Troika (1969)
November 25, 1969Release Date
Plot.
Where to Watch.
Cast & Crew.
Fredric Hobbs
Himself / Director
Richard Faun
Nate Thurmond
Parra O'Siochain
Gloria Rossi
Morgan Upton
Gordon Mueller
Director
William R. Heick
Cinematography
Details.
Wiki.
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. The plot is composed of three separate stories threaded together around a central storyline about a fictional version of director Hobbs attempting to gain financing for a film of the same name.
Troika was first conceived by Hobbs after working with filmmakers Ron Bostwick and Robert Blaisdell on a short film Trojan Horse, showcasing a recent sculpture of the same name. Inspired by the experience, Hobbs began developing the film into what he referred to as a "modern morality play", with its name taken from the Russian word meaning 'a set of three', referencing the three overlapping stories. The film was shot on location in early to mid-1969, utilizing various in and around California. The film's score was composed in collaboration with Hobbs and editor/co-director Gordon Mueller.
Troika initially had a preview screening on October 12, 1969, before officially premiering on November 8 of that same year. It received little attention from mainstream film critics, with select reviews being mixed to positive. The film served as a foundation for Hobbs' continued work in the film industry, developing three additional films until his retirement in the late 1970s. The film has currently not been released on home video, with Hobbs being unsatisfied with the current print of the film, refusing to grant distribution rights up to his death in 2018. A copy of the film was later acquired by Glasgow's Centre for Contemporary Arts, who restored the film in collaboration with Hobbs' estate. The newly restored version of the film was screened at the Weird Weekend Cult Film Festival on October 28, 2022.