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IMDb > Medium Cool (1969)
Medium Cool
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Medium Cool (1969) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
7.4/10   1,176 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 10% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writer:
Haskell Wexler (writer)
Contact:
View company contact information for Medium Cool on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
1970 (Japan) more
Genre:
Tagline:
Beyond the age of innocence... into the age of awareness
Plot:
TV news camera find himself becoming personally involved in the Violence which erupts around the 1968 Democratic Convention. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
2 wins & 1 nomination more
NewsDesk:
(4 articles)
Minority View: Medium Cool by Haskell Wexler
 (From DearCinema.com. 8 July 2009, 9:37 PM, PDT)

Robert Forster: The Hollywood Interview
 (From The Hollywood Interview. 14 April 2009, 12:19 AM, PDT)

User Reviews:
An Indie if there ever was one. more (38 total)

Cast

  (in credits order) (complete, awaiting verification)

Robert Forster ... John Cassellis
Verna Bloom ... Eileen
Peter Bonerz ... Gus
Marianna Hill ... Ruth
Harold Blankenship ... Harold
Charles Geary ... Buddy
Sid McCoy ... Frank Baker
Christine Bergstrom ... Dede
William Sickinger ... News Director Karlin
Robert McAndrew ... Pennybaker
Marrian Walters ... Social worker
Beverly Younger ... Rich Lady
Edward Croke ... Plain-clothesman
Doug Kimball ... Newscaster

Peter Boyle ... Gun Clinic Manager
Georgia Todda ... Secretary
Sandra Ann Roberts ... Blonde in car
Janet Langhart ... Maid
Jeff Donaldson ... Black militant
Bill Sharp ... Black militant
Robert Paige ... Black militant
Richard Abrams ... Black militant
Walter Bradford ... Black militant
Russell Davis ... Black militant
Felton Perry ... Black militant
Val Grey ... Black militant
Livingston Lewis ... Black militant
Barbara Jones ... Black militant
John Jackson ... Black militant
Linda Handelman ... Gun clinic lady
Maria Friedman ... Gun clinic lady
Kathryn Schubert ... Gun clinic lady
Barbara Brydenthal ... Gun clinic lady
Elizabeth Moisant ... Gun clinic lady
Rose Bormacher ... Gun clinic lady
China Lee ... Roller Derby patron
Roger Phillips
Robert Blankenship
Jim Jacobs ... Kennedy student (as James Jacobs)
Spence Jackson ... Kennedy student
Dorien Suhr ... Kennedy student
Kenneth Whitener ... Kennedy student
Connie Fleischauer ... Kennedy student
Mary Smith ... Kennedy student
Nancy Lee Noble ... Kennedy student (as Nancy Noble)
Simone Zorn ... Media person
Madeleine Marcou ... Media person
Mickey Pallas ... Media person
Morris Bleckman ... Media person
Lestre Brownie ... Media person
Linn Ehrlich ... Media person
Wally Wright ... Media person
Sam Venture ... Media person
George Bouillet ... Media person
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Richard J. Daley ... Himself (uncredited)
Robert F. Kennedy ... Himself, giving final speech (archive footage) (uncredited)

Martin Luther King ... Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)

Sirri Murad ... Himself (uncredited)

Haskell Wexler ... Cameraman on Scaffold (uncredited)
Create a character page for: ?

Directed by
Haskell Wexler 
 
Writing credits
(in alphabetical order)
Haskell Wexler  writer

Produced by
Michael Philip Butler .... associate producer
Tully Friedman .... producer
Jonathan Haze .... line producer
Steven North .... associate producer
Haskell Wexler .... producer
Jerrold Wexler .... producer
 
Original Music by
Mike Bloomfield 
 
Cinematography by
Haskell Wexler 
 
Film Editing by
Verna Fields 
 
Art Direction by
Leon Ericksen  (as Leon Erickson)
 
Production Management
Jonathan Haze .... production manager
 
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Wendell Franklin .... assistant director
Erich von Stroheim Jr. .... assistant director
 
Sound Department
Christopher Newman .... sound
Kay Rose .... sound editor
 
Camera and Electrical Department
Andrew Davis .... assistant camera
Michael D. Margulies .... camera operator (as Mike Margulies)
Thom Ryan .... gaffer
Ron Vargas .... assistant camera
Haskell Wexler .... camera operator
 
Editorial Department
Paul Golding .... editorial consultant
Marsha Griffin .... assistant editor
 
Music Department
Mike Bloomfield .... musician (as Michael Bloomfield)
Paul Butterfield .... musician
Marcus Doubleday .... musician
Bob Jones .... musician
Noel Jukes .... musician
John Kahn .... musician
Ira Kamin .... musician
Fred Olson .... musician
Jerry Oshita .... musician
 
Other crew
Jonathan Haze .... assistant to producer
Meta Rebna .... script supervisor
William Schwartz .... production assistant
James Talbot .... title designer
Studs Terkel .... our man in Chicago
 
Crew believed to be complete


Production CompaniesDistributors
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Additional Details

Runtime:
111 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Canada:R (Ontario) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:R (re-rating) (1970) | USA:X (1969) | UK:X
Filming Locations:
Company:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Film was originally rated "X", but re-rated "R" after an appeal. more
Quotes:
John Cassellis: Jesus I love to shoot film. more
Soundtrack:
Emotions more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
20 out of 22 people found the following review useful.
An Indie if there ever was one., 15 April 1999
Author: Doctor_Bombay from Lucas Buck, NC

Interesting approach to revealing the world of photo-journalism, news journalism, and political activism, conceived and directed by award–winning cinematographer Haskell Wexler. Fictional narrative features a Chicago TV news crew intertwined with actual news footage in and around the Democratic Convention of 1968.

There is a good balance between the fiction and non-fiction elements in as much as Wexler attempts to make his point. The fictional story line (a love story) is real enough to keep us watching and deflective enough to make the harsh realities of the non-fiction elements palatable.

Attention to detail defines Medium Cool as a very personal film for Wexler. There definitely is a political perspective. Second and third viewings will call attention to painstaking perfectionism in construction of shots, timing, and pace--the subject matter and cinematic approach (low budget, hand-held, docu-style) may suggest a `student film' so don't be confused. This is an extremely well-crafted highly professional product. Nice interjects of great era-defining music compliment the visuals.

Inventive, some say ground-breaking, certainly well worth watching.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Medium Cool (1969)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Wild Man Fischer On Soundtrack Originally? wpbooks-1
Great interview with star Robert Forster Alwood
Medium Cool-Underrated? csu16387
Connection to 'Blow Up'? ghtx
'This Revolution' to introduce 'Medium Cool' to a new audience? numberonealcove
Wexler 'bio' film ragtime_millionaire
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