The Fountainhead (1949)

Director:

King Vidor

Writers:

Ayn Rand (screenplay)
Ayn Rand (novel)

Release Date:

2 July 1949 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

No Man Takes What's Mine !

Plot:

An uncompromising, visionary architect struggles to maintain his integrity and individualism despite personal, professional and economic pressures to conform to popular standards.

Plot Keywords:

Architect | Visionary | Individualism | Jackhammer | Personal Vision

Cast

Gary Cooper	...	Howard Roark
Patricia Neal	...	Dominique Francon
Raymond Massey	...	Gail Wynand
Kent Smith	...	Peter Keating
Robert Douglas	...	Ellsworth M. Toohey
Henry Hull	...	Henry Cameron
Ray Collins	...	Roger Enright
Moroni Olsen	...	Chairman
Jerome Cowan	...	Alvah Scarret
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Bob Alden	...	Newsboy (uncredited)
John Alvin	...	Young intellectual (uncredited)
Morris Ankrum	...	Prosecutor (uncredited)
Lois Austin	...	Female party guest (uncredited)
Griff Barnett	...	Judge (uncredited)
Monte Blue	...	Gas station executive (uncredited)
Gail Bonney	...	Woman (uncredited)
Ralph Brooks	...	Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Glen Cavender	...	Pedestrian onlooker (uncredited)
Dorothy Christy	...	Society woman (uncredited)
Tristram Coffin	...	Toohey's secretary (uncredited)
Tom Coleman	...	Court Clerk (uncredited)
G. Pat Collins	...	Jury foreman (uncredited)
James Conaty	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Bill Dagwell	...	Banner shipping clerk (uncredited)
Ann Doran	...	Wynand's secretary (uncredited)
Lester Dorr	...	(uncredited)
John Doucette	...	Gus Webb (uncredited)
Charles Evans	...	Banner board member (uncredited)
Roy Gordon	...	Vice-President (uncredited)
William Haade	...	Worker (uncredited)
Creighton Hale	...	Court Clerk (uncredited)
Jonathan Hale	...	Guy Francon (uncredited)
Thurston Hall	...	Businessman at party (uncredited)
Sam Harris	...	Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Paul Harvey	...	Opera businessman (uncredited)
Russell Hicks	...	Banner board member (uncredited)
Selmer Jackson	...	Cortlandt official (uncredited)
Fred Kelsey	...	Old watchman (uncredited)
Douglas Kennedy	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Raymond Largay	...	Director (uncredited)
Philo McCullough	...	Bailiff (uncredited)
Harold Miller	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Jack Mower	...	Construction foreman (uncredited)
Paul Newlan	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Lee Phelps	...	Juror (uncredited)
Almira Sessions	...	Dominique's housekeeper at quarry (uncredited)
George Sherwood	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Paul Stanton	...	Dean who expels Roark (uncredited)
Larry Steers	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Ruthelma Stevens	...	Roark's secretary (uncredited)
Charles Trowbridge	...	Director (uncredited)
Tito Vuolo	...	Pasquale Orsini (uncredited)
Geraldine Wall	...	Woman (uncredited)
Harlan Warde	...	Young man (uncredited)
Pierre Watkin	...	Cortlandt official (uncredited)
Leo White	...	Pedestrian onlooker (uncredited)
Josephine Whittell	...	Hostess (uncredited)
Frank Wilcox	...	Gordon Prescott (uncredited)
Isabel Withers	...	Secretary (uncredited)
Harry Woods	...	Quarry superintendent (uncredited)

Directed by
King Vidor

Writing credits
Ayn Rand		(screenplay)
Ayn Rand		(novel)

Produced by
Henry Blanke	....	producer

Original Music by
Max Steiner

Cinematography by
Robert Burks

Film Editing by
David Weisbart

Art Direction by
Edward Carrere

Set Decoration by
William L. Kuehl		(as William Kuehl)

Makeup Department
Perc Westmore	....	makeup artist
John Wallace	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Gertrude Wheeler	....	hair stylist (uncredited)

Production Management
Eric Stacey	....	production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Richard Maybery	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Harold Michelson	....	illustrator (uncredited)

Sound Department
Oliver S. Garretson	....	sound

Special Effects by
Edwin B. DuPar	....	special effects (as Edwin DuPar)
John Holden	....	special effects art director
Hans F. Koenekamp	....	special effects (as H.F. Koenekamp)
William C. McGann	....	special effects director (as William McGann)

Visual Effects by
Chesley Bonestell	....	matte artist (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
James Bell	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Earl Ellwood	....	grip (uncredited)
Harold Noyes	....	grip (uncredited)
Jack Woods	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Milo Anderson	....	wardrobe

Music Department
Murray Cutter	....	orchestrator

Other crew
Jack Daniels	....	dialogue director
Rita Michaels	....	script supervisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Warner Bros. Pictures (as Warner Bros.-First National Pictures Inc.)

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1949) (USA) (theatrical)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical) (new 35mm print)
• Warner Bros. (1950) (France) (theatrical)
• Elegy Group (2007) (Russia) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (USA) (VHS)
• Sociedade Importadora de Filmes (SIF) (Portugal)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)

Runtime:

114 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Australia:PG | USA:Approved (PCA #13358) | Finland:K-16 | Portugal:M/12 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

Ayn Rand only agreed to make her book into a movie if the director promised that everything she wrote would make it into the final product.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Cameron smashes the window in Roark's office, you can see that the flag outside the window flying in the skyline is not rippling and therefore is part of a photographic backdrop rather than a live location.

Quotes:

Howard Roark: A building has integrity, just as a man and just as seldom! It must be true to its own idea, have its own form, and serve its own purpose!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Zizek! (2005)

Read the book, forget the movie

After reading the book I found the movie disappointing. The first 10 minutes of the movie tried to cover about 400 pages worth of the book. The whirlwind pace leaves out almost all of the character development which was vital to understanding why each of the characters behave the way they do. In the movie each character ends up making a speech that tells his or her motivations. In addition a number of key events were omitted, such as the building of the Stoddard Temple and subsequent trial.

Gary Cooper did not bring out Howard Roark's excitement for his work. He said the lines, but it was hard to believe he felt passionately about it. Other characters had a tendency to over act a bit, but I understand that is typical of the era.

Overall so much meat was removed to make the movie fit into a reasonable length that all that is left is the bare bones. I do recommend the book, but the movie was not worth spending the time to watch.