Medium Cool (1969)

Director:

Haskell Wexler

Writer:

Haskell Wexler (written by)

Release Date:

1970 (Japan)

Genre:

Drama

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.

Plot Keywords:

Violence | TV News | Protest | Ghetto | Race Relations

Awards:

2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

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)

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)

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

Production Companies

• H & J

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1969) (USA) (theatrical)
• PAR (1970) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Paramount (1970) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Paramount Gateway Video (1982) (USA) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

111 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:R (Ontario) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:R (re-rating) (1970) | USA:X (1969) | UK:X

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Company:

H & J

Trivia:

When the film was released on video, Paramount was sued by the copyright holders of the song "Merry-Go-Round". Under their 1969 agreement, Paramount had rights to the song for showing the film in theatres and on television. Paramount argued that video release was the same as television broadcast. The courts ruled that the copyright holder in 1969 could not have considered videocassettes to be like television broadcast, as home videocassettes were not invented.

Quotes:

John Cassellis:Jesus I love to shoot film.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex, Drugs and Rock 'N' Roll Generation Saved Hollywood (2003)

Soundtrack:

Emotions

A time capsule

This film is better upon the second viewing, the first time I saw this I thought it was somewhat dated or boring, I couldn't have been more wrong. Initially I watched this film because it was directed by Haskell Wexler whose work I admire, and I'm from Chicago and had heard it shows much of the city and the riots of 68. I enjoyed seeing the city forty years ago to see what was the same and what had changed, much has changed yet much remains the same from what I have seen of the people, places, buildings etc. It was great to see the Kinetic Playground on there, Chicago's electric ballroom, and other area's such as Lincoln Park. On the second viewing, I realized that this is a very important film in that it adroitly captures a moment in time, a moment we can never have again that is lost forever, that one second in our history that pivoted us as a nation between innocence and awareness and possibly that crucial moment which has brought us to the point we are at today. This movie is very important as a document of history, not to mention how well it's shot. The angles, the color, the way he goes in and out of focus make this a true gem that gets better the more you see it. Great soundtrack as well, Zappa, Mike Bloomfield and others.