Seldom if ever was the atmosphere of desolation, decay and despair in a small American town that has had its day better caught than in Peter Bogdanovich's classic study of dust-blown Texas life in the 1950s. Not much happens, but the characters' lives intertwine and develop, the screenplay by Larry McMurtry (author of the original novel) and Bogdanovich himself creating a field day for the ensemble cast. From four acting nominations, Oscars were won by Ben Johnson (unforgettable as fading westerner Sam the Lion) and Cloris Leachman. A return to the same territory 20 years later in Texasville is best forgotten.

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