One-Trick Pony (film)


One-Trick Pony is a 1980 feature film written by and starring Paul Simon and directed by Robert M. Young. It also stars Blair Brown, Rip Torn, Joan Hackett, Mare Winningham, Michael Pearlman, Lou Reed, and Allen Garfield.
The song "Late in the Evening," from the film's soundtrack, hit #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, while the title song peaked at #40. After years of being available only on videocassette and laserdisc, One-Trick Pony was released by Warner Bros. on DVD in 2009.

Synopsis

Paul Simon plays Jonah Levin, a once-popular folk-rock musician who hasn't had a hit in ten years, and now opens for bands like the B-52's. He's trying to record a new album, but faces a number of obstacles, including an indifferent record-company executive who's pressuring him to create a hit record with the help of a trendy producer. Jonah is also trying to restore his relationship with his estranged wife, Marion, and young son, Matty.

Production

The title derives from a colloquial American expression meaning a person specializing in only one area, having only one talent, or of limited ability.
The film is not considered autobiographical, though the story makes use some of Simon's experiences in the music business. There has been some disagreement on the story's underpinning. Biographer Laura Jackson felt that the film may have been based on experiences in Simon's professional and personal life, though Dave Marsh in a Rolling Stone review saw similarities with Simon's personality, but not with his life and career. However, the character of Walter Fox, the record company executive portrayed by Rip Torn, is regarded as reflecting some of Simon's experiences in moving away from CBS Records, his former label, in the 1970s. The film featured one of the last appearances of the original members of The Lovin' Spoonful, in a simulated TV show appearance.
The Paul Simon album One-Trick Pony was released concurrently with the movie. All of the songs on the album are featured in the film, though some are presented with a slightly different mix, e.g., "Jonah" features a harmonica solo that's missing from the album version. The film also features "Soft Parachutes," Jonah Levin's sole hit as a recording artist, which is included as a bonus track on the album's 2004 reissue.

Cast

Actors