mickey Gilley, for the rights, as stated in the book Risky Business: Rock in Film by R. Serge Denisoff and William D. Romanowski (New ...
The summary and note for this entry were completed with participation from the AFI Academic Network. Summary and note were written in 2012 by independent scholar, Julia Zelman, Master's student at Paris III-La Nouvelle Sorbonne.
End credits include the following written statement: “Paramount Pictures Corporation expresses appreciation to the employees and management of Charter International Oil Company for their advice and assistance in the filming of this motion picture. And special thanks to Gilley’s for its warm Texas hospitality and for the use of its wide open indoor spaces.”
According to production notes from AMPAS library files, Urban Cowboy originated from a 1978 Esquire article by Aaron Latham titled “The Ballad of the Urban Cowboy: America's Search for True Grit.” The article celebrated Gilley's, a nightclub in Pasadena, TX, which claimed to be “the biggest honky-tonk in America,” and was “the size of two football fields,” with the capacity to accommodate roughly 8,000 patrons. Latham portrayed the establishment as the haunt of the contemporary Texas cowboy, who most likely worked at a chemical plant instead of a ranch. Latham stated that “the cowboy, the most enduring symbol of our country,” needed to be reinvented, generation after generation, by people of the American West. An 8 Nov 1978 DV news item announced that music industry manager, Irving Azoff, had purchased rights to Latham’s story and would coproduce a feature film adaptation with Robert Evans. Azoff reportedly paid $250,000 to Esquire and Gilley’s owner and musician, Mickey Gilley, for the rights, as stated in the book Risky Business: Rock in Film by R. Serge Denisoff and William D. Romanowski (New Brunswick, 1991).
Though writer-director Floyd Mutrux had been discussed as a collaborator in an earlier item, DV stated on 8 Nov 1978 that Mutrux was not mentioned in the most recent reports. According to a 7 Nov 1978 DV “Just for Variety” column, writer-director James Bridges was attached to direct and co-write the screenplay with Latham. Bridges stated that the adaptation would be a love story. Azoff already foresaw the release of a soundtrack album and mentioned the potential involvement of artists such as Linda Ronstadt and Willie Nelson. A casting call featured in DV on 26 Dec 1978 invited “real Texans, raunchy guys who look like they'd belong in a barroom fight” to audition. Though a 26 Apr 1979 HR news brief reported that country music star Waylon Jennings (misspelling his name as “Wayland Jennings”) would act in the film, he ultimately did not participate.
Originally slated to shoot in Jun 1979, the production was delayed three weeks when John Travolta's dog bit his lip, as stated in a 25 Jun 1979 People news brief. According to production notes, Travolta had been practicing daily on a mechanical bull set up in his Santa Barbara, CA, home specifically for his role in the film. Shooting began on location 2 Jul 1979 outside of Houston, TX. Shortly after, a 10 Jul 1979 LAHExam news item reported rumors that Travolta's erratic behavior on set might halt the production, according to some Paramount executives. Travolta was allegedly concerned about his career after the box-office failure of his latest film, Moment by Moment (1978, see entry). Evans denied the rumors, admitting only that the film was over budget because of the late start in shooting. According to a 14 Nov 1979 DV “Just for Variety” column, the film cost $13 million, $2 million more than initially budgeted.
In mid-Jul 1979, as reported in a 15 Aug 1979 Var brief, illness among the cast and crew brought on by rainy weather further delayed shooting, even causing a shut-down of the entire production for one day. After shooting in a suburb near Deer Park, TX, and the Charter Oil Company refinery, filming moved to Gilley’s in late Jul. Scenes were shot in the daytime when the honky-tonk would normally be closed, and “hundreds of extras” were culled from Gilley’s regular clientele. Some local refinery employees even altered their work schedules or took vacation days in order to participate as background actors. Another weather-related setback came in early Sep 1979 when, according to a 5 Sep 1979 DV news item, torrential rains flooded projection and editing rooms in Houston. The 14 Nov 1979 DV column reported further complications on set after the production had moved to the east side of Los Angeles, CA. There, gang members, rumored to be agitated because female friends were “hanging around watching John Travolta,” shot a gun near the set. A Nov 1979 HR brief reported that the teenagers responsible for the incident “fired some shots into the air” and were later “rounded up” but no arrests had been made. Subsequently, DV reported that the film crew moved the remainder of the shoot to sound stages at a studio.
The film premiered in Houston with a gala that benefitted local charity, Houston Child Guidance Center, as stated in a 7 Jun 1980 LAT article. Tickets to both the screening at the Gaylynn Theater and after-party at Gilley’s sold for $125, although Gilley’s made 750 party-only passes available for free to regular customers, so real-life Gilley’s patrons could mix with guests including John Travolta, various Paramount executives, and “the cream of Houston society.”
Critical reception for the film was mixed. A 2 Jun 1980 DV review found it ultimately “tedious,” while a 2 Jun 1980 HR review commended the cast but criticized the film's failure to explore social issues it raised. Both Var and HR, along with Vincent Canby of NYT, agreed that Urban Cowboy captured the unique atmosphere of Gilley's honky-tonk. The film took in over $45 million in box-office receipts between Jun and Oct 1980, according to a 6 Oct 1980 HR brief.
Ray Villalobos received his first director of photography credit for a feature film on Urban Cowboy, according to production notes.
An 18 Feb 1981 Var news item announced that the film’s soundtrack, with songs performed by Bonnie Raitt, Boz Scaggs, and the Charlie Daniels Band among others, fulfilled Azoff's commercial hopes and was the top-seller for Warner/Elektra/Atlantic Corp., earning $23 million in 1980 and engendering a follow-up album, according to a 22 Nov 1980 Billboard news item. A 12 Nov 1980 Var news item reported that Paramount and Warner filed suit against Big 3 Music, seeking to halt distribution of Big 3’s “’Urban Cowboy Music’ folio,” as Paramount and Warner held “exclusive right[s]…to the title and trademark ‘Urban Cowboy.’” According to a 24 Apr 1981 DV news item and an undated DV brief, music coordinator Becky Shargo and writer Aaron Latham filed against Azoff in separate suits, both for breach of contract, claiming they should have received royalties from the album.
A 1 Apr 1989 Houston Chronicle article reported that Gilley’s had shut down on 30 Mar 1989, after a longstanding conflict between co-founders Mickey Gilley and Sherwood Cryer over the establishment’s name. Allegedly, problems started between Gilley and Cryer in 1983 when Gilley took issue with Cryer’s management and the rundown state of the honky-tonk. In 1988, Gilley sued Cryer over “club profits” and won $17 million, after which Cryer filed for bankruptcy.
A Broadway spin-off of the film appeared in 2003 with a book by Latham and Philip Oesterman. A 28 Mar 2003 Var review panned the production, calling it “so much lard” despite lively music and dancing, and predicted its early demise. The Internet Broadway Database reported the show only ran for sixty performances.
Bud, a young Texan, leaves his family’s rural home to find a job in the Houston oil refinery where his Uncle Bob works. Celebrating his arrival, Bob takes Bud to a honky-tonk owned by Mickey Gilley. Though shy at first, Bud ends up going home with two women from the bar. With help from his uncle, Bud soon gets a job as a “gofer” at the oil plant, on condition that he shave his beard. That night, Bud arrives clean-shaven at Gilley's and attracts the attention of Sissy, who invites him to dance. The two spend the rest of the evening together, talking and dancing. Some time later, Bud and Sissy, now dating, discover a punching bag Gilley has installed in the honky-tonk. As the men of the bar flock to test their strength, Sissy demands to try and cuts her knuckles on the bag. Afterwards, at a diner, Bud tends to Sissy’s cut hand and tells her there are certain things women shouldn’t do. The two women from Gilley’s that Bud slept with show up at the diner, and Sissy becomes angry when Bud returns their glances. She pinches his arm in irritation, and, in response, he slaps her. Upset, Sissy attempts to hitchhike home, but the couple soon make up. Heading home together, Bud asks Sissy to marry him. On their wedding day, the newlyweds pose for pictures at Gilley’s. Bud later surprises Sissy with a double-wide mobile home and installs a vanity plate with her name in the back window of his truck. One day, at a prison rodeo show, Bud points out a convict to Sissy whose skill at riding the bull impresses ...
Bud, a young Texan, leaves his family’s rural home to find a job in the Houston oil refinery where his Uncle Bob works. Celebrating his arrival, Bob takes Bud to a honky-tonk owned by Mickey Gilley. Though shy at first, Bud ends up going home with two women from the bar. With help from his uncle, Bud soon gets a job as a “gofer” at the oil plant, on condition that he shave his beard. That night, Bud arrives clean-shaven at Gilley's and attracts the attention of Sissy, who invites him to dance. The two spend the rest of the evening together, talking and dancing. Some time later, Bud and Sissy, now dating, discover a punching bag Gilley has installed in the honky-tonk. As the men of the bar flock to test their strength, Sissy demands to try and cuts her knuckles on the bag. Afterwards, at a diner, Bud tends to Sissy’s cut hand and tells her there are certain things women shouldn’t do. The two women from Gilley’s that Bud slept with show up at the diner, and Sissy becomes angry when Bud returns their glances. She pinches his arm in irritation, and, in response, he slaps her. Upset, Sissy attempts to hitchhike home, but the couple soon make up. Heading home together, Bud asks Sissy to marry him. On their wedding day, the newlyweds pose for pictures at Gilley’s. Bud later surprises Sissy with a double-wide mobile home and installs a vanity plate with her name in the back window of his truck. One day, at a prison rodeo show, Bud points out a convict to Sissy whose skill at riding the bull impresses him. Soon after, Gilley adds a mechanical bull to the attractions at his honky-tonk. Bud tries the bull first, and his visible knack enchants Sissy. When she expresses an interest in riding the bull herself, Bud rejects the idea. The following night, Bud returns to Gilley’s to ride the bull; meanwhile, Sissy grows frustrated at his refusal to let her try. One day, Wes, the convict who impressed Bud at the rodeo, appears at Gilley's. Not recognizing him, Bud dislikes Wes after watching him expertly ride the bull with the settings turned up. After Sissy congratulates Wes, Bud drags her to the dance floor. Later, at a diner, Sissy confides to friends that she plans to secretly practice on the bull during the afternoon. Bud returns to the table, drunk, and notices Wes tip his hat at Sissy from across the room. Bud complains about his food when it arrives and throws it, hitting Wes in the back. Angered, the convict fights Bud in the parking lot. The next morning, Bud snaps at Sissy when she offers him coffee, demanding a beer instead. Later, Sissy shows up at her father’s auto repair shop where she works and asks to leave early. That afternoon, Sissy goes to Gilley’s and finds that Wes has been hired to mind the bull. Sissy eagerly takes direction from Wes as she mounts the bull for the first time. Meanwhile, Bud misses his footing on a scaffold at work and nearly falls to his death. When Sissy comes home late, Bud tells her he almost died and snaps at her for not having prepared dinner. They make up, however, and head to Gilley’s to relax. At the honky-tonk, Sissy rides the mechanical bull, surprising Bud with her new skill. Reacting angrily, Bud turns up the power on the bull, rides it, and challenges Sissy to get back on. Sissy does so and performs well. Unwilling to admit defeat, Bud turns the power up even more but falls off after a short ride. As Bud staggers to his feet, Wes switches the bull back on, causing it to smash into Bud and break his arm. Limping home, Bud accuses Sissy of lying about her whereabouts that afternoon and forbids her riding the bull. She counters that he's just jealous. Enraged, Bud hits her and throws her out of the house. The following day, Bud loses his job due to his broken arm and returns home to drink beer. Looking through old pictures, he finds a brochure from the prison rodeo and recognizes Wes as one of the convicts. That night, Bud finds Sissy at Gilley’s and tells her about Wes; however, Sissy already knows, informing Bud that Wes is now on parole. Piqued, Bud dances with a young woman named Pam. In turn, Wes invites Sissy to the dance floor. Goaded by each other's efforts, Bud and Sissy dance ever more seductively with their partners. Bud eventually leaves with Pam, causing Sissy to throw a bottle at them. On their way out, Bud informs Pam that Sissy is his wife. Later, at her beautiful downtown apartment, Pam seduces Bud. At the same time, Sissy drinks tequila with Wes in his mobile home but refuses to spend the night. The next day, Sissy wakes up on the couch as Bud arrives home. The two share a silent look before Sissy moves out and heads to Wes's mobile home. Bud removes Sissy’s vanity plate from his truck. Later, Bud takes Pam to Uncle Bob's house for pie. There, Bob confesses that he was once a great bull-rider but had to stop after a terrible accident. Bob and his wife, Aunt Corene, take the younger couple to Gilley's where Corene participates in a Dolly Parton lookalike contest. At the bar, Gilley announces a forthcoming dance, mechanical bull and punching bag contest. Bud’s mood sours when Sissy gets on the bull, dancing atop it suggestively to bawdy cheers. After Bob informs Bud that he knows of a mechanical bull he can practice on, Bud decides to train for the contest. One day, when Bud is out, Sissy secretly visits the mobile home and cleans it thoroughly, leaving a letter in which she apologizes and asks him to call. When Pam shows up at the mobile home, Sissy leaves. Later, Pam hides Sissy's letter from Bud and takes credit for the cleaning. He is delighted with his new girlfriend's apparent domesticity. One day, Bud notices Sissy on the side of the road and waves. Angered by his lack of response to her heartfelt overture, she gives him the finger. Returning to Wes's mobile home, Sissy finds he has hidden Marshalene, a Gilley’s employee, in the closet. Sissy and Wes argue, and he physically abuses her. Exasperated with Bud's long hours at work and bull-riding, Pam purposely neglects to wake Bud up in time to watch the bull at Gilley’s before he goes to the plant. At work, Bud confides his dissatisfaction with the relationship with Pam to Bob, who advises him to swallow his pride and return to Sissy. Shortly after, lightning strikes the plant and Bob dies before his nephew's eyes. At Bob's funeral, Sissy arrives late, upset that Bud didn’t tell her about his uncle’s death. Sissy announces that Wes is planning to win the bull-riding contest that night so that they can start a new life in Mexico with the prize money. When Sissy asks if Bud will be there, he tells her no. Outside her house after the funeral, Aunt Corene gives Bud her husband’s old cowboy belt buckle, urging him to carry on Bob’s legacy by riding in the contest. That night, Bud appears at Gilley’s, wearing the belt buckle, and competes in the bull-riding contest. After Wes performs superbly in the first round, earning eighty-one points from the judges, Bud follows him up with another good turn, qualifying for the final round with seventy-nine points. Bud and Sissy glance at each other through the crowd. After the final round, despite Wes's lead, Bud emerges the winner. Wes pushes Sissy back to his mobile home and tells her to pack. When she says she will not go with him, he hits her. Wes secretly loads a gun while Sissy obediently packs. They drive through the Gilley’s parking lot, and, stopping outside the building, Wes orders Sissy to keep the motor running. As Gilley congratulates the winners onstage, Wes pushes into the office with his gun, ties up the staff and stuffs the prize money into his jacket. Meanwhile, Bud expresses disappointment that Sissy isn’t there to see him win, and Pam realizes that he is still in love with his estranged wife. Pam confesses to hiding Sissy's conciliatory visit and encourages Bud to return to her. Running to find Sissy, Bud catches up with her in the parking lot as she waits in Wes's getaway car. Bud apologizes and confesses his love. Bursting into tears, she falls into his arms. When she pulls back, Bud notices a large bruise on her face and swears to kill Wes. Rushing into the club, Bud stops Wes before he can escape and beats him. The stolen money falls out of Wes' jacket and the club patrons seize the bloodied convict. Though a friend offers Bud a drink, he refuses. His arm around Sissy, he takes her to the pickup truck where he re-installs her vanity plate in the rear window. The reunited couple kisses.
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