The Swimmer (1968)

Neddy Merrill has been away for most of the Summer. He reappears at a friends pool. As they talk, someone notices that there are pools spanning the entire valley. He decided to jog from ... See full summary »

Director:

Frank Perry

Writers:

John Cheever (story), Eleanor Perry

Stars:

Burt Lancaster, Janet Landgard, Janice Rule

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Burt Lancaster	...	Ned Merrill
Janet Landgard	...	Julie Ann Hooper
Janice Rule	...	Shirley Abbott
Tony Bickley	...	Donald Westerhazy
Marge Champion	...	Peggy Forsburgh
Nancy Cushman	...	Mrs. Halloran (Nudist)
Bill Fiore	...	Howie Hunsacker
David Garfield	...	Ticket Seller (as John Garfield Jr.)
Kim Hunter	...	Betty Graham
Rose Gregorio	...	Sylvia Finney
Charles Drake	...	Howard Graham
Bernie Hamilton	...	Halloran's Chauffeur
House Jameson	...	Mr. Chester Halloran (Nudist)
Jimmy Joyce	...	Jack Finney
Michael Kearney	...	Kevin Gilmartin Jr.

Storyline

Neddy Merrill has been away for most of the Summer. He reappears at a friends pool. As they talk, someone notices that there are pools spanning the entire valley. He decided to jog from pool to pool to swim the whole valley. As he stops in each pool his interactions tell his life story.

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Plot Keywords:

swimming | swimming pool | neighbor | neighborhood | connecticut | 

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Taglines:

When you talk about "The Swimmer" will you talk about yourself?

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 May 1968 (USA)

Also Known As:

Der Schwimmer

Filming Locations:

Connecticut, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation, Horizon Pictures, Dover Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to multiple biographies of Burt Lancaster, Barbara Loden's scene with Lancaster was reshot with Janice Rule as Loden's performance had overpowered him in the scene. Using Rule, whose performance was less powerful than that of Loden, restored balance to the scene.

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Goofs

At the Binswangers, when he is pushed, Ned's positioning in the close-up does not match the other shots.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Donald Westerhazy: Where have you been keeping yourself?
Ned Merrill: Oh, here and there. Here and there.

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Connections

Referenced in Charade (1984)

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Soundtracks

"Send for Me in Summer"
(Theme from 'The Swimmer')
by Marvin Hamlisch

User Reviews

A strong movie, rarely seen, with a telescoping metaphor

I saw this movie in 1968 when it came out, and have never been able to forget it. I never found anyone who had ever heard of it--a shame. It's my favorite Burt Lancaster performance: I can't imagine anyone else doing the role justice.

When Neddy is ready to leave the garden cocktail party he has been invited to, he looks out across the valley and sees the row of pools, all belonging to his neighbors. He's obviously a poet, and sees the chain of pools as a river (Metaphor). He decides to swim back home. Little does he, or we, know at this point what going home means! He goes from house to house, he greets his friends and jumps into their pools. We become a little worried as things seem to get a little out of hand--a little more so at each house. It's not long before we realize that this "river" is (Meta-Metaphor!) a trip through time, through his life--and that he has made one fine mess of it. The ending is amazing, and almost unbearable.