Goin’ South **** (1978, Jack Nicholson, Mary Steenburgen, Christopher Lloyd, John Belushi) – Classic Movie Review 937

Jack Nicholson directs an enjoyable, rollicking romantic comedy Western, with a delightfully quirky screenplay based on the story by John Herman Shaner and Al Ramrus. It’s the middle one of only three films Nicholson has directed, sandwiched between Drive, He Said (1971) and The Two Jakes (1990).

He indulges himself extravagantly as star, encouraging himself to mug away enjoyably as Henry Moon, an old Western bum, who is trying to escape to Mexico when his horse quits on him and he is captured for a capital offence. He extricates himself from the pursuing posse’s hanging mob by agreeing to wed prudish widow Julia Tate (Mary Steenburgen) after finding there’s a post-Civil War law in the small town that any single or widowed woman can save him from the gallows by marrying him. Julia Tate needs a man to help her work her mine and so at first she’s happy to marry him, but soon she proves more of a sassy adventuress than a prudish widow.

Sheriff Andrew Kyle (Richard Bradford) makes it clear Moon can’t leave Julia, so the duo have to form a relationship based on necessity, though they have nothing in common.

Nicholson’s film is a decidedly unconventional and eccentric Western that didn’t ring many bells at the box-office, but it’s mostly charming and entertaining with good chemistry and on-screen affection showing between Nicholson and Steenburgen. Plus there’s a whole array of tastily bizarre character acting from a choice support cast headed by Christopher Lloyd (as Deputy Towfield), John Belushi (hilarious in a cameo as a Mexican cowboy), Danny DeVito (as Hog), Tracey Walter (as Coogan) and Anne Ramsey (Spinster #2).

Nicholson’s ensured that it’s an especially well-made movie, with outstanding cinematography from Nestor Almendros and a handsome production by designer Roby Carr Rafelson, with lots of Western atmosphere.

It was both Steenburgen’s and Belushi’s first film. The story goes that Steenburgen was working as a waitress in an Arizona dinner and Nicholson stopped in and thought she would be perfect for the part of Julia and ‘discovered’ her. It’s also said that the only reason Belushi is cast is because Nicholson wanted to meet the Saturday Night Live star. DeVito later hired Ramsey as momma in Throw Momma from the Train.

© Derek Winnert 2014 Classic Film Review 937 derekwinnert.com