CrimeDrama

The Sugarland Express

- A girl with a great following. Every cop in the state was after her. Everybody else was behind her.

Married small-time crooks Lou-Jean and Clovis Poplin lose their baby to the state of Texas and resolve to do whatever it takes to get him back. Lou-Jean gets Clovis out of jail, and the two steal their son from his foster home, in addition to taking a highway patrolman hostage. As a massive dragnet starts to pursue them across Texas, the couple become unlikely folk heroes and even start to bond with the captive policeman.

Release Date : 1974-03-31

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Universal PicturesThe Zanuck/Brown Company

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Lou Jean Poplin

Original Name : Goldie Hawn

Gender : Female

Character Name : Clovis Poplin

Original Name : William Atherton

Gender : Male

Character Name : Captain Tanner

Original Name : Ben Johnson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Slide

Original Name : Michael Sacks

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mashburn

Original Name : Gregory Walcott

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jessup

Original Name : Steve Kanaly

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mrs. Looby

Original Name : Louise Latham

Gender : Female

Character Name : Baby Langston

Original Name : Harrison Zanuck

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mr. Nocker

Original Name : A.L. Camp

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mrs. Nocker

Original Name : Jessie Lee Fulton

Gender : Female

Character Name : Russ Berry

Original Name : Dean Smith

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dietz

Original Name : Ted Grossman

Gender : Male

Character Name : Hunter

Original Name : Bill Thurman

Gender : Male

Character Name : Standby #1

Original Name : Ken Hudgins

Gender : Male

Character Name : Drunk

Original Name : Buster Daniels

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mark Fenno

Original Name : James N. Harrell

Gender : Male

Character Name : Logan Waters

Original Name : Frank Steggall

Gender : Male

Character Name : Hot Jock #1

Original Name : Roger Ernest

Gender : Male

Character Name : Hot Jock #2

Original Name : Guich Koock

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mr. Looby

Original Name : Merrill Connally

Gender : Male

Character Name : Gas Jockey

Original Name : Gene Rader

Gender : Male

Character Name : Hubie Nocker

Original Name : Gordon Hurst

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mr. Sparrow

Original Name : George Hagy

Gender : Male

Character Name : Big John

Original Name : Big John Hamilton

Gender : Male

Character Name : Deputy

Original Name : Kenneth Crone

Gender : Male

Character Name : Attorney

Original Name : Charles Conaway

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dybala's Kid

Original Name : Robert Golden

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mechanic

Original Name : Rudy Robbins

Gender : Male

Character Name : Local Cop

Original Name : Charlie Dobbs

Gender : Male

Character Name : Reporter

Original Name : Gene Lively

Gender : Male

Character Name : Bailiff

Original Name : John L. Quinlan III

Gender : Male

Character Name : Station Man

Original Name : Bill Scott

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dispatcher

Original Name : Ralph E. Horwedel

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jelly Bowl

Original Name : Edwin 'Frog' Isbell

Gender : Male

Character Name : D.P.S. Officer (uncredited)

Original Name : James Robert Allen

Gender : Male

Character Name : Waitress (uncredited)

Original Name : Marianna Clore Blase

Gender : Female

Character Name : Marvin Dybala (uncredited)

Original Name : Richard Bright

Gender : Male

Character Name : Policeman at Football Game (uncredited)

Original Name : Dean Jones

Gender : Male

Character Name : Guard (uncredited)

Original Name : Al Evans

Gender : Male

Character Name : Old Reporter (uncredited)

Original Name : Harvey Christiansen

Gender : Male

Reviews

DanDare

@DanDare

2021-06-23

Steven Spielberg's first proper cinema movie has some great photography from Vilmos Zsigmond. The tone is uncertain. A road movie, a tragic comedy with car pile ups that is based on true facts. Lou Jean Sparrow Poplin (Goldie Hawn) takes her husband Clovis (William Atherton) out of a minimum security prison just weeks before his eventual release. All to save their child who has been taken away and ready to put up for adoption. They kidnap a police officer which leads to them being pursued by the police and the media. Goldie Hawn is spiky as Lou Jean but she is also stupidly impulsive. A story that needed more work, Spielberg does make an accomplished film.

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2023-04-01

When "Clovis" (William Atherton) is incarcerated, his wife "Lou Jean" (Goldie Hawn) is facing losing their son to adoption. She's having none of this so decides to spring her husband from jail so they can go collect their bairn and head for Mexico. Things do not go to plan, though, and pretty quickly they are in an hijacked police-car being driven by "Officer Slide" (Michael Sacks). Needless to say, the police - under the shrewd "Capt. Tanner" (Ben Johnson) now up the ante and we are now looking at a chase that involves just about every police vehicle in the country! They are gradually digging themselves deeper with each mile they drive, but equally they begin to befriend their hostage and elicit a degree of sympathy from their pursuer as their predicament starts to tug at heart strings. It's a bit preposterous at times, and is certainly too long - but it does illustrate that Goldie Hawn has a skill - as an actress with a strong narrative to deliver, and as a woman who has expert comedy timing. There is humour here. It doesn't always work and at times is maybe just a little slapstick. It also does introduce and develop some depth to the characters - including Sacks and Johnson - which I found engaging as it trundled along. It's all based on a true story so not too much Steven Spielberg could do with the ending but the journey he takes us along is entertaining enough.

r96sk

@r96sk

2024-05-08

Quality! 'The Sugarland Express' is Steven Spielberg's first theatrical release as director, which is quite something given the movie seems like it was made by a seasoned vet. On a similar note, the look and feel of the film is absolutely outstanding; it has aged remarkably well visually, almost hard to believe it came out in 1974! I also really enjoyed the score, particularly Toots Thielemans on the harmonica, but that's no surprise - John Williams, duh! As for plot, it is very entertaining. I like how silly everything plays out for the first chunk and the film knows it, but events gradually rise up a notch throughout the 110 minutes. The more serious conclusion would've felt quite sudden and out of place, though it is portrayed and paced perfectly. Cast-wise, Goldie Hawn, William Atherton and Michael Sacks are excellent, though Ben Johnson is probably the one I'd rate highest.