They Shoot Horses, Don't They?

“People are the ultimate spectacle.”

Gloria Beatty (Jane Fonda) is a failed actress who signs up for a Depression-era dance marathon because the $1,500 prize is the only way out she can see. She is partnered with Robert Syverton (Michael Sarrazin), a stranger pulled in off the floor, while the emcee Rocky (Gig Young) works the crowd and urges every couple on. Sydney Pollack keeps them shuffling, hour after hour, and the two of them learn each other slowly, without saying much.