How does the influence on Hollywood impact the characters? How are their stories shaped by a failed past – or future prospects – in Hollywood? They Shoot Horses, Don't They?' is a masterful re-creation of the marathon era for audiences that are mostly unfamiliar with it. In addition to everything else it does, "Horses" holds our attention because it tells us something we didn't know about human nature and American society. It tells us a lot more than that, of course, but because it works on this fundamental level as well it is one of the best American movies of the 1970s. It is so good as a movie, indeed, that it doesn't have to bother with explaining the things in my first two paragraphs; they are all there and that's where I found them, but they are completely incorporated into the structure of the film. In what ways does the Dance Marathon craze presage the advent of the Attention Economy and social media? The movie begins on a note of alienation and spirals down from there. "Horses" provides us no cheap release at the end; and the ending, precisely because it is so obvious, is all the more effective. We knew it was coming. Even the title gave it away. And when it comes, it is effective not because it is a surprise but because it is inevitable. As inevitable as death.

The dance marathon is a microcosm of the Depression-era world. The contestants are all from different walks of life, but they are all united by their poverty and desperation. They are all willing to do whatever it takes to win, even if it means putting their health and sanity at risk. THEY SHOOT HORSES DON'T THEY? This movie stays in the memory, partly because it stands out from other mainstream Hollywood products of its time in subject matter (the dance marathons of the 20s and 30s) and tone (pitilessly and harshly negative; even the humor is bleak). The message: life (the marathon) is a desperate rat race with a rigged outcome. Our book group choice for May 2020 is They Shoot Horses Don’t They? by Horace McCoy. The marathon dance craze flourished during the 1930s, but the underside was a competition and violence unknown to most ballrooms—a dark side that Horace McCoy’s classic American novel powerfully captures.

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Dance marathons were popular in Depression-era America. In return for undertaking a gruelling and humiliating feat of endurance, the participants received three meals a day and a chance at winning a big money prize. The novel explores a number of themes, including the Great Depression, the American Dream, and the nature of reality. The Great Depression is a constant presence in the novel, and it is seen as a time of great hardship and despair. The American Dream is also a central theme, and it is shown to be an illusion for many people. The novel suggests that the American Dream is unattainable for those who are poor and marginalized. Weiler, A. H. (6 January 1970). "National Film Critics Crown 'Z,' Jon Voight, Miss Redgrave". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 4 January 2018 . Retrieved 3 January 2018. French philosophers celebrated this book as the first American existentialist novel. Gloria says, “I’m tired of living and I’m afraid of dying.” In what ways did Gloria express her personal philosophy?

The dance contest itself is a major symbol in the book. It inflicts suffering on the characters, who don't go outside and whose bodies are worn down by the dancing. At the same time, it is entirely pointless. The dance marathon stands for life itself, which seems long, pointless, and full of suffering to the main characters, particularly Gloria. Though it is still somehow a means of seizing the opportunity: even when the characters struggle in the marathon, the hope of winning and not staying stagnant—literally, as they are dancing—propels them forward. Whether this is for better or for worse is up to the audience.They Shoot Horses, Don't They? was written in 1935, in the depths of the Great Depression. During the Great Depression, dance marathons were a craze because they allowed people who had no money or prospects to attempt to make money by dancing until they dropped from exhaustion. In the interim, they received free food and sometimes were sponsored to get new shoes and clothes (as the characters in the book hope to be). For many unemployed people, dance marathons were their best hope. This is true of Robert Syverten and Gloria Beatty, the unemployed wannabe actors at the center of the story. They enter the contest because they hope to earn money, and their participation also symbolizes that they have nothing else to do. There is an elderly lady that shows up to watch the dance every day and calls over to them. She says they’re her favorite couple and she’s trying to get them a sponsor. Having a sponsor means that you wear a T-shirt advertising their product and they supply you with new clothes and shoes. This novella was published in 1935, and the dance marathon seems to be a precursor to reality television. As the dance goes on, into the second and third week, the crowds grow larger. Newspapers cover the contest. Some couples receive sponsorships from local businesses, usually in the form of clothes. Hollywood personalities arrive to watch and are announced by the promoters. Gloria goads Robert into speaking with a famous director, Frank Borzage. A woman named Mrs. Layden attends the contest regularly and tells Robert that he and Gloria are her favorite couple. She later gets them a sponsorship.

The idea of a deadly dance marathon has existed for centuries. From the 14 th century to the 17 th century, a phenomenon known as “Dance Mania” swept central Europe. Men, women, and children would orchestrate an impromptu, wild, and unstoppable dance, one that would only cease when the participants would cave in from exhaustion. To this day, the exact cause of this outbreak has not been determined but symptoms have been linked with an early form of mass hysteria, where people would join the throng out of fear, or out of a desire to copy. During the Great Depression, what had once been classified as a disturbing psychological occurrence was transformed into a human spectacle when dance marathons became a trend. Participants would shuffle around a dancefloor for hours, carried along by a glimmer of hope that their ordeal would end in a cash prize. Adding to the theatricality of the event, audiences would pay to see the dancers suffer breakdowns and crash to the floor in a heap. A gritty tale from the impoverished America of the 1930s , it certainly is . And its cleverly told by the narrator as he hears the Judge pronounce the Death Sentence . And its certainly got pace .

Gloria curses another male contestant because he will not allow his pregnant partner to get an abortion. Robert learns indirectly that Gloria is having sex with one of the promoters. When Robert tells her of his suspicions, Gloria tells him she does not feel she is worthy of doing anything else. Two elderly women from the local morals society threaten the promoters with shutting down the dance, and Gloria is asked to witness the meeting. Left in the room with Mrs. Higby and Mrs. Witcher, Gloria curses the women as spoiled, interfering hypocrites. Welsh band Racing Cars had an international chart success in 1977 (reaching number 14 in the UK) with "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?", a song with lyrics inspired by the film. Robert and Gloria both had or have aspirations to break into motion pictures, Robert with the goal of becoming a film director and Gloria having had the now abandoned goal of becoming an actress. They meet accidentally, Robert thinking that Gloria is waving to him, even though he is a complete stranger. They walk together and get into a conversation. Characteristic of Gloria’s attitude to life: Another career peak is reached by Gig Young who, as the master of ceremonies, personifies all the dishonesty, cruelty and pathos of the marathon itself. Bonnie Bedelia and Susannah York also score as different kinds of vulnerable innocents. Michael Sarrazin as Fonda's dance partner serves as the passive instrument that allows Fonda to play out her tortured personal drama. His unchanging wounded puppy dog expression speaks for itself. Film in 1971". British Academy Film Awards. Archived from the original on May 2, 2013 . Retrieved September 20, 2020.

Festival de Cannes: They Shoot Horses, Don't They?". Festival-cannes.com. Archived from the original on January 23, 2013 . Retrieved April 11, 2009. Published in 1935, They Shoot Horses, Don't They? is almost a perfect Depression-era novel, capturing the despair that so many Americans experienced during that period and demonstrating the lengths to which some people would go for even the tinniest chance at a somewhat better future. The story is set in the world of the dance marathons that were popular at the time. In an age before "reality" television, live audiences watched these competitions closely, rooting on their favorite couples.

A young boy by the name of Robert sees his hillbilly father shoot a horse with a broken leg to put it out of its misery. Roger Ebert gave the film four stars out of four and named it as one of the best American movies of the 1970s: I don’t mean to denigrate the power of McCoy’s novel. The entire concept and the hapless characters of Gloria and Robert are his inventions. The climactic scene where Gloria pulls out the pistol, hands it to Robert, and asks him to do her a favor is one of the most moving passages. Robert observes that in her death she is finally at peace and smiling with what’s left of her face.