The Sugarland Express
“A girl with a great following. Every cop in the state was after her. Everybody else was behind her.”
Married small-time crooks Lou-Jean and Clovis Poplin lose their baby to the state of Texas and resolve to do whatever it takes to get him back. Lou-Jean gets Clovis out of jail, and the two steal their son from his foster home, in addition to taking a highway patrolman hostage. As a massive dragnet starts to pursue them across Texas, the couple become unlikely folk heroes and even start to bond with the captive policeman.
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Cast
40 people
Goldie Hawn
Lou Jean Poplin
Known for
Death Becomes Her
Overboard
William Atherton
Clovis Poplin
Known for
Die Hard
Ghostbusters
Ben Johnson
Captain Tanner
Known for
Bonanza: The Return
Terror Train
Michael Sacks
Slide
Known for
Slaughterhouse-Five
The Amityville Horror
Gregory Walcott
Mashburn
Known for
Plan 9 from Outer Space
Man of the East
Steve Kanaly
Jessup
Known for
Dallas
My Name Is Nobody
Louise Latham
Mrs. Looby
Known for
Marnie
The Philadelphia Experiment
Harrison Zanuck
Baby Langston
A.L. Camp
Mr. Nocker
Also in
The Getaway
Honeysuckle Rose
Jessie Lee Fulton
Mrs. Nocker
Known for
Paper Moon
Don't Look in the Basement
Dean Smith
Russ Berry
Known for
Rio Lobo
Big Jake
Ted Grossman
Dietz
Known for
Jaws
Sssssss
Steven Spielberg Director · Matthew Robbins Screenplay Hal Barwood Screenplay
Worldwide gross $13M · Budget $3M · United States release March 31, 1974
Box office
Budget
$3,000,000
Worldwide gross
$12,800,000
Gross vs. budget
4.3×
Production
Universal Pictures
Production · Studio · Distribution
The Zanuck/Brown Company
Production
Zanuck/Brown Productions
Production
United States
Produced in
Languages
Original language
English
Spoken on screen
English
Release dates
United States · March 30, 1974
Premiere · New Directors/New Films
United States · March 31, 1974
Theatrical
United States · August 17, 2004
Physical · DVD
United States
March 31, 1974 · Premiere · USA Film Festival
May 5, 2015 · Physical · Blu-ray
June 15, 2024 · Limited theatrical · Tribeca Festival 50th Anniversary Retrospective Screening
November 12, 2024 · Physical · 4K Blu-ray
Belgium
January 3, 1975 · Theatrical
Brazil
April 5, 1974 · Theatrical
October 8, 2004 · Physical · DVD/VHS Universal
Canada
June 7, 2005 · Physical · DVD
Denmark
June 28, 1974 · Theatrical
Finland
June 7, 1974 · Theatrical
France
May 11, 1974 · Premiere · Cannes Film Festival
June 12, 1974 · Theatrical
October 10, 2001 · Theatrical · Re-release
Germany
January 24, 1975 · Theatrical · West Germany
Hong Kong SAR China
October 19, 1974 · Theatrical
Hungary
June 14, 1979 · Theatrical
Ireland
November 22, 1974 · Theatrical
Italy
November 28, 1974 · Theatrical
Japan
June 8, 1974 · Theatrical
Norway
September 30, 1974 · Theatrical
Poland
September 22, 1975 · Theatrical
Portugal
August 29, 1975 · Theatrical
Sweden
May 29, 1974 · Theatrical
United Kingdom
May 22, 1974 · Theatrical
Uruguay
February 10, 1975 · Theatrical
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