December 14, 2014, 6:30 p.m. — California Split (1974)
California Split
1974. USA. Directed by Robert Altman. Screenplay by Joseph Walsh. With George Segal, Elliott Gould, Ann Prentiss, Gwen Welles. Set against the gambling subculture of racetracks and casinos, this character study of a freewheeling habitué (Gould) and a rabidly codependent businessman (Segal) is the director’s most successful early experiment in blending scripted dialogue and improvisation, aided by new eight-track technology. The film was shot in sequence, and the matter-of-fact existentialism of its ending was decided on the set when Altman suddenly discarded the remaining script pages. 108 min.
