Midnight Cowboy

Director: John Schlesinger
Stars: Dustin Hoffman, Jon Voight, Sylvia Miles, Brenda Vaccaro

Fri 27 Sep 7.30pm      Book Now

Duration: 113 mins
AGE Rating: Cert 18
Adults £8

Showcasing landmark performances from Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight early in their film careers, director John Schlesinger’s Midnight Cowboy is back on the big screen.
One of the most affectionately remembered Hollywood films of the late 1960s, it is re-released in cinemas UK-wide by the BFI, in a new 4K digital restoration in celebration of its 50th Anniversary.

Midnight Cowboy is the bleak and uncompromising yet moving story of what becomes a close friendship between two drifters in a decaying 1960s New York. Joe Buck (Jon Voight) is a naïve young Texan who heads for the bright lights of New York City to become a prostitute, believing women will fall at his feet. Enrico Salvatore ‘Ratso’ Rizzo (Dustin Hoffman) is a seedy small time con-man who lives on his wits.

The film won three OSCARs; Best Picture (the first and only X-rated film to win), Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay – Jon Voight, Dustin Hoffman and Sylvia Miles were all nominated. It was written by Waldo Salt, based on the novel Midnight Cowboy (1965) by James Leo Herlihy. In the UK Midnight Cowboy won six BAFTAs; Best Film, Best Direction, Best Actor in a Leading Role (Dustin Hoffman), Best Screenplay, Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles (Jon Voight) and Best Editing (Hugh A. Robertson), and a GOLDEN GLOBE.

The soundtrack, which still makes the best ever movie soundtrack lists, was supervised by John Barry who also composed the score. He won a GRAMMY for Best Instrumental Theme for his haunting, harmonica-driven “Theme from Midnight Cowboy”. Nilsson’s heart-rending performance of “Everybody’s Talkin” written by Fred Neil, won a GRAMMY for Best Contemporary Vocal Performance, Male.