Joe Buck (2024)

Joe Buck is the main protagonist of the 1969 drama film Midnight Cowboy. He is a dishwasher from Texas who moves to New York to make money by courting rich ladies.

He was portrayed by Jon Voight.

Biography[]

Joe Buck's backstory is told in a broken, confusing series of flashbacks. It appears that he grew up in Texas, and when he was a young boy, he was sent to live with his grandmother Sally Buck, who ran a saloon. Their exact relationship is ambiguous, however it is implied that it was sexually abusive. During his teen years, he had a girlfriend who was nicknamed Crazy Annie. After the two were gang-raped by a group of cowboys, Crazy Annie was sent away to a mental institution, and the two were separated.

Joe eventually becomes a dishwasher. He grows bored of his job as one and decides to move to New York City to make money by having sex with rich women. He dresses himself up as a cowboy, hoping it will appeal to them. When he arrives at New York, he rents a hotel room and begins searching for women that he can service. He makes an awkward attempt to attract a middle-aged woman by pretending that he to look for the Statue of Liberty. When the woman realizes what he is up to, she tells him off. Afterwards, he does the same trick with a woman called Cass, who invites him into her penthouse, and the two proceed to have sex. Unfortunately for Joe, Cass ends up demanding money from him, rendering his attempt to make money off of her unsuccessful.

He enters a bar, and while he is counting his money, he meets a con man called Ratso Rizzo. Joe informs Ratso about him being a hustler, and Ratso sets Joe up with a pimp called Mr. O'Daniel. However, this turns out to be a ruse, and Mr. O'Daniel is in fact a religious fanatic who has been going after "troubled" boys. Joe chases Ratso around town and fantasizes himself strangling him. Joe runs back into the bar where he met Ratso earlier and tries to threaten the bartender into telling him Ratso's location before deciding not to and leaving. Joe spends the next few days watching terrible television show and strolling around the streets of New York. He eventually becomes broke and is locked out of his hotel room as a result, and he considers becoming a dishwasher again. To further his misfortune, he accidentally spills ketchup on his pants. He becomes desperate to the point where he tries to make money by having oral sex with a young college student, only to get conned by him too.

Joe ends up reuniting with Ratso at a diner, and he threatens Ratso before Ratso invites him to live in his apartment if he isn't located. Joe reluctantly accepts the offer. After having a nightmare about his traumatic past, Joe wakes up to see that Ratso took his radio while he was asleep. The two have a brief argument before going back to sleep.

Joe and Ratso steal food the next day, and Ratso cooks it for him. During mealtime, Ratso criticizes Joe's cowboy outfit, calling it "f-ggot stuff", which leads to another argument between the two.

The two begin committing petty crimes together. They steal an appointment card from a gentleman escort and cancel his appointment before Joe takes his place. He enters a hotel exclusively for women to make money off of them there. But as usual, his plan goes awry, and he is kicked out of the hotel. The weather grows colder, and Joe decides to sell his radio to an antique shop. That night, he donates blood to get more money. The next day, Joe and Ratso visit the latter's father's grave.

One day, while Joe and Ratso are having a conversation about the afterlife at a diner, a couple called Hansel and Gretel McAlbertson invite Joe to a psychedelic party. That night, Joe attends the party, and he meets a rich woman called Shirley. Ratso helps manage the meeting, and Joe and Shirley have sex that night at the latter's house. Shirley pays Joe the next morning (making this the first and only time he is ever paid for being a hustler), and Shirley recommends him to a friend. Joe returns to Ratso's apartment, only to find out that Ratso's health is declining. Joe resorts to beating a male customer called Towny (possibly to death) in order to steal money from him. He uses it to buy bus tickets to Florida, which happens to be Ratso's dream home.

During the bus trip, Joe ditches his cowboy outfit and buys new clothes for himself and Ratso. As the bus ride continues, Joe begins discussing getting a job in Florida before realizing that Ratso has died. The bus driver advises Joe to close Ratso's eyes, and the movie ends with Joe putting his arm around Ratso and looking towards an unknown future.

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