Jane Fonda (1966), opposite Jason Robards and Dean Jones, and "Barefoot in the Park" (1967), again co-starring Redford. In 1968, she played the title role in the science fiction spoof "Barbarella", which established her status as a sex symbol. In contrast, the tragedy "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" (1969) won her critical acclaim and marked a significant turning point in her career; "Variety" magazine wrote, "Fonda, as the unremittingly cynical loser, the tough and bruised babe of the Dust Bowl, gives a dramatic performance that gives the film a personal focus and an emotionally gripping power." In addition, renowned film critic Pauline
Jane Fonda was good. At anything. It was a turning point in my life. I went to bed thinking about acting. I woke up thinking about acting. It was like the roof had come off my life!" Fonda's stage work in the late 1950s laid the foundation for her film career in the 1960s. She averaged almost two movies a year throughout the decade, starting in 1960 with "Tall Story", in which she recreated one of her Broadway roles as a college cheerleader pursuing a basketball star, played by Anthony Perkins. Frequent collaborator Robert Redford also made his debut in that film.