Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1097515
John Schlesinger 80 DGA QUARTERLY Fifty years ago this May, John Schlesinger's Midnight Cowboy hit theaters. If U.S. moviegoers weren't aware of the British director by then, he would quickly claim a spot in the top ranks of big-name fi lmmakers. Midnight Cowboy— about a male hustler (Jon Voight) who seeks fame and fortune in New York, and his unlikely, heartbreaking relationship with a hapless con man (Dustin Ho man)—would earn Schlesinger directing honors from the DGA and the Academy. The fi lm represents a core touchstone of the New Hollywood, focusing on the disenfranchised with gritty reality and sexual frankness. "I like stirring it up every now and again," said Schlesinger later in his career. "I'm sick and tired of just 'entertainment.'" PHOTO: PHOTOFEST » John Schlesinger, right, on location for Midnight Cowboy with Jon Voight, who would shoot to stardom for his performance in the title role. 5 0 T H A N N I V E R S A R Y