Cisco Pike

Cisco Pike
Theatrical release poster
Directed byBill L. Norton
Written byBill L. Norton
Robert Towne (uncredited)
Produced byGerald Ayres
StarringGene Hackman
Karen Black
Kris Kristofferson
Viva
Harry Dean Stanton
CinematographyVilis Lapenieks
Edited byRobert C. Jones
Music byKris Kristofferson (songs)
Distributed byColumbia Pictures
Release date
  • January 14, 1972 (1972-01-14)
Running time
95 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
BudgetUS$800,000

Cisco Pike is a 1972 American drama film that was written and directed by Bill L. Norton, and released by Columbia Pictures. The film stars Kris Kristofferson as a musician who, having fallen on hard times, turns to the selling of marijuana and is blackmailed by a police officer (Gene Hackman).

The movie, which is Norton's directorial debut and Kristofferson's debut as a leading actor, was filmed in the Los Angeles area in late 1970 and includes several contemporaneous landmarks. It premiered in 1972 to unfavorable reviews and was a box office failure.

Cisco Pike was not officially available on home media until its re-release on DVD in 2006. Since its release, reviews became more favorable as the film earned followers and became a cult classic.