View source for The Last Picture Show

{{Short description|1971 film by Peter Bogdanovich}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}}{{Infobox film
| name           = The Last Picture Show
| image          = The Last Picture Show (movie poster).jpg
| caption        = Theatrical release [[film poster|poster]] by [[Richard Amsel]]
| director       = [[Peter Bogdanovich]]
| producer       = [[Stephen J. Friedman (producer)|Stephen J. Friedman]]
| story          = 
| screenplay     = [[Larry McMurtry]]<br />Peter Bogdanovich
| based_on       = {{based on|''[[The Last Picture Show (novel)|The Last Picture Show]]''<br>1966 novel|Larry McMurtry}}
| starring       = {{plainlist|
* [[Timothy Bottoms]]
* [[Jeff Bridges]]
* [[Ellen Burstyn]]
* [[Ben Johnson (actor)|Ben Johnson]]
* [[Cloris Leachman]]
* [[Cybill Shepherd]]
}}
| cinematography = [[Robert Surtees (cinematographer)|Robert Surtees]]
| editing        = [[Donn Cambern]]<br />Peter Bogdanovich
| color_process  = [[Black and white]]
| studio         = Last Picture Show Productions<br>[[BBS Productions]]
| distributor    = [[Columbia Pictures]]
| released       = {{film date|1971|10|22}}
| runtime        = 118 minutes
| country        = United States
| language       = English
| budget         = $1.3 million
| gross          = $29.1 million<ref>{{cite web|url=https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=lastpictureshow.htm|website=[[Box Office Mojo]]|title=The Last Picture Show, Box Office Information|access-date=January 30, 2012}}</ref>
}}

'''''The Last Picture Show''''' is a 1971 American [[Coming-of-age story|coming-of-age]] [[Drama (film and television)|drama film]] directed by [[Peter Bogdanovich]] and co-written by Bogdanovich and [[Larry McMurtry]], adapted from the [[The Last Picture Show (novel)|1966 semi-autobiographical novel]] by McMurtry. The film's [[ensemble cast]] includes [[Timothy Bottoms]], [[Jeff Bridges]], [[Ellen Burstyn]], [[Ben Johnson (actor)|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 [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Best Picture]], [[Academy Award for Best Director|Best Director]], [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]] for Johnson and Bridges, and [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress|Best Supporting Actress]] for Burstyn and Leachman, with Johnson and Leachman winning.

Bogdanovich directed a 1990 sequel, ''[[Texasville]]'', based on McMurtry's 1987 [[Texasville (novel)|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".<ref>{{cite web |title=Hooray for Hollywood (December 1998) - Library of Congress Information Bulletin |url=https://www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/9812/film.html |website=www.loc.gov |access-date=2020-11-19}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Complete National Film Registry Listing |url=https://www.loc.gov/programs/national-film-preservation-board/film-registry/complete-national-film-registry-listing/|website=Library of Congress |access-date=2020-11-19}}</ref>

==Plot==
 <!-- Per WP:FILMPLOT, plot summary should be between 400 to 700 words. -->  
In 1951, Sonny Crawford and Duane Jackson are high school seniors and best friends in the small oil town of [[Anarene, Texas]]. Duane is dating Jacy Farrow, the prettiest girl in town, with the richest parents. Sonny breaks up with his girlfriend due to his secret crush on Jacy.

At a Christmas dance, Jacy is invited by Lester Marlow to a [[skinny-dipping]] pool party at Bobby Sheen's, a wealthy young man and seemingly better prospect than Duane. At the dance, Sonny kisses Ruth Popper, the depressed middle-aged wife of his high school coach.

Duane, Sonny and others take their young, mentally disabled friend, Billy, to a prostitute to lose his virginity. Returning him home, local businessman Sam "The Lion" is angered by their treatment of Billy, who habitually sweeps Anarene's main street. He forbids the group from entering any of his businesses, the only entertainment in town: the pool hall, movie theater, and café. Later, when Sam catches Sonny visiting Billy and Genevieve the waitress at the café, Sonny apologizes and Sam lifts the ban on him.

Bobby makes an advance on Jacy, but refuses to have sex with her because she is a virgin. On New Year's Eve weekend, Duane and Sonny impulsively drive to Mexico. Before leaving, the nostalgic Sam gives them some extra money to enjoy themselves. When the boys return hungover and tired on Monday morning, they learn that Sam died suddenly of a stroke the day before. Sam leaves Sonny the pool hall in his will.

Jacy invites Duane to a motel room for sex, as she wants to be accepted into Bobby's libertine circle. He is unable to get an erection, so she scolds him. Later, they try again and Duane performs briefly, just enough for Jacy to lose her virginity. She breaks up with him by phone, hoping to become involved with Bobby.

However, Jacy learns that Bobby has already married another girl. Out of boredom and feeling rejected, she has sex with Abilene, her father Gene's roughneck foreman and her mother's lover. When he drops Jacy off he is brutally cold. Upon entering the house, Jacy's mother Lois catches her and Jacy begins to cry. They discuss the double bind they are trapped in—reduced to objects of sexuality, but punished if they express or enjoy their sexuality.

Upset over the breakup, Duane enlists in the Army and is scheduled to serve in the [[Korean War]] after basic training. In his absence, Jacy goes for Sonny, who abruptly drops Ruth and dreams of marrying her. Duane returns home on leave, driving a new [[Mercury (automobile)|Mercury]]. He fights with Sonny over Jacy, smashing a beer bottle into Sonny's eye, sending him to the hospital. During his recovery, he refuses to see Ruth when she visits.

Jacy and Sonny elope to [[Oklahoma]]. While driving to their honeymoon, Jacy reveals she left a letter to her  parents, telling them of their entire plan. Jacy and Sonny are stopped by a state trooper who takes them to the Farrows’. Gene angrily berates Sonny and drives Jacy home. Sonny rides back with Lois, who reveals Sam was her first true love. She suggests Sonny would be much better off with Ruth than with Jacy. The marriage is annulled and a short time passes.

On Duane's last night of leave, Sonny makes amends with him and reveals that Jacy has left for college in Dallas. They go to the theater on its final night. The last picture show is ''[[Red River (1948 film)|Red River]]''.

The next morning, when Sonny sees Duane off, Duane asks Sonny to take care of his Mercury after Sonny admits that he and Jacy "never made it to the motel." As Sonny opens the pool hall, he hears brakes squealing outside. Billy was struck and killed by a truck when he was sweeping the road. The local townsmen surround Billy's body and coldly blame the dead boy for being stupid and careless. Grief-stricken, Sonny yells at them for their behavior and carefully carries Billy's body away, covering his face with his letterman jacket.

Angry and depressed with his life, Sonny drives to the city limits. He slowly changes his mind and returns, parking near Ruth's. He shyly asks to come in for a cup of coffee. Depressed, she has shuttered herself inside.

Ruth lets him in, then explodes in hurt and anger. She notices that Sonny is completely devastated. Demanding he look at her, he does and gently touches her hand. Ruth's anger melts away and she comforts him. Her last words are “Never you mind, honey. Never you mind” as the film ends.

==Cast==
{{Castlist|
* [[Timothy Bottoms]] as Sonny Crawford
* [[Jeff Bridges]] as Duane Jackson
* [[Cybill Shepherd]] as Jacy Farrow
* [[Ben Johnson (actor)|Ben Johnson]] as Sam the Lion
* [[Cloris Leachman]] as Ruth Popper
* [[Ellen Burstyn]] as Lois Farrow
* [[Eileen Brennan]] as Genevieve
* [[Clu Gulager]] as Abilene
* [[Sam Bottoms]] as Billy
* [[Randy Quaid]] as Lester Marlow
* [[Gary Brockette]] as Bobby Sheen
* Sharon Ullrick as Charlene Duggs (as Sharon Taggart)
* Barc Doyle as Joe Bob Blanton
* [[Bill Thurman]] as Coach Popper
* Jessie Lee Fulton as Miss Mosey
* Joe Heathcock as the town's sheriff
* [[John Hillerman]] as the English teacher
* Robert Glenn as Gene Farrow
* Kimberly Hyde as Annie-Annie Martin
* [[Frank Marshall (film producer)|Frank Marshall]] as Tommy Logan
* Janice O'Malley as Mrs. Clarg
* Helena Humann as Jimmie Sue
* Pamela Keller as Jackie Lee French
* [[Noble Willingham]] as Chester
}}

==Production==
Going into ''The Last Picture Show'' Peter Bogdanovich was a 31-year-old stage actor, film essayist, and critic. Bogdanovich had directed one film, ''[[Targets]]'' (also known as ''Before I Die''), working with his wife and collaborator, [[Polly Platt]]. As Bogdanovich later explained to ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'', while waiting in a cashier's line in a drugstore, he happened to look at the rack of paperbacks and his eye fell on an interesting title, ''The Last Picture Show''. The back of the book said it was about "kids growing up in Texas" and Bogdanovich decided that it did not interest him and put it back. A few weeks later, actor [[Sal Mineo]] handed Platt a copy of the book.<ref name="podcast">{{Cite podcast|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJAIZD6jl0s |title= Peter Bogdanovich: 'The Last Picture Show' |website=It Happened in Hollywood |publisher=The Hollywood Reporter |date=January 25, 2020 |access-date=7 June 2023 }}</ref> "I always wanted to be in this", he said, "but I'm a little too old now", said Mineo, who recommended that Platt and Bogdanovich make it into a film.<ref name="podcast"/> According to Bogdanovich, Platt said, "I don't know how you make it into a picture, but it's a good book."<ref name="documentary">Peter Bogdanovich (2001) ''The Last Picture Show: A Look Back'' [DVD]</ref> According to Platt, at a dinner with her and Bogdanovich, producer [[Bert Schneider]] "asked Peter what he wanted to direct next, and Peter didn't really have an answer, but I piped up about this great book, The Last Picture Show, and Bert showed some interest." Platt contended that after Schneider agreed to fund the picture through BBS Productions, she convinced Bogdanovich to overcome his hesitations about the source material and commit to the project.<ref name="ymrt">{{Cite podcast|url=https://www.youmustrememberthispodcast.com/episodes/2020/6/1/last-picture-show-love-triangle-polly-platt-the-invisible-woman-part-3?rq=polly%20platt |title= Last Picture Show Love Triangle: Polly Platt, The Invisible Woman Part 3 |website=You Must Remember This |date=June 8, 2020 |access-date=25 April 2025 }}</ref> Bogdanovich, McMurtry, and Platt adapted the novel into the film of the same name.<ref name="three">Young, Neil (14 December 2002). [http://www.jigsawlounge.co.uk/film/lastpictureshow.html The Last Picture Show] Jigsaw Lounge</ref>

[[Stephen J. Friedman (producer)|Stephen Friedman]] was a lawyer with Columbia Pictures but keen to break into film production as he had bought the film rights to the book, so Bogdanovich hired him as producer.<ref name="history">{{Cite web |title=Stephen J. Friedman |url=http://www.kingsroadentertainment.net/history.php |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090502041813/http://www.kingsroadentertainment.net/history.php |archive-date=2009-05-02 |website=Kings Road Entertainment}}</ref>

After discussing the proposed film with [[Orson Welles]], his houseguest at the time, Bogdanovich agreed with him that shooting the film in black and white would work aesthetically, which by then was an unusual choice.<ref name="documentary"/>

The film was shot in Larry McMurtry's small hometown of [[Archer City, Texas|Archer City]] located in north-central Texas near the Oklahoma state line. McMurtry had renamed the town ''Thalia'' in his book; Bogdanovich dubbed it [[Anarene, Texas|Anarene]] (for a [[ghost town]] {{convert|8|mi|spell=in}} south of Archer City). The similarity to famed [[Cattle towns|cowtown]] [[Abilene, Kansas]], in [[Howard Hawks]]' ''[[Red River (1948 film)|Red River]]'' (1948) was intentional.<ref name="one">{{cite web |last=Dirks |first=Tim |title=Filmsite Movie Review: ''The Last Picture Show'' |url=http://www.filmsite.org/lastp.html |publisher=Filmsite.org}}</ref> ''Red River'' again is tied in as "the last picture show", which Sonny and Duane watch at the end of the film.<ref>{{cite news |last=French |first=Philip |author-link=Philip French |title=Red River |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/oct/27/red-river-hawks-philip-french |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=October 27, 2013 |access-date=January 29, 2021 |issn=0261-3077 |eissn=1756-3224}}</ref>

After shooting wrapped, Bogdanovich went back to Los Angeles to edit the film footage on a [[Moviola]]. Bogdanovich has said that he edited the entire film himself, but refused to credit himself as editor, reasoning that director and co-writer were enough.<ref name="documentary"/> When informed that the [[Motion Picture Editors Guild]] required an editor credit, he suggested [[Donn Cambern]], who had been editing another film, ''[[Drive, He Said]]'' (1971), in the next office and had helped Bogdanovich with some purchasing paperwork concerning the film's opticals.<ref name="documentary"/> Cambern disputes this, stating that Bogdanovich did do an edit of the film, which he screened for a selection of guests, including [[Jack Nicholson]], [[Bob Rafelson]] and himself.{{who|Who screened it for whom? The grammar is opaque.|date=December 2021}} The consensus was the film was going to be great, but needed further editing to achieve its full potential. Cambern claims Bogdanovich invited him to do so, during which he made significant contributions to the film's final form.

Bogdanovich obtained a rare waiver from the [[Directors Guild of America]] to have his name appear only at the end of the film, after the actors' credits, as he felt it was more meaningful for the audience to see their names after their performances.<ref>{{cite news |last=Young |first=Paul |title=Credit 'Kane' With Another Film Trend |newspaper=[[Daily Variety]] |date=January 4, 1994 |page=24}}</ref><ref>{{AFI film|54257}}</ref>{{who|Who's names - just Bogdonovich's or the entire casts'? The grammar is opaque.|date=December 2021}}

===Music===
The film features entirely [[diegetic music]], including many songs of [[Hank Williams|Hank Williams Sr.]] and other [[country and western]] and 1950s popular music recording artists. In interviews, Bogdanovich emphasized that a lot of attention was paid to the music being accurate and contemporary to the narrated time span between November 1951 to October 1952, and that no songs were used that were released later than that.

==Reception and legacy==
===Box office===
The film earned $13.1 million in [[Gross rental|domestic rentals]] in North America.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=All-time Film Rental Champs |magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=January 7, 1976 |page=20}}</ref>

===Critical reception===
''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'' critic [[Roger Ebert]] gave the film four out of four stars in his original review and named it the best film of 1971. He later added it to his "Great Movies" list, writing that "the film is above all an evocation of mood. It is about a town with no reason to exist, and people with no reason to live there. The only hope is in transgression."<ref>{{cite news |last=Ebert |first=Roger |author-link=Roger Ebert |title=Great Movie Reviews - ''The Last Picture Show'' |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-last-picture-show-1971 |newspaper=[[Chicago Sun-Times]] |date=July 4, 2004 |access-date=February 25, 2016 |via=RogerEbert.com}}</ref> [[Vincent Canby]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' called it a "lovely film" that "rediscovers a time, a place, a film form—and a small but important part of the American experience."<ref>Canby, Vincent (October 17, 1971). "[https://www.nytimes.com/1971/10/17/archives/a-lovely-last-picture-show-a-lovely-show.html A Lovely 'Last Picture Show']". ''The New York Times''. D1.</ref> [[Gene Siskel]] of the ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'' gave the film four stars out of four and wrote: "Like few films in recent years, Peter Bogdanovich's ''The Last Picture Show'' ends with us wanting to see more of the people who occupy the small town world that is Anarene, Tex. in 1951. This emotion is not easily achieved. It is a result of a {{sic|thoro}} ''Peyton Place'' investigation into Anarene's bedrooms, parked cars, football games, movie theater, restaurant, and pool hall."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Siskel |first=Gene |date=December 21, 1971 |title='Last Picture Show' |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/chicago-tribune/25606780/ |work=[[Chicago Tribune]] |at=Section 2, p. 13}}</ref> [[Charles Champlin]] of the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' called the film "the most considered, craftsmanlike and elaborate tribute we have yet had to what the movies were and how they figured in our lives."<ref>Champlin, Charles (November 14, 1971). "Movies Were Better Than Ever in 'Picture'". ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''. Calendar, p. 1.</ref> Gary Arnold of ''[[The Washington Post]]'' called it "an exceedingly well-made and involving narrative film with decent aims, encouraging us to understand and care about its characters, though not to emulate them."<ref>Arnold, Gary (December 25, 1971). "The Last Picture Show". ''[[The Washington Post]]''. D1.</ref>

{{As of|October 2023}}, review aggregation website [[Rotten Tomatoes]] displays an approval rating of 98% based on 115 reviews, with an average rating of 9.1/10. The site's critics consensus reads: "Making excellent use of its period and setting, Peter Bogdanovich's small town coming-of-age story is a sad but moving classic filled with impressive performances."<ref>{{rotten-tomatoes|last_picture_show}}</ref> According to [[Metacritic]], which assigned a [[Weighted arithmetic mean|weighted average score]] of 93 out of 100 based on 15 critics, the film received "universal acclaim".<ref>{{cite Metacritic|title=The Last Picture Show Reviews|id=the-last-picture-show |type=movie|access-date=May 23, 2021}}</ref>

The film and its poster are referenced in the title of the 1975 album ''[[The Last Record Album]]'' by American rock band [[Little Feat]] and in the cover illustration by [[Neon Park]].

===Awards and nominations===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|-
! Award
! Category
! Nominee(s)
! Result
! Ref.
|-
| rowspan="8"| [[44th Academy Awards|Academy Awards]]
| [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Best Picture]]
| [[Stephen J. Friedman (producer)|Stephen J. Friedman]]
| {{nom}}
| align="center" rowspan="8"| <ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1972 |title=The 44th Academy Awards (1972) Nominees and Winners |publisher=[[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]] |access-date=December 6, 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141111072026/http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1972 |archive-date=November 11, 2014}}</ref>
|-
| [[Academy Award for Best Director|Best Director]]
| [[Peter Bogdanovich]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="2"| [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]]
| [[Jeff Bridges]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Ben Johnson (actor)|Ben Johnson]]
| {{won}}
|-
| rowspan="2"| [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress|Best Supporting Actress]]
| [[Ellen Burstyn]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Cloris Leachman]]
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay|Best Screenplay – Based on Material from Another Medium]]
| [[Larry McMurtry]] and Peter Bogdanovich
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Academy Award for Best Cinematography|Best Cinematography]]
| [[Robert Surtees (cinematographer)|Robert Surtees]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="6"| [[26th British Academy Film Awards|British Academy Film Awards]]
| colspan="2"| [[BAFTA Award for Best Film|Best Film]]
| {{nom}}
| align="center" rowspan="6"| <ref>{{cite web |url=http://awards.bafta.org/award/1973/film |title=BAFTA Awards: Film in 1973 |publisher=[[British Academy Film Awards]] |access-date=March 8, 2024}}</ref>
|-
| [[BAFTA Award for Best Direction|Best Direction]]
| Peter Bogdanovich
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role|Best Actor in a Supporting Role]]
| Ben Johnson
| {{won}}
|-
| rowspan="2"| [[BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role|Best Actress in a Supporting Role]]
| [[Eileen Brennan]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| Cloris Leachman
| {{won}}
|-
| [[BAFTA Award for Best Screenplay|Best Screenplay]]
| Larry McMurtry and Peter Bogdanovich
| {{won}}{{efn|Tied with [[Paddy Chayefsky]] for ''[[The Hospital]]''.}}
|-
| [[24th Directors Guild of America Awards|Directors Guild of America Awards]]
| [[Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Feature Film|Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures]]
| Peter Bogdanovich
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.dga.org/Awards/History/1970s/1971.aspx?value=1971 |title=24th Annual DGA Awards |publisher=[[Directors Guild of America Awards]] |access-date=March 8, 2024}}</ref>
|-
| rowspan="6"| [[29th Golden Globe Awards|Golden Globe Awards]]
| colspan="2"| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama|Best Motion Picture – Drama]]
| {{nom}}
| align="center" rowspan="6"| <ref>{{Cite web |url=https://goldenglobes.com/film/last-picture-show-the/ |title=The Last Picture Show |publisher=[[Golden Globe Awards]] |access-date=March 8, 2024 |language=en-US}}</ref>
|-
| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Director|Best Director – Motion Picture]]
| Peter Bogdanovich
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture|Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture]]
| Ben Johnson
| {{won}}
|-
| rowspan="2"| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture|Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture]]
| Ellen Burstyn
| {{nom}}
|-
| Cloris Leachman
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actress|New Star of the Year – Actress]]
| [[Cybill Shepherd]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Kansas City Film Critics Circle|Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards]]
| Best Supporting Actress
| Cloris Leachman
| {{won}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://kcfcc.org/kcfcc-award-winners-1970-79/ |title=KCFCC Award Winners – 1970-79 |publisher=[[Kansas City Film Critics Circle]] |date=December 14, 2013 |access-date=November 16, 2024}}</ref>
|-
| [[Kinema Junpo|Kinema Junpo Awards]]
| Best Foreign Language Film
| Peter Bogdanovich
| {{won}}
| align="center"| 
|-
| rowspan="3"| [[National Board of Review Awards 1971|National Board of Review Awards]]
| colspan="2"| [[National Board of Review: Top Ten Films|Top Ten Films]]
| {{draw|5th Place}}
| align="center" rowspan="3"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://nationalboardofreview.org/award-years/1971/ |title=1971 Award Winners |publisher=[[National Board of Review]] |access-date=March 8, 2024}}</ref>
|-
| [[National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]]
| Ben Johnson
| {{won}}
|-
| [[National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actress|Best Supporting Actress]]
| Cloris Leachman
| {{won}}
|-
| [[National Film Preservation Board]]
| colspan="2"| [[National Film Registry]]
| {{won|Inducted}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/News/9811/17/showbuzz/ |title='Easy Rider' now listed on National Film Registry |publisher=[[CNN]] |date=November 17, 1998 |access-date=March 8, 2024}}</ref>
|-
| rowspan="3"| [[1971 National Society of Film Critics Awards|National Society of Film Critics Awards]]
| [[National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]]
| Ben Johnson
| {{nom}}
| align="center" rowspan="3"| <ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1971/12/30/archives/-claires-knee-jane-fonda-and-finch-picked-by-national-critics.html |title='Claire's Knee,' Jane Fonda and Finch Picked by National Critics |last=Thompson |first=Howard |date=December 30, 1971 |access-date=March 8, 2024 |work=[[The New York Times]] |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
|-
| rowspan="2"| [[National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress|Best Supporting Actress]]
| Ellen Burstyn
| {{won}}
|-
| Cloris Leachman
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="6"| [[1971 New York Film Critics Circle Awards|New York Film Critics Circle Awards]]
| colspan="2"| [[New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Film|Best Film]]
| {{nom}}
| align="center" rowspan="6"| <ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1971/12/29/archives/-clockwork-orange-wins-critics-prize.html |title='Clockwork Orange' Wins Critics' Prize |last=Weiler |first=A. H. |date=December 29, 1971 |access-date=March 8, 2024 |work=[[The New York Times]] |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
|-
| [[New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Director|Best Director]]
| Peter Bogdanovich
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]]
| Ben Johnson
| {{won}}
|-
| rowspan="2"| [[New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress|Best Supporting Actress]]
| Ellen Burstyn
| {{won}}
|-
| Cloris Leachman
| {{Runner-up}}
|-
| [[New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Screenplay|Best Screenplay]]
| Larry McMurtry and Peter Bogdanovich
| {{won}}{{efn|Tied with [[Penelope Gilliatt]] for ''[[Sunday Bloody Sunday (film)|Sunday Bloody Sunday]]''.}}
|-
| Online Film & Television Association Awards
| colspan="2"| Film Hall of Fame: Productions
| {{won|Inducted}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.oftaawards.com/film-hall-of-fame/film-hall-of-fame-productions/ |title=Film Hall of Fame: Productions |publisher=Online Film & Television Association |access-date=March 8, 2024 |language=en-US}}</ref>
|-
| São Paulo Association of Art Critics Awards
| Best Foreign Film
| Peter Bogdanovich
| {{won}}
| align="center"| 
|-
| Texas Film Awards
| Frontier Award
| Cybill Shepherd
| {{won}}
| align="center"| 
|-
| [[24th Writers Guild of America Awards|Writers Guild of America Awards]]
| [[Writers Guild of America Award for Best Adapted Screenplay|Best Drama – Adapted from Another Medium]]
| Larry McMurtry and Peter Bogdanovich
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wga.org/awards/awardssub.aspx?id=1551 |title=Awards Winners |publisher=[[Writers Guild of America Awards]] |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121205095022/http://www.wga.org/awards/awardssub.aspx?id=1551 |archive-date=December 5, 2012 |access-date=June 6, 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
|}

It ranked No. 19 on [[Entertainment Weekly|''Entertainment Weekly'''s]] list of the 50 Best High School Movies.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2015-08-28 |title=50 best high school movies |url=https://ew.com/gallery/50-best-high-school-movies-0/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080905083021/http://www.ew.com/ew/report/0,6115,1532588_1_0_,00.html |archive-date=2008-09-05 |work=[[EW.com]]}}</ref> In 2007, the film was ranked No. 95 on the [[American Film Institute]]'s [[AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies (10th Anniversary Edition)|10th Anniversary Edition]] of the 100 greatest American films of all time.<ref>{{Cite web |title=AFI's 100 Years…100 Movies — 10th Anniversary Edition |url=https://www.afi.com/afis-100-years-100-movies-10th-anniversary-edition/ |access-date=2024-03-08 |website=American Film Institute |language=en}}</ref>

In April 2011, ''The Last Picture Show'' was re-released in UK and Irish cinemas, distributed by [[Park Circus (film distributor)|Park Circus]]. ''[[Total Film]]'' magazine gave the film a five-star review, stating: "Peter Bogdanovich's desolate Texan drama is still as stunning now as it was in 1971."<ref>{{cite web |last=Kemp |first=Philip |date=March 31, 2011 |title=The Last Picture Show Review |url=http://www.totalfilm.com/reviews/cinema/the-last-picture-show-1 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110402151142/http://www.totalfilm.com/reviews/cinema/the-last-picture-show-1 |archive-date=April 2, 2011 |access-date=April 5, 2011 |work=[[Total Film]]}}</ref>

The February 2020 issue of ''[[New York Magazine]]'' lists ''The Last Picture Show'' as among "The Best Movies That Lost Best Picture at the Oscars."<ref>{{cite news|title=The Best Movies That Lost Best Picture at the Oscars|url=https://www.vulture.com/article/best-oscar-best-picture-losers.html|magazine=[[New York Magazine]]|access-date=March 17, 2025}}</ref>

===Home media===
The film was released by [[The Criterion Collection]] in November 2010 as part of its box set ''America Lost and Found: The BBS Story''. It included a high-definition digital transfer of Peter Bogdanovich's director's cut, two audio commentaries, one from 1991, featuring Bogdanovich and actors Cybill Shepherd, Randy Quaid, Cloris Leachman, and Frank Marshall; the other from 2009, featuring Bogdanovich ''"The Last Picture Show": A Look Back'', (1999) and ''Picture This'' (1990), documentaries about the making of the film, ''A Discussion with Filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich'', a 2009 Q&A, screen tests and location footage, and excerpts from a 1972 television interview with director [[François Truffaut]] about the New Hollywood.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Last Picture Show |url=https://www.criterion.com/films/27533-the-last-picture-show |website=The Criterion Collection}}</ref>

==Director's cut==
Bogdanovich re-edited the film in 1992 to create a "[[director's cut]]". This version restores seven minutes of footage that Bogdanovich trimmed from the 1971 release because [[Columbia Pictures|Columbia]] had imposed a firm 119-minute limit.<ref name=documentary/>{{clarify|119 minute? Seven minutes off of 127 is 120, a much more logical time limit to have been imposed. As stated, Bogdanovich would have removed ''eight'' minutes. This needs clearing up.|date=December 2021}} With this requirement removed in the 1990s, Bogdanovich used the 127-minute cut on LaserDisc, VHS and DVD releases.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Saltzman |first=Barbara |date=1991-08-12 |title=Bogdanovich's 'Last Picture Show' as He Intended It : The director has added and re-edited scenes to deliver the film he wanted in 1971. He also explains many of its technical and artistic components. |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-08-12-ca-352-story.html |access-date=2024-03-08 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref> The original 1971 cut was never released on DVD or Blu-ray for years, though it was released on VHS and LaserDisc through Columbia Tristar Home Video. However, the theatrical cut, along with the more known director's cut, was included as a part of Sony's Columbia Classics Volume 3 4K Blu-ray box set.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Last Picture Show 4K Blu-ray |url=https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/The-Last-Picture-Show-4K-Blu-ray/321652/ |access-date=2022-11-02 |website=Blu-ray.com}}</ref>

There are two substantial scenes restored in the director's cut. The first is a sex scene between Jacy and Abilene that plays in the poolhall after it has closed for the night; it precedes the exterior scene where he drops her off home and she says "What a night. I never thought ''this'' would happen." The other major insertion is a scene that plays in Sam's café, where Genevieve watches while an amiable Sonny and a revved-up Duane decide to take their road trip to Mexico; it precedes the exterior scene outside the pool hall when they tell Sam of their plans, the last time they will ever see him.

Several shorter scenes were also restored. One comes between basketball practice in the gym and the exterior at The Rig-Wam drive-in; it has Jacy, Duane and Sonny riding along in her convertible (and being chased by an enthusiastic little dog), singing an uptempo rendition of the more solemn school song sung later at the football game. Another finds Sonny cruising the town streets in the pick-up, gazing longingly into Sam's poolhall, café and theater, from which he has been banished. Finally, there is an exterior scene of the auto caravan on its way to the Senior Picnic; as it passes the fishing tank where he had fished with Sam and Billy, Sonny sheds a tear for his departed friend and his lost youth.

Two scenes got slightly longer treatments: Ruth's and Sonny's return from the doctor, and the boys' returning Billy to Sam after his encounter with Jemmie Sue—both had added dialogue. Also, a number of individual shots were put back in, most notably a [[Gregg Toland]]-style [[deep focus]] shot in front of the Royal Theatre as everyone gets into their cars.<ref name=documentary/>

==Sequel==
''[[Texasville]]'', the 1990 sequel to ''The Last Picture Show'', based on McMurtry's 1987 novel of the same name, was also directed by Bogdanovich, from his own screenplay, without McMurtry this time. The film reunites actors Jeff Bridges, Cybill Shepherd, Timothy Bottoms, Cloris Leachman, Eileen Brennan, Randy Quaid, Sharon Ullrick (née Taggart) and Barc Doyle.

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
{{Commons category|The Last Picture Show}}
* {{IMDb title|0067328}}
* [https://www.allmovie.com/movie/the-last-picture-show-am1764 ''The Last Picture Show'' at AllMovie]
* {{TCMDb title|4672}}
* {{AFI film|54257}}
* {{mojo title|lastpictureshow}}
* {{rotten-tomatoes|last_picture_show}}
* [https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/1669-the-last-picture-show-in-with-the-old ''The Last Picture Show: In With the Old''] an essay by Graham Fuller at the [[Criterion Collection]]
* [https://books.google.com/books?id=deq3xI8OmCkC ''The Last Picture Show'' essay] by Daniel Eagan in America's Film Legacy: The Authoritative Guide to the Landmark Movies in the National Film Registry, Bloomsbury Academic, 2010 {{ISBN|0826429777}}, pages 672–4.
* [https://theasc.com/articles/last-picture-show-study-in-black-and-white ''The Last Picture Show:'' A Study in Black-and-White] at [[American Cinematographer]]
* [https://texasarchive.org/2014_02791 The Last Picture Show Original trailer] on [[Texas Archive of the Moving Image]]

{{Peter Bogdanovich}}
{{Larry McMurtry}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Last Picture Show}}
[[Category:1970s coming-of-age drama films]]
[[Category:1971 drama films]]
[[Category:1971 films]]
[[Category:American basketball films]]
[[Category:American black-and-white films]]
[[Category:American coming-of-age drama films]]
[[Category:Censored films]]
[[Category:Columbia Pictures films]]
[[Category:1970s English-language films]]
[[Category:Films based on American novels]]
[[Category:Films directed by Peter Bogdanovich]]
[[Category:Films featuring a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award–winning performance]]
[[Category:Films featuring a Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe winning performance]]
[[Category:Films featuring a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award–winning performance]]
[[Category:Films set in 1951]]
[[Category:Films set in 1952]]
[[Category:Films set in Texas]]
[[Category:Films shot in Texas]]
[[Category:Films about disability in the United States]]
[[Category:Films whose writer won the Best Screenplay BAFTA Award]]
[[Category:Obscenity controversies in film]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Larry McMurtry]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Peter Bogdanovich]]
[[Category:United States National Film Registry films]]
[[Category:1970s American films]]