Troika (1969 film)
1969 American art film / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Troika is a 1969 American comedy anthology-art film written, directed, and produced by artist-turned-filmmaker Carl Fredric Hobbs. It stars Hobbs, Richard Faun, Morgan Upton, Nate Thurmond, Gloria Rossi, and members of the San Francisco Art Institute. Its three separate narratives are built around a fictional account of the director's attempt to gain financing for a film titled "Troika".
Troika | |
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Directed by | Fredric Hobbs Gordon Mueller |
Written by | Fredric Hobbs |
Produced by | Fredric Hobbs |
Starring | Fredric Hobbs Richard Faun Morgan Upton Nate Thurmond Gloria Rossi Parra O'Siochain |
Cinematography | William Heick[1] |
Edited by | Gordon Mueller |
Music by | Fredric Hobbs Gordon Mueller |
Production company | Inca Films |
Distributed by | Emerson Film Enterprises[2] |
Release date |
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Running time | 89 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Hobbs conceived the outline after working with the filmmakers Ron Bostwick and Robert Blaisdell on the short film Trojan Horse. Inspired, he began to develop a "modern morality play", with a title borrowed from the Russian word for a set of three, embodied by the three overlapping stories. The film was shot in early to mid-1969, in various locations in and around California. The score was composed in a collaborative effort between Hobbs and the editor-co-director Gordon Mueller.
Troika had a preview screening on October 12, 1969 before officially premiering that year on November 8. It received little attention from film critics, with reviews being mixed to positive. The film became a foundation for Hobbs' career, and lead to his developing three other films until his retirement from the industry in the late 1970s. Troika was not released on home video as Hobbs was unhappy with the print and refused distribution rights. A copy was acquired by Glasgow's Centre for Contemporary Arts, who restored it in collaboration with Hobbs' estate. The restored version was screened at the Weird Weekend Cult Film Festival on October 28, 2022.