The Sugarland Express

Ben Mankiewicz introduces The Sugarland Express, 1974.

Ben Mankiewicz introduces The Sugarland Express, 1974.

After a comical east Texas chase, it seems Lou Jean (Goldie Hawn) and husband Clovis (William Atherton), whom she's sprung from prison, have crashed their stolen car, their pursuer deputy Slide (Michael Sacks) trying to follow procedure, in Steven Spielberg's The Sugarland Express, 1974.

Earlier in the credits we watched Lou Jean (Goldie Hawn) arrive on the bus to the Texas prison pre-release center, braced by the (un-credited) desk man, then presenting the problem to her inmate husband Clovis (William Atherton), opening Steven Spielberg's fact-based debut feature, The Sugarland Express, 1974.

Texas police captain Tanner (Ben Johnson) takes over the chase for ex-con Lou Jean (Goldie Hawn) and escapee husband Clovis (William Atherton), who've taken deputy Slide (Michael Sacks) hostage, aiming to get their son out of state custody, in Steven Spielberg's The Sugarland Express, 1974.

Steven Spielberg's first theatrical feature stars Goldie Hawn in a rare dramatic outing, The Sugarland Express (1974).