Rafferty and the Gold Dust Twins

Rafferty and the Gold Dust Twins is a 1975 American comedy-drama film directed by Dick Richards and written by John Kaye. The film was the second film credit for Jerry Bruckheimer, who was an associate producer. The film features the song "Honky Tonk Angels", performed by lead actress Sally Kellerman.^[1]

Rafferty and the Gold Dust Twins
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Dick Richards
Written by	John Kaye
Produced by	Art Linson Michael Gruskoff
Starring	Sally Kellerman Mackenzie Phillips Alan Arkin Harry Dean Stanton
Cinematography	Ralph Woolsey
Edited by	Walter Thompson
Music by	Artie Butler
Distributed by	Warner Bros.
Release date	February 2, 1975 (1975-02-02)
Running time	91 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Plot

Idiotic, alcoholic driving instructor and former Marine Corps sergeant Rafferty (Alan Arkin) lives in poverty near Hollywood, California. He allows two young female hitchhikers (played by Sally Kellerman and Mackenzie Phillips), who are seeking to reach New Orleans (as one of them is an aspiring singer), to kidnap him. He eventually enjoys their company, and the three take a road trip to Las Vegas and end up in Tucson, Arizona, with many misadventures and scams to finance their trip along the way.

Cast

Actor	Role
Sally Kellerman	McKinley Beachwood, a.k.a. "Mac"
Mackenzie Phillips	Rita Sykes, a.k.a. "Frisbee"
Alan Arkin	"Gunny" Rafferty
Alex Rocco	Vinnie
Charles Martin Smith	Alan Boone
Harry Dean Stanton	Billy Winston
John McLiam	John Beachwood
Richard Hale	The Jesus Freak
Louis Prima	Himself
Lauren Stocks	School
Earl W. Smith	Johnny Young

Release

This film was released in the UK on 20 March 1977 as a double bill with Michael Apted's cult film The Squeeze.

NBC purchased the television rights and changed the film's title to Rafferty and the Highway Hustlers.

Warner Paperback Library published a novelization of John Kaye's screenplay by Lillian Roberts. The blurb on the front cover read, "An ex-marine kidnapped by a 6-foot hunk of woman and a "Lolita" with a gun."

The film was released on Blu-ray by Warner Archive Collection October 14, 2025, this without ever having a standard DVD release.

Critical reception

The film received mixed reviews from critics. Richard F. Shepard of The New York Times stated: Rafferty and the Gold Dust Twins passes the time pleasantly enough...several belly laughs and lots of chuckles.^[2]

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 51% of 39 critics' reviews are positive. The website's consensus reads: "Rafferty and the Gold Dust Twins offers charming performances, especially from Alan Arkin, but its thin narrative and heavy-handed direction fail to deliver on the promise of its comedic potential."^[3]

See also

• List of American films of 1975