A television network cynically exploits a deranged former anchor's ravings and revelations about the news media for its own profit.

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Top Rated Movies #182 | Won 4 Oscars. Another 15 wins & 25 nominations. See more awards »
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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
...
...
...
...
...
...
Arthur Burghardt ...
Bill Burrows ...
TV Director
John Carpenter ...
George Bosch
...
Harry Hunter
Kathy Cronkite ...
Mary Ann Gifford
Ed Crowley ...
Joe Donnelly
Jerome Dempsey ...
Walter C. Amundsen
...
Barbara Schlesinger
Gene Gross ...
Milton K. Steinman
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Storyline

In the 1970s, terrorist violence is the stuff of networks' nightly news programming and the corporate structure of the UBS Television Network is changing. Meanwhile, Howard Beale, the aging UBS news anchor, has lost his once strong ratings share and so the network fires him. Beale reacts in an unexpected way. We then see how this affects the fortunes of Beale, his coworkers (Max Schumacher and Diana Christensen), and the network. Written by Bruce Janson <bruce@cs.su.oz.au>

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

Television will never be the same! See more »

Genres:

Drama | Romance

Certificate:

R | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

27 November 1976 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Poder que mata  »

Box Office

Budget:

$3,800,000 (estimated)
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Company Credits

Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Color:

(Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Gene Hackman turned down the role of Howard Beale. See more »

Goofs

The obituary for UBS Chairman of the Board Edward George Ruddy is shown with the character's information superimposed over the title area, with real January, 1975 obituaries for Revlon founder Charles Revson and screenwriter Sidney Buchman listed below. Additionally, the movie is set during fall 1975, months after Ruddy's death. See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
Narrator: This story is about Howard Beale, who was the news anchorman on UBS TV. In his time, Howard Beale had been a mandarin of television, the grand old man of news, with a HUT rating of 16 and a 28 audience share. In 1969, however, his fortunes began to decline. He fell to a 22 share. The following year, his wife died, and he was left a childless widower with an 8 rating and a 12 share. He became morose and isolated, began to drink heavily, and on September 22, 1975, he was fired, ...
[...]
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Connections

Referenced in Wag the Dog (1997) See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

See more (Spoiler Alert!) »

User Reviews

 
Top-notch satire of television
29 December 2005 | by (United States) – See all my reviews

I just finished watching this movie and was blown away. Sidney Lumet's satire shows the hollowness of television and the mindless generation that is produced from an excess of it. This film is shocking and eye-opening also showing executives' mad quest for ratings.

The acting in this film is superb. Peter finch stars as the TV anchor who becomes an "angry prophet who denounces the hypocrisies of our time." We gradually see how he first preaches to the common everyman, but is then exploited by the slick executives to achieve their one goal: Ratings. Faye Dunaway also shines as the Vice President in charge of programming who finds herself becoming less aware of the difference between television and reality. William Holden also lends fine support.

As the acting and directing in this film are exquisite, the message it portrays is a very strong one. This scathing indictment of TV is necessary for everyone to see.


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Just Saw It .... Oh My! jojomack2006
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