Ode to Billy Joe (film)

Last updated
Ode to Billy Joe
BillieJoeMovie.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Max Baer Jr.
Screenplay by Herman Raucher
Based on Ode to Billie Joe
1967 song
by Bobbie Gentry
Produced byMax Baer Jr.
Starring Robby Benson
Glynnis O'Connor
Cinematography Michel Hugo
Edited byFrank Morriss
Music by Michel Legrand
Distributed by Warner Bros.
Release date
  • June 4, 1976 (1976-06-04)
Running time
105 min
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
BudgetUS $1.1 million

Ode to Billy Joe is a 1976 American drama film, directed and produced by Max Baer Jr., with a screenplay by Herman Raucher, and starring Robby Benson and Glynnis O'Connor. It is inspired by the 1967 hit song by Bobbie Gentry, titled "Ode to Billie Joe." [1]

Contents

Made for $1.1 million, the film grossed $27 million at the box office, plus earnings in excess of $2.65 million in the foreign market, $4.75 million from television, and $2.5 million from video.[ citation needed ] However, reviews were mostly negative.[ citation needed ]

Gentry's song recounts the day when Billie Joe McAllister committed suicide by jumping off the Tallahatchie Bridge on Choctaw Ridge, Mississippi. When Gentry discussed the screenplay with Raucher, she explained she did not know why the real person who inspired the character of Billie Joe had killed himself. [2] Raucher thus had a free hand to pick a reason. His novelization of the story, published the year of the film's release as a movie tie-in, used the same rationale for the suicide.

Plot

Set in 1953, the film explores the budding relationship between teenagers Billy Joe McAllister (Benson) and Bobbie Lee Hartley (O'Connor) (who corresponds to the unnamed narrator of the original song), despite resistance from Hartley's family, who contend she is too young to date. One night at a jamboree, McAllister gets drunk and seems nauseated and confused when entering a makeshift brothel behind the gathering. It turns out that in his inebriated state, he had sex with another man, later revealed to be his sawmill boss, Dewey Barksdale (James Best). [3] [4]

After his intimate encounter with Barksdale, Billy Joe disappears for several days. He then returns, and Bobbie Lee finally submits to her passions at a secluded spot near the bridge and encourages him to make love to her. Owing to his guilt, however, Billy Joe cannot consummate their relationship. He admits to Bobbie Lee that he has been with a man, and when she tries to reason that he was drunk, so maybe didn't have complete control of himself and didn't really know what was going on, he confesses that he knew what he was doing, knew it was a sin, and did it anyway because he wanted to. Tearfully, he bids her an enigmatic goodbye, and subsequently kills himself by jumping off the bridge spanning the Tallahatchie River. The local preacher, who saw Billy Joe and Bobbie Lee together, and other townsfolk spread the false story that Billy Joe committed suicide because he learned he had impregnated Bobbie Lee out of wedlock. For the sake of the family, Bobbie Lee's brother insists that she either quietly pursue an abortion or, if she insists upon having the baby, leave town. [3] [4]

In the film, as in the novel, the object thrown from the bridge is Bobbie Lee's ragdoll, symbolizing throwing away her childhood and innocence and becoming an adult. [5]

Knowing that no one will ever believe that she and Billy Joe did not have sex and that she was never pregnant, Bobbie Lee decides to leave home. Very early one morning, with suitcase in hand, she walks to town to get a bus. On the way she meets Barksdale on the bridge, where he tells her that he is headed to her house to confess to her father and clear her name. She advises him against doing so, noting that revealing the truth would forever tarnish Billy Joe's reputation. He initially holds fast to his desire to confess, but Bobbie Lee calmly stresses that the news would further devastate Billy Joe's family and leave Barksdale himself subject to criminal prosecution. She also assures him that she does not mind her fate and then adds, "Oh, I'll be back before long; I'm only 15. What do I know of the world?" Finally agreeing with the girl's logic, he offers Bobbie Lee a ride to the bus station, which she graciously accepts. The film ends with the two of them walking across the bridge together.

Cast

Production

The June 12, 1975 issue of The Hollywood Reporter announced the completion of a $3.5 million deal between Max Baer, Jr. and Warner Bros. Pictures for a film based on Bobbie Gentry's hit song, “Ode To Billie Joe.” Baer offered Gentry and her publisher a large percentage of the film's receipts, and paid Herman Raucher $250,000 and a share of the profits to write the screenplay. Raucher was chosen because he had written the hit film Summer of '42 . Baer had intended to cast unknown actors in the lead roles of “Bobbie Lee Hartley” and “Billy Joe McAllister,” eventually picking Glynnis O'Connor and Robby Benson, who had previously starred together in the teen film Jeremy .

The July 2, 1975, issue of Variety announced that the locations for the film would include Gentry's hometown of Greenwood, Mississippi, along with other local communities. [6]

Scenes at the old sawmill were filmed at Cross Lumber Company in Vaiden, Mississippi. The bridge featured in the film crossed the Yazoo River on County Road 512 near Sidon, Mississippi. It was later demolished and replaced by a modern concrete span in 1987, with plaques at both the eastern and western ends commemorating the film. [7]

Release date

The film premiered on June 2, 1976, at the Paramount Theatre in Jackson, Mississippi, as a benefit for the Mississippi Film Foundation. The premiere was attended by numerous dignitaries, including Mississippi Lieutenant Governor Evelyn Gandy. In honor of Gentry being the first woman to be inducted into the Mississippi Hall of Fame, and the film's release in 550 theaters across the Southern United States, June 3, 1976, was declared "Billy Joe Day" by Mississippi Governor Cliff Finch. Gandy officiated at the placing of a bronze tablet on the Tallahatchie Bridge near Rising Sun, Mississippi. The celebration was attended by stars Robby Benson and Glynnis O’Connor and producer Roger Camras. On the same day, a similar event was held in Los Angeles, California, to commemorate the opening of the film. Burbank Mayor Leland Ayers dedicated a 16-foot (5 m)-long replica of the Tallahatchie Bridge, constructed 25 feet (8 m) above Olive Avenue. Director Max Baer, Jr. attended the event. [6]

The film opened nationwide on June 4, 1976. [8]

Reception

The critical reviews were negative to mixed. Ode to Billy Joe holds a 43% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on seven reviews. [9]

Soundtrack

Ode to Billy Joe (Sound Track from Max Baer's Motion Picture)
OdeToBillyJoeCD.jpg
Soundtrack album by
Various Artists
ReleasedMay 10, 1976
Length31:37
Label Warner Bros.
Producer Marshall Leib
Singles from Ode to Billy Joe (Sound Track from Max Baer's Motion Picture)
  1. "Ode to Billy Joe - Main Title"
    Released: April 1976

Ode to Billy Joe (Sound Track from Max Baer's Motion Picture) is the soundtrack album to the film. It was released on May 10, 1976, by Warner Bros. Records.

The album was issued on CD for the first time in 2017 by California-based label Kritzerland.

Bobbie Gentry re-recorded her iconic hit song, "Ode to Billie Joe," for the film, with the spelling of the name changed to "Billy." Gentry stated that the original spelling had been a typographical error; this is corroborated by her original handwritten lyrics of the song.

Commercial performance

"Ode to Billy Joe - Main Title" was issued as a single in April 1976. It peaked at No. 65 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. Capitol Records, Gentry's label when the original 1967 recording was released, reissued it as a single in June 1976 to capitalize on the film's success. The album did not chart.

The original 1967 recording was on the Billboard chart for 20 weeks and was the Number 1 song for four weeks. [10]

Track listing

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Ode to Billy Joe - Main Title" (performed by Bobbie Gentry)Bobbie Gentry, arranged by Jimmie Haskell 4:21
2."By the Pond"Michel Legrand1:15
3."On the Bridge"Legrand2:44
4."Night"Legrand3:40
5."Reflections"Legrand1:27
6."Morning Stillness"Legrand3:08
7."There'll Be Time (Love Theme)"Legrand, Alan Bergman, Marilyn Bergman2:13
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Magnolia Turn-Around"Thurman Box1:45
2."Rattle Snake Daddy" Hoyt Ming 2:05
3."Standing Pine Breakdown"Morgan Gilmer2:42
4."Memphis Thelma"Sherrill Parks2:29
5."Ode to Billy Joe - End Title Instrumental"Gentry, arranged by Haskell2:00

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bobbie Gentry</span> American singer-songwriter (b. 1942)

Bobbie Gentry is a retired American singer-songwriter. She was one of the first female artists in America to compose and produce her own material.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ode to Billie Joe</span> 1967 Bobbie Gentry song

"Ode to Billie Joe" is a song by American singer-songwriter Bobbie Gentry released by Capitol Records in July 1967, and later used as the title-track of her debut album. Five weeks after its release, the song topped Billboard's Pop singles chart. It also appeared in the top 10 of the Adult Contemporary and Hot R&B singles charts, and in the top 20 of the Hot Country Songs list.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robby Benson</span> American actor and director (born 1956)

Robby Benson is an American actor, director, and musician. He rose to prominence as a teen idol in the late 1970s, appearing in the sports films One on One (1977) and Ice Castles (1978). He subsequently garnered more fame for voicing the Beast in the Disney animated film Beauty and the Beast (1991) and its numerous sequels and spin-offs. He has also worked as a television director, including six episodes of the sitcom Friends.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Max Baer Jr.</span> American actor, producer and director

Maximilian Adelbert Baer Jr. is an American actor, producer, comedian, and director widely known for his role as Jethro Bodine, the dim-witted relative of Jed Clampett on The Beverly Hillbillies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tallahatchie River</span> River in Mississippi, US

The Tallahatchie River is a river in Mississippi which flows 230 miles (370 km) from Tippah County, through Tallahatchie County, to Leflore County, where it joins the Yalobusha River to form the Yazoo River, which ultimately meets the Mississippi River at Vicksburg, Mississippi. The river is navigable for about 100 miles (160 km). At Money, Mississippi, the river's flow measures approximately 7,861 cubic feet per second.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Money, Mississippi</span> Unincorporated community in Mississippi, United States

Money is an unincorporated community near Greenwood in Leflore County, Mississippi, United States, in the Mississippi Delta. It has fewer than 100 residents, down from 400 in the early 1950s when a cotton mill operated there. Money is located on a railroad line along the Tallahatchie River, a tributary of the Yazoo River in the eastern part of the Mississippi Delta. The community has ZIP code 38945 in the Greenwood, Mississippi micropolitan area.

Glynnis O'Connor is an American actress of television, film, radio, and theater. She first gained wide attention in the mid-1970s with leading roles in the television version of Our Town and in the short-lived series Sons and Daughters. She also co-starred with Robby Benson in the films Jeremy in 1973 and Ode to Billy Joe in 1976, as well as with Jan-Michael Vincent in the film Baby Blue Marine in 1976.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fancy (Bobbie Gentry song)</span> 1969 single by Bobbie Gentry

"Fancy" is a song written and recorded by Bobbie Gentry in 1969. The country song was a crossover pop music hit for Gentry, reaching the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 and the top 30 of the Billboard country chart. It was covered in 1990 by country music artist Reba McEntire on her album Rumor Has It. McEntire's version surpassed the original on the country music charts, reaching the Top Ten on Billboard's Hot Country Hits in 1991.

<i>The Delta Sweete</i> 1968 studio album by Bobbie Gentry

The Delta Sweete is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Bobbie Gentry. It was released on February 5, 1968, by Capitol Records. The album was produced by Kelly Gordon.

<i>Jeremy</i> (film) 1973 film

Jeremy is a 1973 American romantic-drama film starring Robby Benson and Glynnis O'Connor as two high school students who share a tentative month-long romance. It was the first film directed by Arthur Barron, and won the prize for Best First Work in the 1973 Cannes Film Festival. Benson was also nominated for a Golden Globe Award for his performance as the title character.

<i>Ode to Billie Joe</i> (album) 1967 studio album by Bobbie Gentry

Ode to Billie Joe is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Bobbie Gentry. It was released on August 21, 1967, by Capitol Records.

<i>Local Gentry</i> 1968 studio album by Bobbie Gentry

Local Gentry is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Bobbie Gentry. It was released on August 26, 1968, by Capitol Records. The album was produced by Kelly Gordon.

<i>Touch Em with Love</i> 1969 studio album by Bobbie Gentry

Touch 'Em with Love is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Bobbie Gentry. It was released on July 7, 1969, by Capitol Records. The album was recorded in Nashville, Tennessee, and produced by Kelso Herston.

<i>Fancy</i> (Bobbie Gentry album) 1970 studio album by Bobbie Gentry

Fancy is the sixth studio album by American singer-songwriter Bobbie Gentry. It was released on April 6, 1970, by Capitol Records. The album was produced by Rick Hall and recorded at his FAME Recording Studios, apart from Wedding Bell Blues and Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head which were produced by Gentry herself, and recorded at Capitol Studios in Hollywood, California. The cover art for the album is an uncredited painting of Gentry, based upon a reference photograph. According to the liner notes for the 2004 compilation Chickasaw County Child: The Artistry of Bobbie Gentry, the painting is believed to have been done by Gentry herself.

Kelly Gordon was an American singer, songwriter and record producer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bobbie Gentry discography</span>

The discography of American singer-songwriter Bobbie Gentry consists of seven studio albums, one live album, one soundtrack album and thirty compilation albums. Gentry also released a total of thirty-one singles and fifteen extended plays.

<i>The Girl from Chickasaw County: The Complete Capitol Masters</i> 2018 box set compilation album by Bobbie Gentry

The Girl from Chickasaw County: The Complete Capitol Masters is an out-of-print 8-disc box set compilation album by singer-songwriter Bobbie Gentry. It was released on September 21, 2018, by Capitol and UMe. It features Gentry’s entire recording career with Capitol Records, bringing together 7 studio albums, 75 previously unreleased tracks, including demos, alternate takes and live recordings from Gentry's BBC television series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Saw an Angel Die</span> 1967 single by Bobbie Gentry

"I Saw an Angel Die" is a song written and performed by American singer-songwriter Bobbie Gentry. It was released on September 11, 1967, as the second single from her debut album Ode to Billie Joe. The song was produced by Kelly Gordon and features a string arrangement by Jimmie Haskell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mississippi Delta (song)</span> 1967 single by Bobbie Gentry

"Mississippi Delta" is a song written and recorded by American singer-songwriter Bobbie Gentry. The song was produced by Kelly Gordon and Bobby Parris. It was originally released as the B-side of Gentry's debut single "Ode to Billie Joe" on July 10, 1967. It was released as Gentry's debut single in Japan on October 5, 1967, with "Ode to Billie Joe" as the B-side. "Ode to Billie Joe" would be issued as single in Japan in May 1968 with "Niki Hoeky" as the B-side.

"The Rock and Roll Dead Zone" is a short story by Stephen King. It was published in 2013 as part of the anthology work Hard Listening: The Greatest Rock Band Ever Tells All.

References

  1. Eder, Richard (August 19, 1976). "'Billy Joe' Leaps From Southern Romance to Dirge: The Cast". The New York Times .
  2. Wayne Studer (1994). Rock on The Wild Side: gay male images in popular music of the rock era. Leyland Publications. pp. 97–98. ISBN   0943595460.
  3. 1 2 "Ode to Billy Joe (1976) - IMDb" . Retrieved May 17, 2020 via www.imdb.com.
  4. 1 2 Ebert, Roger. "Ode to Billy Joe movie review (1976) | Roger Ebert". www.rogerebert.com. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  5. John Howard (December 1999). Men Like That: A Southern Queer History . University of Chicago Press. p.  349. ISBN   9780226354705 . Retrieved 28 March 2019. Ode to billy joe ragdoll.
  6. 1 2 "AFI - Ode to Billy Joe (1976)". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
  7. The plaques are at 33°26′33″N90°13′51″W / 33.44251°N 90.23093°W
  8. "Ode to Billy Joe (1976)". IMDb . Retrieved 5 September 2018.
  9. "Ode to Billy Joe - Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes .
  10. "Bobbie Gentry". Billboard. Retrieved May 17, 2020.