Midnight Cowboy
Updated: 12/11/2025, 10:41:07 AM Wikipedia source
Midnight Cowboy is a 1969 American drama film directed by John Schlesinger, adapted by Waldo Salt from the 1965 novel by James Leo Herlihy. The film stars Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight, with supporting roles played by Sylvia Miles, John McGiver, Brenda Vaccaro, Bob Balaban, Jennifer Salt and Barnard Hughes. Set in New York City, Midnight Cowboy depicts the unlikely friendship between two lost and lonely hustlers: naïve prostitute Joe Buck (Voight) and ailing con man Rico Rizzo (Hoffman), referred to as "Ratso". At the 42nd Academy Awards, the film won three awards: Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay. Midnight Cowboy is the only X-rated film (equivalent of the current NC-17 rating) to win Best Picture and the only X-rated film ever to win an Academy Award. It placed 36th on the American Film Institute's 1998 list of the 100 greatest American films of all time, and 43rd on its 2007 updated version. In 1994, Midnight Cowboy was deemed "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant" by the Library of Congress, and selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.
Infobox
Directed by
John Schlesinger
Screenplay by
Waldo Salt
Based on
Midnight Cowboyby James Leo Herlihy
Produced by
Jerome Hellman
Starring
mw- Jon Voight Dustin Hoffman Brenda Vaccaro John McGiver Ruth White Sylvia Miles Barnard Hughes
Cinematography
Adam Holender
Edited by
Hugh A. Robertson
Music by
John Barry
Productioncompanies
Jerome Hellman Productions Mist Entertainment
Distributed by
United Artists
Release date
May 25, 1969 (1969-05-25) (New York)
Running time
113 minutes
Country
United States
Language
English
Budget
$3.2 million
Box office
$44.8 million
Tables
· Reception › Accolades
Academy Awards
Academy Awards
Award
Academy Awards
Category
Best Picture
Nominee(s)
Jerome Hellman
Result
Won
Best Director
Best Director
Award
Best Director
Category
John Schlesinger
Nominee(s)
Won
Best Actor
Best Actor
Award
Best Actor
Category
Dustin Hoffman
Nominee(s)
Nominated
Jon Voight
Jon Voight
Award
Jon Voight
Category
Nominated
Best Supporting Actress
Best Supporting Actress
Award
Best Supporting Actress
Category
Sylvia Miles
Nominee(s)
Nominated
Best Screenplay – Based on Material from Another Medium
Best Screenplay – Based on Material from Another Medium
Award
Best Screenplay – Based on Material from Another Medium
Category
Waldo Salt
Nominee(s)
Won
Best Film Editing
Best Film Editing
Award
Best Film Editing
Category
Hugh A. Robertson
Nominee(s)
Nominated
Berlin International Film Festival
Berlin International Film Festival
Award
Berlin International Film Festival
Category
Golden Bear
Nominee(s)
John Schlesinger
Result
Nominated
OCIC Award
OCIC Award
Award
OCIC Award
Category
Won
Bodil Awards
Bodil Awards
Award
Bodil Awards
Category
Best Non-European Film
Nominee(s)
Won
British Academy Film Awards
British Academy Film Awards
Award
British Academy Film Awards
Category
Best Film
Nominee(s)
Won
Best Direction
Best Direction
Award
Best Direction
Category
Won
Best Actor in a Leading Role
Best Actor in a Leading Role
Award
Best Actor in a Leading Role
Category
Dustin Hoffman
Nominee(s)
Won
Best Screenplay
Best Screenplay
Award
Best Screenplay
Category
Waldo Salt
Nominee(s)
Won
Best Editing
Best Editing
Award
Best Editing
Category
Hugh A. Robertson
Nominee(s)
Won
Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles
Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles
Award
Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles
Category
Jon Voight
Nominee(s)
Won
David di Donatello Awards
David di Donatello Awards
Award
David di Donatello Awards
Category
Best Foreign Director
Nominee(s)
John Schlesinger
Result
Won
Best Foreign Actor
Best Foreign Actor
Award
Best Foreign Actor
Category
Dustin Hoffman
Nominee(s)
Won
Directors Guild of America Awards
Directors Guild of America Awards
Award
Directors Guild of America Awards
Category
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures
Nominee(s)
John Schlesinger
Result
Won
Golden Globe Awards
Golden Globe Awards
Award
Golden Globe Awards
Category
Best Motion Picture – Drama
Nominee(s)
Nominated
Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama
Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama
Award
Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama
Category
Dustin Hoffman
Nominee(s)
Nominated
Jon Voight
Jon Voight
Award
Jon Voight
Category
Nominated
Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture
Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture
Award
Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture
Category
Brenda Vaccaro
Nominee(s)
Nominated
Best Director – Motion Picture
Best Director – Motion Picture
Award
Best Director – Motion Picture
Category
John Schlesinger
Nominee(s)
Nominated
Best Screenplay – Motion Picture
Best Screenplay – Motion Picture
Award
Best Screenplay – Motion Picture
Category
Waldo Salt
Nominee(s)
Nominated
Most Promising Newcomer – Male
Most Promising Newcomer – Male
Award
Most Promising Newcomer – Male
Category
Jon Voight
Nominee(s)
Won
Grammy Awards
Grammy Awards
Award
Grammy Awards
Category
Best Instrumental Theme
Nominee(s)
John Barry
Result
Won
Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards
Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards
Award
Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards
Category
Best Film
Nominee(s)
Won
Best Director
Best Director
Award
Best Director
Category
John Schlesinger
Nominee(s)
Won
Laurel Awards
Laurel Awards
Award
Laurel Awards
Category
Top Drama
Nominee(s)
Won
Top Male Dramatic Performance
Top Male Dramatic Performance
Award
Top Male Dramatic Performance
Category
Dustin Hoffman
Nominee(s)
Won
Top Female Supporting Performance
Top Female Supporting Performance
Award
Top Female Supporting Performance
Category
Brenda Vaccaro
Nominee(s)
Nominated
Top Male New Face
Top Male New Face
Award
Top Male New Face
Category
Jon Voight
Nominee(s)
Won
Nastro d'Argento
Nastro d'Argento
Award
Nastro d'Argento
Category
Best Foreign Director
Nominee(s)
John Schlesinger
Result
Won
National Board of Review Awards
National Board of Review Awards
Award
National Board of Review Awards
Category
Top Ten Films
Nominee(s)
10th Place
National Film Preservation Board
National Film Preservation Board
Award
National Film Preservation Board
Category
National Film Registry
Nominee(s)
Inducted
National Society of Film Critics Awards
National Society of Film Critics Awards
Award
National Society of Film Critics Awards
Category
Best Actor
Nominee(s)
Jon Voight
Result
Won
New York Film Critics Circle Awards
New York Film Critics Circle Awards
Award
New York Film Critics Circle Awards
Category
Best Actor
Nominee(s)
Dustin Hoffman
Result
Runner-up
Jon Voight
Jon Voight
Award
Jon Voight
Category
Won
Best Supporting Actor
Best Supporting Actor
Award
Best Supporting Actor
Category
Dustin Hoffman
Nominee(s)
Nominated
Online Film & Television Association Awards
Online Film & Television Association Awards
Award
Online Film & Television Association Awards
Category
Film Hall of Fame: Productions
Nominee(s)
Honored
Turkish Film Critics Association Awards
Turkish Film Critics Association Awards
Award
Turkish Film Critics Association Awards
Category
Best Foreign Film
Nominee(s)
5th Place
Writers Guild of America Awards
Writers Guild of America Awards
Award
Writers Guild of America Awards
Category
Best Drama – Adapted from Another Medium
Nominee(s)
Waldo Salt
Result
Won
| Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
| Academy Awards | Best Picture | Jerome Hellman | Won | |
| Best Director | John Schlesinger | Won | ||
| Best Actor | Dustin Hoffman | Nominated | ||
| Jon Voight | Nominated | |||
| Best Supporting Actress | Sylvia Miles | Nominated | ||
| Best Screenplay – Based on Material from Another Medium | Waldo Salt | Won | ||
| Best Film Editing | Hugh A. Robertson | Nominated | ||
| Berlin International Film Festival | Golden Bear | John Schlesinger | Nominated | |
| OCIC Award | Won | |||
| Bodil Awards | Best Non-European Film | Won | ||
| British Academy Film Awards | Best Film | Won | ||
| Best Direction | Won | |||
| Best Actor in a Leading Role | Dustin Hoffman | Won | ||
| Best Screenplay | Waldo Salt | Won | ||
| Best Editing | Hugh A. Robertson | Won | ||
| Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles | Jon Voight | Won | ||
| David di Donatello Awards | Best Foreign Director | John Schlesinger | Won | |
| Best Foreign Actor | Dustin Hoffman | Won | ||
| Directors Guild of America Awards | Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures | John Schlesinger | Won | |
| Golden Globe Awards | Best Motion Picture – Drama | Nominated | ||
| Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama | Dustin Hoffman | Nominated | ||
| Jon Voight | Nominated | |||
| Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture | Brenda Vaccaro | Nominated | ||
| Best Director – Motion Picture | John Schlesinger | Nominated | ||
| Best Screenplay – Motion Picture | Waldo Salt | Nominated | ||
| Most Promising Newcomer – Male | Jon Voight | Won | ||
| Grammy Awards | Best Instrumental Theme | John Barry | Won | |
| Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards | Best Film | Won | ||
| Best Director | John Schlesinger | Won | ||
| Laurel Awards | Top Drama | Won | ||
| Top Male Dramatic Performance | Dustin Hoffman | Won | ||
| Top Female Supporting Performance | Brenda Vaccaro | Nominated | ||
| Top Male New Face | Jon Voight | Won | ||
| Nastro d'Argento | Best Foreign Director | John Schlesinger | Won | |
| National Board of Review Awards | Top Ten Films | 10th Place | ||
| National Film Preservation Board | National Film Registry | Inducted | ||
| National Society of Film Critics Awards | Best Actor | Jon Voight | Won | |
| New York Film Critics Circle Awards | Best Actor | Dustin Hoffman | Runner-up | |
| Jon Voight | Won | |||
| Best Supporting Actor | Dustin Hoffman | Nominated | ||
| Online Film & Television Association Awards | Film Hall of Fame: Productions | Honored | ||
| Turkish Film Critics Association Awards | Best Foreign Film | 5th Place | ||
| Writers Guild of America Awards | Best Drama – Adapted from Another Medium | Waldo Salt | Won | |
· Soundtrack › Charts
Australia (Kent Music Report)
Australia (Kent Music Report)
Chart (1970)
Australia (Kent Music Report)
Position
22
| Chart (1970) | Position |
| Australia (Kent Music Report) | 22 |
· Soundtrack › Certifications
United States (RIAA)
United States (RIAA)
Region
United States (RIAA)
Certification
Gold
Certified units/sales
500,000^
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
Region
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
| United States (RIAA) | Gold | 500,000^ |
| ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
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