Аттарды атып тастамаймыз ба? (Attardy atıp tastamaymız ba?)

1969 film by Sydney Pollack

They Shoot Horses, Don't They? is a 1969 American psychological drama film directed by Sydney Pollack, from a screenplay written by Robert E. Thompson and James Poe, based on Horace McCoy's 1935 novel of the same name. It stars Jane Fonda, Michael Sarrazin, Susannah York, Gig Young, Bonnie Bedelia, and Red Buttons. It focuses on a disparate group of individuals desperate to win a Depression era dance marathon and an opportunistic emcee who urges them on. The film was released theatrically in the United States on December 10, 1969, and also premiered at the 1970 Cannes Film Festival. Reviewers praised its direction, screenplay, depiction of the Depression era, and performances (especially of Fonda, York, and Young). It received nine nominations at the 42nd Academy Awards including: Best Director, Best Actress (for Fonda), Best Supporting Actress (for York), Best Adapted Screenplay, with Young winning for Best Supporting Actor. As of , it holds the record for obtaining the most Oscar nominations without receiving one for Best Picture.

Robert Syverton, a homeless man, recalls the events leading to an unstated crime. As a boy, he witnessed a horse who had broken its leg shot and put out of its misery. Years later, during the Great Depression, he wanders into a dance marathon that is about to begin in a shabby ballroom on the Santa Monica Pier. Couples are competing for a $1,500 cash prize and hoping to be spotted by Hollywood celebrities and talent scouts in the audience. Robert is recruited by Rocky, the contest's promoter and emcee, to be the partner of a world weary, bitter young woman named Gloria Beatty after her previous partner is disqualified for bronchitis. Other contestants include retired sailor Harry Kline, emotionally fragile aspiring London actress Alice, her partner and aspiring actor Joel, impoverished farmer James, and James' pregnant wife Ruby. Early in the marathon, the weaker pairs are eliminated quickly. Rocky observes the vulnerabilities of stronger contestants and exploits them for the audience's amusement. The arena uses quack doctors to cover up the extreme physical and mental damage to participants. Frayed nerves are exacerbated by the theft of one of Alice's dresses, which Rocky uses to create artificial drama and entertain the audience, and Gloria's displeasure at the attention Alice receives from Robert. Robert ends up pairing off with Alice, and Gloria takes Joel as her partner, switching to Harry after Joel leaves for a job. Weeks into the marathon, to spark the spectators' enthusiasm, Rocky stages a series of derbies in which the couples race in tandem around the dance floor, with the last three pairs eliminated. Harry dies of a heart attack mid lap, and Gloria avoids elimination by dragging him across the finish line. Rocky "disqualifies" Harry, concealing his death from the audience, and the medics remove his body from the dance floor. When Alice suffers a nervous breakdown, a sympathetic Rocky comforts her and removes her from the competition to receive genuine medical care. Lacking partners, Gloria and Robert team up once again. Rocky suggests Gloria and Robert get married during the marathon, a publicity stunt guaranteed to earn them cash and gifts from supporters such as Mrs. Laydon, a wealthy woman who sponsors them throughout the contest. When Gloria refuses, Rocky reveals the invoice sheet: expenses will be deducted from the prize money, meaning even if the pair manage to win, they will leave with nothing. Dejected, Gloria and Robert withdraw from the competition and leave the dance hall. As the two walk out onto the pier, a despondent Gloria confesses to Robert how empty she feels and that she is tired of life. She takes a gun from her purse and points it at her head but cannot bring herself to pull the trigger. Desperate, she begs Robert to shoot her, which he does. Police officers arrive to arrest Robert and remove Gloria's body. Asked why he did it, Robert tells the police that she asked him to, adding, "They shoot horses, don't they?" The marathon continues with the few remaining couples, having already reached 1,491 hours.

In the early 1950s, Norman Lloyd and Charlie Chaplin were looking for a project on which to collaborate, with Lloyd as director and Chaplin as producer. Lloyd purchased the rights to Horace McCoy's novel for $3,000 and planned to cast Chaplin's son, Sydney, and newcomer Marilyn Monroe in the lead roles. Once arrangements were completed, in 1952 Chaplin took his family on what was intended to be a brief trip to the United Kingdom for the London premiere of Limelight. During this trip, in part because Chaplin was accused of being a Communist supporter during the McCarthy era, FBI head J. Edgar Hoover negotiated with the Immigration and Naturalization Service to revoke his re entry permit and the film project was cancelled. When the rights to the book reverted to McCoy's heirs sixteen years later (he had died in 1955), they refused to renew the deal with Lloyd, since nothing had come of his original plans. A script was written by James Poe, who wanted to direct. The rights were bought by Palomar Pictures, whose president was then Edgar Scherick. Scherick offered the project to the producing team of Bob Chartoff and Irwin Winkler, who were enthusiastic, but felt the script needed a rewrite and that they would struggle to make the film for Scherick's desired budget of $900,000. They also had concerns about Poe's ability as a director and worried that he was too arrogant. Mia Farrow was interested in starring, but Scherick felt her fee of $500,000 was too high. Eventually it was agreed to show the script to Jane Fonda, who was interested. Michael Sarrazin was borrowed from Universal to play the male lead. Scherick eventually agreed to raise the budget to $4 million. Martin Baum (agent) became head of ABC Pictures, and Winkler says Baum arranged for Scherick to be fired. Baum wanted the second female lead to be played by Susannah York, though Poe had promised the role to his then girlfriend. Winkler says it was Baum who suggested Red Buttons and Gig Young, and pushed for Poe to be fired. The producers were reluctant especially as Jane Fonda liked Poe and had director approval. Winkler arranged for Poe to direct a screen test for Bonnie Bedelia with Fonda; the test did not go well and Fonda became less enthusiastic about Poe's capabilities as a director. Poe was fired from the project.

During filming, there was an issue with York, who wanted a guarantee she would be able to make Country Dance. When this was not forthcoming, it seemed she would have to be replaced and Pollack suggested Sally Kellerman. However, York relented and agreed to make the film.

The film premiered at the Fine Arts Theatre on December 10, 1969. It grossed $28,000 in its opening week.

Award Category Nominee(s) Result Ref. (Reference) Academy Awards Best Director Sydney Pollack Best Actress Jane Fonda Best Supporting Actor Gig Young Best Supporting Actress Susannah York Best Adapted Screenplay James Poe and Robert E. Thompson Best Art Direction Harry Horner and Frank R. McKelvy Best Costume Design Donfeld Best Film Editing Fredric Steinkamp Best Score of a Musical Picture – Original or Adaptation Johnny Green and Albert Woodbury Belgian Film Critics Association Awards Grand Prix Sydney Pollack British Academy Film Awards Best Actress in a Leading Role Jane Fonda Best Actor in a Supporting Role Gig Young Best Actress in a Supporting Role Susannah York Best Screenplay James Poe and Robert E. Thompson Best Film Editing Fredric Steinkamp Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles Michael Sarrazin Directors Guild of America Awards Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures Sydney Pollack Fotogramas de Plata Best Foreign Movie Performer Jane Fonda 3rd Place Golden Globe Awards Best Motion Picture – Drama Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama Jane Fonda Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture Red Buttons Gig Young Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture Susannah York Best Director – Motion Picture Sydney Pollack Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards Best Actress Jane Fonda Best Supporting Actor Gig Young Nastro d'Argento Best Foreign Director Sydney Pollack National Board of Review Awards Best Film Top Ten Films National Society of Film Critics Awards Best Actress Jane Fonda Runner up New York Film Critics Circle Awards Best Actress Best Supporting Actor Gig Young Taormina International Film Festival Golden Charybdis Sydney Pollack Turkish Film Critics Association Awards Best Foreign Film 3rd Place Writers Guild of America Awards Best Drama Adapted from Another Medium James Poe and Robert E. Thompson

They Shoot Horses, Don't They? was released on DVD by Anchor Bay Entertainment in 1999. It was later reissued on DVD by MGM Home Entertainment on October 19, 2004. Kino Lorber released the film for the first time on Blu ray on September 5, 2017.

Turner Classic Movies observed, "By popularizing the title of McCoy's novel, [the film] gave American argot a catch phrase that's as recognizable today as when the movie first caught on."