The Last Picture Show

From a novel by Larry McMurtry, director Peter Bogdanovich and McMurtry adapted the story into The Last Picture Show, a visceral reflection of life in a small West Texas town in the early 1950s.

The film boasts a cast of young actors, many of whom went on to stardom in film and television, including Cybill Shepherd, Jeff Bridges and Timothy Bottoms, as well as seasoned veterans including Ben Johnson, Cloris Leachman and Ellen Burstyn. The black and white cinematography by Robert Surtees suggests the innocence of a simpler time and the bleak uncertainty as those simpler times begin to fade away. Johnson and Leachman won supporting actor Oscars for their subtly moving performances.

The Last Picture Show was added to the National Film Registry in 1998.