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

Photos (See all 6 | slideshow)

Overview

User Rating:
7.2/10   1,606 votes »
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Down 55% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Haskell Wexler
Writer:
Haskell Wexler (written by)
Contact:
View company contact information for Medium Cool on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
1970 (Japan) See more »
Genre:
Drama See more »
Tagline:
Beyond the age of innocence... into the age of awareness
Plot:
TV news camera find himself becoming personally involved in the violence that erupts around the 1968 Democratic National Convention. Full summary » | Add synopsis »
Plot Keywords:
See more »
Awards:
4 wins & 1 nomination See more »
NewsDesk:
(33 articles)
New to Blu-ray: Side Effects, Beautiful Creatures, Vacation, and More
 (From Collider.com. 22 May 2013, 7:35 AM, PDT)
'Side Effects', 'True Blood', 'Beautiful Creatures' and 'Cleopatra' on DVD and Blu-ray This Week
 (From Rope Of Silicon. 21 May 2013, 8:00 AM, PDT)
Director’s Notebook: Oscar Winner Haskell Wexler on Filming the Controversial, X-Rated 'Medium Cool'
 (From Movies.com. 20 May 2013, 6:00 PM, PDT)
User Reviews:
An Indie if there ever was one. See more (44 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 ... Harold's Father
Sid McCoy ... Frank Baker
Christine Bergstrom ... Dede
William Sickingen ... News Director
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
Lester Brownlee ... Media Person (as Lestre Brownlee)
Linn Ehrlich ... Media Person
Wally Wright ... Media Person
Sam Ventura ... 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)
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Directed by
Haskell Wexler 
 
Writing credits
Haskell Wexler (written by)

Produced by
Michael Philip Butler .... associate producer
Tully Friedman .... producer
Steven North .... associate producer
Haskell Wexler .... producer
Jerrold Wexler .... producer
Jonathan Haze .... line producer (uncredited)
 
Original Music by
Mike Bloomfield 
 
Cinematography by
Haskell Wexler (director of photography)
 
Film Editing by
Verna Fields 
 
Art Direction by
Leon Ericksen  (as Leon Erickson)
 
Production Management
Jonathan Haze .... production manager (uncredited)
 
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Wendell Franklin .... assistant director
Erich von Stroheim Jr. .... assistant director (uncredited)
 
Sound Department
Christopher Newman .... sound (as Chris Newman)
Kay Rose .... sound editor
 
Camera and Electrical Department
Michael D. Margulies .... camera operator (as Mike Margulies)
Tom Ryan .... gaffer
Ron Vargas .... camera assistant
Haskell Wexler .... camera operator
Andrew Davis .... assistant camera (uncredited)
Ralph Gerling .... camera operator (uncredited)
 
Editorial Department
Paul Golding .... editorial consultant
Marsha F. Griffin .... assistant editor (as Marsha Griffin)
 
Music Department
Mike Bloomfield .... music performer (as Michael Bloomfield)
Paul Butterfield .... music performer
Marcus Doubleday .... music performer
Bob Jones .... music performer
Noel Jukes .... music performer
John Kahn .... music performer
Ira Kamin .... music performer
Fred Olson .... music performer
Jerry Oshita .... music performer
 
Other crew
Jonathan Haze .... assistant to producer
Meta Rebner .... 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

Also Known As:
See more »
Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents
Runtime:
111 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 See more »
Sound Mix:
Mono
Certification:
Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:R (re-rating) (1970) | USA:X (1969) | UK:X | Canada:R (Ontario)
Filming Locations:
Chicago, Illinois, USASee more »
Company:
H & JSee more »

Did You Know?

Trivia:
In the psychedelic nightclub sequence, the band seen performing on the stage is The Litter, a Minneapolis-based group. However, in the original release version, their music is not heard; instead, we hear a piece by Frank Zappa's 'Mothers of Invention'.See more »
Quotes:
John Cassellis:Jesus I love to shoot film.See more »
Movie Connections:
References Mondo cane (1962)See more »
Soundtrack:
Who Needs the Peace Corps?See more »

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.

User Reviews

   (Review this title)
26 out of 29 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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See more (44 total) »

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Medium Cool (1969)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Medium Cool-Underrated? csu16387
Coming to Criterion in 2013! eskenazi
Looking For Similar Movie ulTRAX
DVD released in Japan thilo-950-73752
Wild Man Fischer On Soundtrack Originally? wpbooks-1
Cast Credits and Filmography are wrong on IMDB zzzhuh2
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