The Last Picture Show
Updated: 12/10/2025, 8:49:44 PM Wikipedia source
The Last Picture Show is a 1971 American coming-of-age drama film directed by Peter Bogdanovich and co-written by Bogdanovich and Larry McMurtry, adapted from the 1966 semi-autobiographical novel by McMurtry. The film's ensemble cast includes Timothy Bottoms, Jeff Bridges, Ellen Burstyn, Ben Johnson, Cloris Leachman, Cybill Shepherd, Eileen Brennan, and Randy Quaid. Set in a small town in northern Texas from November 1951 to October 1952, it is a story of two high school seniors and longtime best friends, Sonny Crawford (Bottoms) and Duane Jackson (Bridges). The Last Picture Show was theatrically released on October 22, 1971, by Columbia Pictures. It was a critical and commercial success, grossing $29 million on a $1.3 million budget, and was nominated for eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor for Johnson and Bridges, and Best Supporting Actress for Burstyn and Leachman, with Johnson and Leachman winning. Bogdanovich directed a 1990 sequel, Texasville, based on McMurtry's 1987 novel of the same name and featuring much of the original film's cast reprising their roles; Texasville failed to match the critical or commercial success of its predecessor. In 1998, the Library of Congress selected The Last Picture Show for preservation in the United States National Film Registry for being "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant".
Infobox
Directed by
Peter Bogdanovich
Screenplay by
Larry McMurtryPeter Bogdanovich
Based on
The Last Picture Show1966 novelby Larry McMurtry
Produced by
Stephen J. Friedman
Starring
mw- Timothy Bottoms Jeff Bridges Ellen Burstyn Ben Johnson Cloris Leachman Cybill Shepherd
Cinematography
Robert Surtees
Edited by
Donn CambernPeter Bogdanovich
Color process
Black and white
Productioncompanies
Last Picture Show ProductionsBBS Productions
Distributed by
Columbia Pictures
Release date
October 22, 1971 (1971-10-22)
Running time
118 minutes
Country
United States
Language
English
Budget
$1.3 million
Box office
$29.1 million
Tables
· Reception and legacy › Awards and nominations
Academy Awards
Academy Awards
Award
Academy Awards
Category
Best Picture
Nominee(s)
Stephen J. Friedman
Result
Nominated
Best Director
Best Director
Award
Best Director
Category
Peter Bogdanovich
Nominee(s)
Nominated
Best Supporting Actor
Best Supporting Actor
Award
Best Supporting Actor
Category
Jeff Bridges
Nominee(s)
Nominated
Ben Johnson
Ben Johnson
Award
Ben Johnson
Category
Won
Best Supporting Actress
Best Supporting Actress
Award
Best Supporting Actress
Category
Ellen Burstyn
Nominee(s)
Nominated
Cloris Leachman
Cloris Leachman
Award
Cloris Leachman
Category
Won
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
Larry McMurtry and Peter Bogdanovich
Nominee(s)
Nominated
Best Cinematography
Best Cinematography
Award
Best Cinematography
Category
Robert Surtees
Nominee(s)
Nominated
British Academy Film Awards
British Academy Film Awards
Award
British Academy Film Awards
Category
Best Film
Nominee(s)
Nominated
Best Direction
Best Direction
Award
Best Direction
Category
Peter Bogdanovich
Nominee(s)
Nominated
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Award
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Category
Ben Johnson
Nominee(s)
Won
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Award
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Category
Eileen Brennan
Nominee(s)
Nominated
Cloris Leachman
Cloris Leachman
Award
Cloris Leachman
Category
Won
Best Screenplay
Best Screenplay
Award
Best Screenplay
Category
Larry McMurtry and Peter Bogdanovich
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)
Peter Bogdanovich
Result
Nominated
Golden Globe Awards
Golden Globe Awards
Award
Golden Globe Awards
Category
Best Motion Picture – Drama
Nominee(s)
Nominated
Best Director – Motion Picture
Best Director – Motion Picture
Award
Best Director – Motion Picture
Category
Peter Bogdanovich
Nominee(s)
Nominated
Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture
Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture
Award
Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture
Category
Ben Johnson
Nominee(s)
Won
Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture
Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture
Award
Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture
Category
Ellen Burstyn
Nominee(s)
Nominated
Cloris Leachman
Cloris Leachman
Award
Cloris Leachman
Category
Nominated
New Star of the Year – Actress
New Star of the Year – Actress
Award
New Star of the Year – Actress
Category
Cybill Shepherd
Nominee(s)
Nominated
Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards
Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards
Award
Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards
Category
Best Supporting Actress
Nominee(s)
Cloris Leachman
Result
Won
Kinema Junpo Awards
Kinema Junpo Awards
Award
Kinema Junpo Awards
Category
Best Foreign Language Film
Nominee(s)
Peter Bogdanovich
Result
Won
National Board of Review Awards
National Board of Review Awards
Award
National Board of Review Awards
Category
Top Ten Films
Nominee(s)
5th Place
Best Supporting Actor
Best Supporting Actor
Award
Best Supporting Actor
Category
Ben Johnson
Nominee(s)
Won
Best Supporting Actress
Best Supporting Actress
Award
Best Supporting Actress
Category
Cloris Leachman
Nominee(s)
Won
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 Supporting Actor
Nominee(s)
Ben Johnson
Result
Nominated
Best Supporting Actress
Best Supporting Actress
Award
Best Supporting Actress
Category
Ellen Burstyn
Nominee(s)
Won
Cloris Leachman
Cloris Leachman
Award
Cloris Leachman
Category
Nominated
New York Film Critics Circle Awards
New York Film Critics Circle Awards
Award
New York Film Critics Circle Awards
Category
Best Film
Nominee(s)
Nominated
Best Director
Best Director
Award
Best Director
Category
Peter Bogdanovich
Nominee(s)
Nominated
Best Supporting Actor
Best Supporting Actor
Award
Best Supporting Actor
Category
Ben Johnson
Nominee(s)
Won
Best Supporting Actress
Best Supporting Actress
Award
Best Supporting Actress
Category
Ellen Burstyn
Nominee(s)
Won
Cloris Leachman
Cloris Leachman
Award
Cloris Leachman
Category
Runner-up
Best Screenplay
Best Screenplay
Award
Best Screenplay
Category
Larry McMurtry and Peter Bogdanovich
Nominee(s)
Won
Online Film & Television Association Awards
Online Film & Television Association Awards
Award
Online Film & Television Association Awards
Category
Film Hall of Fame: Productions
Nominee(s)
Inducted
São Paulo Association of Art Critics Awards
São Paulo Association of Art Critics Awards
Award
São Paulo Association of Art Critics Awards
Category
Best Foreign Film
Nominee(s)
Peter Bogdanovich
Result
Won
Texas Film Awards
Texas Film Awards
Award
Texas Film Awards
Category
Frontier Award
Nominee(s)
Cybill Shepherd
Result
Won
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)
Larry McMurtry and Peter Bogdanovich
Result
Nominated
| Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
| Academy Awards | Best Picture | Stephen J. Friedman | Nominated | |
| Best Director | Peter Bogdanovich | Nominated | ||
| Best Supporting Actor | Jeff Bridges | Nominated | ||
| Ben Johnson | Won | |||
| Best Supporting Actress | Ellen Burstyn | Nominated | ||
| Cloris Leachman | Won | |||
| Best Screenplay – Based on Material from Another Medium | Larry McMurtry and Peter Bogdanovich | Nominated | ||
| Best Cinematography | Robert Surtees | Nominated | ||
| British Academy Film Awards | Best Film | Nominated | ||
| Best Direction | Peter Bogdanovich | Nominated | ||
| Best Actor in a Supporting Role | Ben Johnson | Won | ||
| Best Actress in a Supporting Role | Eileen Brennan | Nominated | ||
| Cloris Leachman | Won | |||
| Best Screenplay | Larry McMurtry and Peter Bogdanovich | Won | ||
| Directors Guild of America Awards | Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures | Peter Bogdanovich | Nominated | |
| Golden Globe Awards | Best Motion Picture – Drama | Nominated | ||
| Best Director – Motion Picture | Peter Bogdanovich | Nominated | ||
| Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture | Ben Johnson | Won | ||
| Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture | Ellen Burstyn | Nominated | ||
| Cloris Leachman | Nominated | |||
| New Star of the Year – Actress | Cybill Shepherd | Nominated | ||
| Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Cloris Leachman | Won | |
| Kinema Junpo Awards | Best Foreign Language Film | Peter Bogdanovich | Won | |
| National Board of Review Awards | Top Ten Films | 5th Place | ||
| Best Supporting Actor | Ben Johnson | Won | ||
| Best Supporting Actress | Cloris Leachman | Won | ||
| National Film Preservation Board | National Film Registry | Inducted | ||
| National Society of Film Critics Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Ben Johnson | Nominated | |
| Best Supporting Actress | Ellen Burstyn | Won | ||
| Cloris Leachman | Nominated | |||
| New York Film Critics Circle Awards | Best Film | Nominated | ||
| Best Director | Peter Bogdanovich | Nominated | ||
| Best Supporting Actor | Ben Johnson | Won | ||
| Best Supporting Actress | Ellen Burstyn | Won | ||
| Cloris Leachman | Runner-up | |||
| Best Screenplay | Larry McMurtry and Peter Bogdanovich | Won | ||
| Online Film & Television Association Awards | Film Hall of Fame: Productions | Inducted | ||
| São Paulo Association of Art Critics Awards | Best Foreign Film | Peter Bogdanovich | Won | |
| Texas Film Awards | Frontier Award | Cybill Shepherd | Won | |
| Writers Guild of America Awards | Best Drama – Adapted from Another Medium | Larry McMurtry and Peter Bogdanovich | Nominated | |
References
- Tied with Paddy Chayefsky for The Hospital.
- Tied with Penelope Gilliatt for Sunday Bloody Sunday.
- Box Office Mojohttps://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=lastpictureshow.htm
- www.loc.govhttps://www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/9812/film.html
- Library of Congresshttps://www.loc.gov/programs/national-film-preservation-board/film-registry/complete-national-film-registry-listing/
- It Happened in Hollywoodhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJAIZD6jl0s
- Peter Bogdanovich (2001) The Last Picture Show: A Look Back [DVD]
- You Must Remember Thishttps://www.youmustrememberthispodcast.com/episodes/2020/6/1/last-picture-show-love-triangle-polly-platt-the-invisible-woman-part-3?rq=polly%20platt
- Young, Neil (14 December 2002). The Last Picture Show Jigsaw Loungehttp://www.jigsawlounge.co.uk/film/lastpictureshow.html
- Kings Road Entertainmenthttps://web.archive.org/web/20090502041813/http://www.kingsroadentertainment.net/history.php
- The Last Picture Showhttp://www.filmsite.org/lastp.html
- The Guardianhttps://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/oct/27/red-river-hawks-philip-french
- Daily Variety
- The Last Picture Show at the AFI Catalog of Feature Filmshttps://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/54257
- Variety
- The Last Picture Showhttps://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-last-picture-show-1971
- Canby, Vincent (October 17, 1971). "A Lovely 'Last Picture Show'". The New York Times. D1.https://www.nytimes.com/1971/10/17/archives/a-lovely-last-picture-show-a-lovely-show.html
- Chicago Tribunehttps://www.newspapers.com/article/chicago-tribune/25606780/
- Champlin, Charles (November 14, 1971). "Movies Were Better Than Ever in 'Picture'". Los Angeles Times. Calendar, p. 1.
- Arnold, Gary (December 25, 1971). "The Last Picture Show". The Washington Post. D1.
- The Last Picture Show at Rotten Tomatoeshttps://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/last_picture_show
- The Last Picture Show Reviewshttps://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-last-picture-show
- "The 44th Academy Awards (1972) Nominees and Winners"http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1972
- "BAFTA Awards: Film in 1973"http://awards.bafta.org/award/1973/film
- "24th Annual DGA Awards"https://www.dga.org/Awards/History/1970s/1971.aspx?value=1971
- "The Last Picture Show"https://goldenglobes.com/film/last-picture-show-the/
- "KCFCC Award Winners – 1970-79"https://kcfcc.org/kcfcc-award-winners-1970-79/
- "1971 Award Winners"https://nationalboardofreview.org/award-years/1971/
- "'Easy Rider' now listed on National Film Registry"http://www.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/News/9811/17/showbuzz/
- The New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/1971/12/30/archives/-claires-knee-jane-fonda-and-finch-picked-by-national-critics.html
- The New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/1971/12/29/archives/-clockwork-orange-wins-critics-prize.html
- "Film Hall of Fame: Productions"https://www.oftaawards.com/film-hall-of-fame/film-hall-of-fame-productions/
- "Awards Winners"https://archive.today/20121205095022/http://www.wga.org/awards/awardssub.aspx?id=1551
- EW.comhttps://ew.com/gallery/50-best-high-school-movies-0/
- American Film Institutehttps://www.afi.com/afis-100-years-100-movies-10th-anniversary-edition/
- Total Filmhttps://web.archive.org/web/20110402151142/http://www.totalfilm.com/reviews/cinema/the-last-picture-show-1
- New York Magazinehttps://www.vulture.com/article/best-oscar-best-picture-losers.html
- The Criterion Collectionhttps://www.criterion.com/films/27533-the-last-picture-show
- Los Angeles Timeshttps://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-08-12-ca-352-story.html
- Blu-ray.comhttps://www.blu-ray.com/movies/The-Last-Picture-Show-4K-Blu-ray/321652/