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Quiz Show (1994)
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Overview
User Rating:
Your Rating:
Director:
Writers (WGA):
Release Date:
14 September 1994 (USA)
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Tagline:
Fifty million people watched, but no one saw a thing.
Plot:
Dick Goodwin discovers game shows are fixed: Charles Van Doren is fed answers so he beats Herbie Stempel. Full summary » | Add synopsis »
Plot Keywords:
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Awards:
Nominated for 4 Oscars.
Another 13 wins
&
13 nominations
See more »
NewsDesk:
(155 articles)
Oscar Contender Once Again?
(From Huffington Post. 22 May 2013, 9:37 AM, PDT)
Philip Seymour Hoffman Set To Star In John Slattery’s God’S Pocket
(From WeAreMovieGeeks.com. 15 May 2013, 2:52 PM, PDT)
Oscars 1994: If We Picked The Winners (Best Supporting Actor)
(From Obsessed with Film. 2 May 2013, 1:01 PM, PDT)
(From Huffington Post. 22 May 2013, 9:37 AM, PDT)
Philip Seymour Hoffman Set To Star In John Slattery’s God’S Pocket
(From WeAreMovieGeeks.com. 15 May 2013, 2:52 PM, PDT)
Oscars 1994: If We Picked The Winners (Best Supporting Actor)
(From Obsessed with Film. 2 May 2013, 1:01 PM, PDT)
User Reviews:
Polished and professional drama
See more (147 total) »
Cast
(in credits order) (verified as complete) | John Turturro | ... | Herbie Stempel |
 | Rob Morrow | ... | Dick Goodwin |
 | Ralph Fiennes | ... | Charles Van Doren |
 | Paul Scofield | ... | Mark Van Doren |
 | David Paymer | ... | Dan Enright |
 | Hank Azaria | ... | Albert Freedman |
 | Christopher McDonald | ... | Jack Barry |
 | Johann Carlo | ... | Toby Stempel |
 | Elizabeth Wilson | ... | Dorothy Van Doren |
 | Allan Rich | ... | Robert Kintner |
 | Mira Sorvino | ... | Sandra Goodwin |
| George Martin | ... | Chairman |
 | Paul Guilfoyle | ... | Lishman |
 | Griffin Dunne | ... | Account Guy |
 | Michael Mantell | ... | Pennebaker |
| Byron Jennings | ... | Moomaw |
 | Ben Shenkman | ... | Childress |
 | Timothy Busfield | ... | Fred |
| Jack Gilpin | ... | Jack |
 | Bruce Altman | ... | Gene |
 | Martin Scorsese | ... | Martin Rittenhome |
| Joseph Blaire | ... | Lester Stempel (as Joda Hershman) |
 | Ernie Sabella | ... | Car Salesman |
 | Barry Levinson | ... | Dave Garroway |
 | Debra Monk | ... | Kintner's Secretary |
 | Mario Cantone | ... | Passerby |
 | Timothy Britten Parker | ... | Researcher |
| Grace Phillips | ... | Mrs. Nearing |
 | Jerry Grayson | ... | Limo Driver |
| Scott Lucy | ... | NBC Pages |
 | Matt Keeslar | ... | NBC Pages |
| Ron Scott Bertozzi | ... | NBC Pages |
 | Harriet Sansom Harris | ... | Enright's Secretary |
| Mary Shultz | ... | Freedman's Secretary |
| Dave Wilson | ... | Director |
| Robert Caminiti | ... | Associate Director |
| Eddie Korbich | ... | Lighting Director |
| Le Clanché du Rand | ... | Cornwall Neighbor |
 | Carole Shelley | ... | Cornwall Aunt |
 | Shawn Batten | ... | Cornwall Cousins |
| Cornelia Ryan | ... | Cornwall Cousins |
 | Jeffrey Nordling | ... | John Van Doren |
| Gina Rice | ... | Mrs. John Van Doren |
| Vince O'Brien | ... | Bunny Wilson |
| Adam Kilgour | ... | Thomas Merton, The Monk |
| Richard Seff | ... | Congressman Devine |
| Bill Moor | ... | Congressman Rogers |
| Nicholas Kepros | ... | Congressman Flynt |
| Barry Snider | ... | Congressman Springer |
| Chuck Adamson | ... | Congressman Mack |
| Joseph Attanasio | ... | Congressman Derounian |
| Dan Wakefield | ... | Professors at Book Party |
| Hamilton Fish | ... | Professor at Book Party |
| Merwin Goldsmith | ... | Writer at Book Party |
 | Illeana Douglas | ... | Woman at Book Party |
 | Gretchen Egolf | ... | Student at Book Party |
| Stephen Pearlman | ... | Judge Schweitzer |
| Anthony Fusco | ... | Librarian |
 | Douglas McGrath | ... | Snodgrass |
 | Calista Flockhart | ... | Barnard Girls |
| Alysa Shwedel | ... | Barnard Girls |
 | Kelly Coffield Park | ... | Queens Neighbors (as Kelly Coffield) |
| Dede Pochos | ... | Queens Neighbors |
| Maria Radman | ... | Queens Neighbors |
| David Stepkin | ... | Queens Neighbors |
| Steve Roland | ... | Today Announcer |
| Bernie Sheredy | ... | Reporters |
 | Joe Lisi | ... | Reporters |
 | Reno | ... | Woman at Door |
| Neil Leifer | ... | Psychoanalyst |
| Caryn Krooth | ... | Blonde |
| Mario Contacessi | ... | Waiter |
| Patricia Geri Russell | ... | NBC Secretary (as Pat Russell) |
| Bill Cwikowski | ... | Challenger |
 | William Fichtner | ... | Stage Manager |
| Vincent J. Burns | ... | Crew Member |
 | Katherine Borowitz | ... | #1 Mom (as Katherine Turturro) |
| rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
| Ray Abbott | ... | Photographer (uncredited) |
| John D. Bair | ... | Grad Student (uncredited) |
| Ted Brunson | ... | Reporter (uncredited) |
 | Michael J. Burg | ... | Student (uncredited) |
 | Richard Council | ... | Reporter #1 (uncredited) |
 | Brian Gildea | ... | Student (uncredited) |
| Matthew T. Gitkin | ... | NBC Staff (uncredited) |
 | Jerry Griffin | ... | Doorman (uncredited) |
| David Hausen | ... | Camera Operator (uncredited) |
 | Ethan Hawke | ... | Don Quixote Student (uncredited) |
 | Christopher King | ... | Congressional Hearing Reporter (uncredited) |
| Michael Luceri | ... | Student (uncredited) |
| Owen Lund | ... | Technical Director (uncredited) |
 | Ron Ostrow | ... | Photographer (uncredited) |
| John Ponzio | ... | NBC Page (uncredited) |
| James Prendergast | ... | Lawyer (uncredited) |
 | Steve Ryan | ... | NBC Employee (uncredited) |
| Jonathan Marc Sherman | ... | Don Quixote Student #2 (uncredited) |
 | Nick Taylor | ... | Herbie's Neighbor (uncredited) |
| Glenn Zarr | ... | Press Photographer (uncredited) |
Directed by | |||
| Robert Redford | |||
Writing credits(WGA) | ||
| Paul Attanasio | (screenplay) | |
| Richard N. Goodwin | (book "Remembering America: A Voice From the Sixties") | |
Produced by | |||
| Richard Dreyfuss | .... | executive producer | |
| Richard N. Goodwin | .... | co-producer | |
| Michael Jacobs | .... | producer | |
| Judith James | .... | executive producer | |
| Julian Krainin | .... | producer | |
| Jeff McCracken | .... | co-producer | |
| Susan Moore | .... | associate producer | |
| Gail Mutrux | .... | co-producer | |
| Michael Nozik | .... | producer | |
| Robert Redford | .... | producer | |
| Frederick Zollo | .... | executive producer | |
Original Music by | |||
| Mark Isham | |||
Cinematography by | |||
| Michael Ballhaus | |||
Film Editing by | |||
| Stu Linder | |||
Casting by | |||
| Bonnie Timmermann | |||
Production Design by | |||
| Jon Hutman | |||
Art Direction by | |||
| Tim Galvin | |||
Set Decoration by | |||
| Samara Schaffer | |||
Costume Design by | |||
| Kathy O'Rear | |||
Makeup Department | |||
| Kymbra Callaghan | .... | additional makeup artist | |
| Angel De Angelis | .... | additional hair stylist (as Angelina De Angelis) | |
| Sharon Ilson | .... | key makeup artist | |
| Bernadette Mazur | .... | additional makeup artist | |
| Francesca Paris | .... | additional hair stylist | |
| Bunny Parker | .... | key hair stylist (as Bunny Parker-Adamson) | |
| Linda Lazar | .... | makeup artist (uncredited) | |
| Gabriella Pollino | .... | hair stylist (uncredited) | |
Production Management | |||
| Lydia Dean Pilcher | .... | production manager | |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director | |||
| Joe Burns | .... | second assistant director (as Joseph Burns) | |
| Stuart Feldman | .... | dga trainee | |
| Susan E. Fiore | .... | second second assistant director | |
| Joseph P. Reidy | .... | first assistant director (as Joseph Reidy) | |
Art Department | |||
| Troy R. Adee | .... | set dresser | |
| Tommy Allen | .... | property master | |
| Dimitri Apletchef | .... | assistant property master | |
| Jeff Balsmeyer | .... | storyboard artist | |
| Joe Bird | .... | set dresser (as Joseph L. Bird) | |
| Conrad V. Brink Jr. | .... | set dresser (as Conrad Brink) | |
| Jeff Brink | .... | set dresser (as Jeffrey S. Brink) | |
| Ed Check | .... | assistant art director | |
| Diane D'Addio | .... | assistant set decorator | |
| Tony Fanning | .... | assistant art director | |
| Gilbert Gertsen | .... | set dresser (as Gilbert H. Gertsen) | |
| Gordon Gertsen | .... | set dresser (as Gordon H. Gertsen) | |
| Donna Hamilton | .... | assistant set decorator (as Donna F. Hamilton) | |
| Sandy Hamilton | .... | assistant property master | |
| Brent Haywood | .... | carpenter foreman | |
| Mark Horstmann | .... | carpenter foreman | |
| Kalina Ivanov | .... | storyboard artist | |
| Gary Levitsky | .... | set dresser | |
| Kevin McCarthy | .... | lead man (as Kevin B. McCarthy) | |
| Matthew McCarthy | .... | set dresser | |
| Ken Nelson | .... | construction coordinator (as Kenneth D. Nelson) | |
| John Oates Jr. | .... | set dresser | |
| Charlotte Palmer-lane | .... | design assistant | |
| Joseph Proscia | .... | set dresser (as Joseph F. Proscia) | |
| Miriam Schapiro | .... | art department coordinator | |
| Bob Shaw | .... | assistant art director (as Robert K. Shaw Jr.) | |
| Robert Topol | .... | master scenic artist | |
| M. Tony Trotta | .... | camera scenic artist | |
| Paul Wardwell | .... | key construction grip | |
| Alyssa Winter | .... | assistant set decorator | |
| Deni Holl | .... | set painter (uncredited) | |
| John Merrick | .... | construction grip (uncredited) | |
| Silvija L. Moess | .... | scenic artist (uncredited) | |
| Mary Prlain | .... | assistant set decorator (uncredited) | |
Casting Department | |||
| Karen E. Etcoff | .... | extras casting | |
| Barbara Harris | .... | voice casting | |
| Patricia Kerrigan DiCerto | .... | casting assistant | |
| Alison E. McBryde | .... | casting assistant | |
Costume and Wardrobe Department | |||
| Michael Adkins | .... | assistant wardrobe supervisor | |
| Dan Bronson | .... | assistant costume designer | |
| Paul Buboltz | .... | wardrobe supervisor | |
| Danajean Cicerchi | .... | assistant wardrobe supervisor | |
| Patricia Eiben | .... | wardrobe supervisor | |
| Mary Gierczak | .... | wardrobe assistant (as Mary C-Gierczak) | |
| Barrett Hong | .... | wardrobe assistant | |
| Beulah Jones-Black | .... | assistant costume designer | |
| Lisa Padovani | .... | assistant to costume designer | |
| Haleen K. Holt | .... | costume illustrator (uncredited) | |
| Valerie Laven-Cooper | .... | costumer (uncredited) | |
Editorial Department | |||
| Blair Daily | .... | associate editor | |
| Mark Daily | .... | assistant editor | |
| Dale E. Grahn | .... | color timer | |
Music Department | |||
| Sandy DeCrescent | .... | music contractor | |
| Dell Hake | .... | additional orchestrator | |
| Mark Isham | .... | musician: trumpet solos | |
| Stephen Krause | .... | score mixer (as Steve Krause) | |
| Ken Kugler | .... | conductor | |
| Ken Kugler | .... | orchestrator | |
| Craig Pettigrew | .... | music editor | |
| Katherine Quittner | .... | music supervisor | |
| Kim Scharnberg | .... | additional orchestrator | |
| Tom Boyd | .... | musician: oboe soloist (uncredited) | |
| Todd Homme | .... | music producer (uncredited) | |
| James Thatcher | .... | musician: French horn (uncredited) | |
| Seth Wittner | .... | music proof reader (uncredited) | |
Transportation Department | |||
| Timothy Shannon | .... | transportation co-captain | |
| James Patrick Whalen Jr. | .... | transportation captain | |
| Bobby Marsh | .... | driver (uncredited) | |
Production CompaniesDistributors
- Buena Vista Pictures (1994) (USA) (theatrical)
- American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1997) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
- Buena Vista International (Sweden) (1995) (Sweden) (theatrical)
- Buena Vista International (1995) (Argentina) (theatrical)
- Abril Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
- Gativideo (1995) (Argentina) (VHS)
- Gaumont Buena Vista International (GBVI) (France)
- Laurenfilm (Spain)
- Buena Vista Imaging main title opticals
- Buena Vista Negative Cutting negative cutting
- Hollywood Records soundtrack
- Howard A. Anderson Company optical effects
- Movie Movers star trailers
- PMK Public Relations publicity
- Pacific Title and Art Studio end title opticals
- R/Greenberg Associates titles
- Reeltime Creative trailer music
- Skywalker Sound post-production sound services
Additional Details
Also Known As:
See more »
MPAA:
Rated PG-13 for some strong language (certificate no. 32957)
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
133 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 See more »
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Finland:S | Germany:6 (w) | Singapore:PG | Spain:T | Sweden:Btl | UK:15 | USA:PG-13 (certificate no. 32957) | Netherlands:AL | Iceland:L | South Korea:15 | Philippines:PG-13 | Portugal:M/12 (Qualidade) | Peru:14
Filming Locations:
Company:
Did You Know?
Trivia:
Producers Barry Levinson and Mark Johnson had their names taken off the credits even though they had been instrumental in getting the film made. They settled instead for a namecheck for their production company Baltimore Pictures. This was because they felt that listing eleven producer credits for just one film was far too many.See more »
Goofs:
Anachronisms: A theatre marquee advertises La Dolce Vita (1960).See more »
Quotes:
Toby Stempel:My mother wants to know why you only went for eight on the movies.
Herbie Stemple:Because my real expertise is pain-in-the-ass in-laws, all right?
See more »
Herbie Stemple:Because my real expertise is pain-in-the-ass in-laws, all right?
See more »
Movie Connections:
Referenced in "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire: Million Dollar Movie Week 2 (#7.107)" (2009)See more »
Soundtrack:
DANCING IN THE DARKSee more »
FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.See more (147 total) »
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The ratings of 1950's quiz show `21' are in freefall due to the dominance of dorky Jew Herbie Stempel. The sponsors and network owners put pressure o the producers to replace him. When WASP Charles Van Doren comes to audition for another show they offer to ask him the questions that he already answered at the practice. Herbie is told to take a dive and Van Doren becomes an audience draw. However when Herbie starts making noise about a fix, a congress employee, Dick Goodwin, decides to go after the network.
This is a glossy, professional piece of work that sadly was never as huge as hit as it deserved to be (probably not enough explosions for the US audience). The story is based on a true story that happened in the 50's and it's used here partly as a bit of history but also as a look at television in terms of it's most basic desire to sell and entertain at any costs – if that means fixing shows or getting the `right' ethnic groups on screen then s be it. It is effective on that level because it's hard to imagine anything has changed since 1950. The actual human drama comes between Van Doren and Stempel – the film makes them both real people, neither good nor bad but having a bit of both.
Turturro is the best thing in this film. His Herbie has so many levels which he must touch throughout and he does them all well – whether it's humour, pride, anger or realisation. Fiennes is good but at times I did find it hard to be sympathetic with a WASP born into a lofty family who gets more given to him. That said Fiennes did him well. Morrow was a strange choice – famous at the time for Northern Exposure, he does a weird performance here – almost doing an impression of what he thinks a tough Noo Yark investigator would be like. The supporting cast is filled out with quality so deep that even the extras are famous now! (Calista Flockhart turns up briefly). David Palmer and Hank Azaria are good as 21's producers, Christopher Mcdonald is good as the host – people like Griffin Dunne, Mira Sorvino, Timothy Busefield and Barry Levinson come and go, and Martin Scorsese has a wicked role as the money behind the scandal.
It works on many levels – at it's most basic it is a true story of great interest, at best it lets you see how television works and how men with money can rarely be reached for any wrong doing. Working on so many levels this is a polished professional drama that involves from start to finish.