In this slow but amiable film, Paul Newman plays Jim Kane.  Kane is a down-on-his luck cowboy who finds himself in Arizona with nearly a dollar to his name.  Because Kane’s a likable sort, he has people who are willing to help him out but eventually, he finds himself with no choice but to accept a job offer from Stretch Russell (Wayne Rogers) and shady rancher Bill Garrett (Strother Martin).  Kane agrees to Mexico to round up a heard of cattle.  Helping Kane out on the job is an old friend by the name of Leonard (Lee Marvin).

Pocket Money was the last script to be written by Terrence Malick before Malick began his own directing career and the script’s dialogue shows off Malick’s skill at capturing the unique dialect and sound of the Southwest.  It’s an episodic film, where the emphasis is more on the journey than the destination and it could be argued that the movie never really reaches its destination.  The plot is far less important than the way Kane and Leonard talk to each other and view the world around them.  Pocket Money is not for everyone.  It’s the type of movie that will inspire some to complain that nothing really happens.  For fans of Newman and Marvin, though, there’s a lot of enjoyment to be found.  Newman and Marvin reportedly did not get along during shooting but that didn’t do a thing to harm their chemistry in their scenes together.  This film reunites Paul Newman with Cool Hand Luke director Stuart Rosenberg and and also with two co-stars from that film, Strother Martin and Wayne Rogers.  Newman gives a relaxed and likable performance.  Lee Marvin gets to show his skill with comedy.  If you’ve ever wanted to see Lee Marvin ride a horse while wearing a suit, this is the film for you.

Pocket Money was the first film to be produced by First Artists, a production company that was started by Paul Newman, Sidney Poitier, Barbra Streisand, Steve McQueen, and Dustin Hoffman.  The company closed its doors in 1980 but not before giving the world not just this movie but also The Getaway, Straight Time, The Gauntlet, An Enemy of the People (starring Steve McQueen), The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean, and The Gumball Rally, amongst others.