Casting By (2012)

Director:

Tom Donahue

Genre:

Documentary

Plot:

The surprising, never-before-told tale of the indispensable yet unsung Casting Director - Iconoclasts whose keen eye, exquisite taste and gut instincts redefined Hollywood. |

Cast

Jeff Bridges	...	Himself
Robert De Niro	...	Himself
Robert Duvall	...	Himself
Clint Eastwood	...	Himself
Al Pacino	...	Himself
Robert Redford	...	Himself
Woody Allen	...	Himself
Richard Dreyfuss	...	Himself
Danny Glover	...	Himself
Diane Lane	...	Herself
Paul Rudd	...	Himself
John Travolta	...	Himself
Jon Voight	...	Himself
Ned Beatty	...	Himself
Marion Dougherty	...	Herself
John Lithgow	...	Himself
Bette Midler	...	Herself
Martin Scorsese	...	Himself
Lynn Stalmaster	...	Himself
Oliver Stone	...	Himself
Glenn Close	...	Herself
Buck Henry	...	Himself
Cybill Shepherd	...	Herself
Tony Bill	...	Himself
Richard Donner	...	Himself
Ed Lauter	...	Himself
John Sayles	...	Himself
Juliet Taylor	...	Herself
Burt Young	...	Himself
Peter Bogdanovich	...	Himself
Paul Brickman	...	Himself
Ronny Cox	...	Himself
Aleen Keshishian	...	Herself
Ellen Lewis	...	Herself
John Papsidera	...	Himself
Paula Weinstein	...	Herself
Douglas Wright	...	Himself
Norman Lear	...	Himself
Bernard Telsey	...	Himself
Nicole David	...	Herself
Paul Haggis	...	Himself
Arthur Hiller	...	Himself
Randi Hiller	...	Herself
Terry Semel	...	Himself
Norman Jewison	...	Himself
Lora Kennedy	...	Herself
Paul Mazursky	...	Himself
Jackie Burch	...	Herself
Ellen Chenoweth	...	Herself
Edward Asner	...	Himself
Jeanine Basinger	...	Herself
Wallis Nicita	...	Herself
Gretchen Rennell	...	Herself
Mike Fenton	...	Himself
Sarah Finn	...	Herself
Jeff Greenberg	...	Himself
Deborah Aquila	...	Herself
Richard Mento	...	Himself
Taylor Hackford	...	Himself
Jerry Schatzberg	...	Himself
Cathy Sandrich	...	Herself
David Rubin	...	Himself
Ralph Senensky	...	Himself
Victoria Thomas	...	Herself
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Tye Alexander	...	Himself
Kerry Barden	...	Himself
Denise Chamian	...	Herself
Jill Davenport	...	Actor in audition
Louis DiGiaimo	...	Himself
Jennifer Euston	...	Herself
Sophie Frieden	...	Actress in Audition
Risa Bramon Garcia	...	Herself
Billy Hopkins	...	Himself
Jane Jenkins	...	Herself
Nancy Klopper	...	Herself
Heidi Levitt	...	Herself
Marci Liroff	...	Herself
Amanda Mackey Johnson	...	Herself
Bridget McKevitt	...	Young Marion Dougherty
Margery Simkin	...	Herself
Angelo Vacco	...	Actor in audition

Directed by
Tom Donahue

Produced by
Ilan Arboleda	....	producer
John Balis	....	executive producer
Joanna Colbert	....	producer
Tom Donahue	....	producer
Ed Durkin	....	executive producer
Steve Edwards	....	executive producer
Chris Ekstrom	....	associate producer
Kate Lacey	....	producer
Tony Leventhal	....	associate producer
Leigh Roberts	....	associate producer
Charlie Sandlan	....	associate producer
Margaret Whitton	....	co-executive producer

Original Music by
Leigh Roberts

Cinematography by
Peter Bolte

Film Editing by
Jill Schweitzer

Production Design by
Lisa Myers

Makeup Department
Cati James	....	hair stylist
Cati James	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Mandy Goldberg	....	production manager (segment "Dougherty interview")
Jon Tierney	....	production manager

Sound Department
Steve Bucino	....	sound re-recording mixer
Steve Bucino	....	supervising sound editor
Rodrigo Galvan	....	sound editor
Ben Workman	....	sound editor

Visual Effects by
Michael J. Saul	....	motion graphics

Camera and Electrical Department
Shaun Benson	....	set photographer
Chris Burgon	....	additional cinematography
Jess Dunlap	....	additional cinematography
Chris Freilich	....	additional cinematography
Dane Lawing	....	additional cinematography
Brandon Sumner	....	camera operator
Drew Verderame	....	lighting technician

Animation Department
Andy Lemoine	....	2D animation & illustration

Editorial Department
Eyal Dimant	....	colorist
Sebastian Iturralde	....	associate producer: on-line services
D.W. Young	....	assistant editor

Other crew
Lisa Callif	....	clearance counsel
Kate Coe	....	archival research and clearances
Alexie Elfmont	....	assistant: Mr. Donahue
Natalia Fedner	....	production assistant
Carlos Funes	....	post -production assistant
Sebastian Iturralde	....	online associate producer
Heather Lucas	....	production assistant
Jonathan Napolitano	....	production assistant
Drew Palazzo	....	assistant: post-production
Krysten Pollard	....	assistant: Mr. Donahue
Hannah Salzman-Gubbay	....	production assistant
Sara Schweizer	....	assistant: post-production
Bryan Staerkel	....	production assistant

Thanks
Kenneth Mitchell	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Glenmaicha
• Creative Chaos Ventures
• Tashtego Films (in association with)

Distributors

• HBO Documentary Films (2013) (USA) (TV) (cable)

Other Companies

• Post Factory NY  color grading
• Post Factory NY  on-line editing and color correction

Also Known As:

Runtime:

89 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Filming Locations:

Connecticut, USA

Company:

Glenmaicha

Movie Connections:

References The Graduate (1967)

A Valentine to Marion Dougherty

CASTING BY is a surprisingly entertaining documentary. Its title is somewhat misleading as it's doesn't really explain the occupation of casting directors, rather it is a valentine to Marion Dougherty, the woman who coined the term as she carved out a unique role when she began working in the entertainment business. Ironically, she wanted to be an actress herself, but didn't pursue a career, believing it would be too difficult. Fortunately, an entry level position at NBC producing live plays sponsored by Kraft proved a better fit for her theatrical instincts. As she was living in New York City, she had ample opportunity and desire to go to the theater where she discovered the talent whom she cast. The film has a treasure trove of footage of the first roles given to future stars, the most entertaining one is a 22 year-old Warren Beatty imitating fellow Lee Stasberg graduate Marlon Brando. Fortunately, Ms Dougherty, who was not an acting teacher, remanded him that "The Method" did not mean "The Mumble."

The cavalcade of stars whose careers she launched is astonishing, but equally important is the serendipitous era in which she achieved prominence. The cinema of the 1970s was groundbreaking in that talent was allowed to trump looks, and the collapse of the studio movie-making machine allowed risqué movies like "Midnight Cowboy," "Panic in Needle Park," and "Taxi Driver" to be made.

Marion Dougherty's LA counterpart, Lynn Stalmaster, is profiled as another example of a casting director. But based in LA, the criteria and talent pool meant that his accomplishments are complementary to hers, but not comparable.

The movie is enjoyable, fast-paced and certain to be enjoyed by cinephiles, but should not be viewed as a representation of the profession of casting directors.

This writer has first-hand knowledge of the acting industry in Los Angeles. The majority of casting directors do not have anywhere near the authority of those interviewed in the movie. While it is a more difficult proposition for an LA-based casting director to go to the theater to discover talent, few make the effort nor have any appreciation for the actor's craft. Crassly, some actually teach acting classes and charge fees for aspiring actors to meet them.

Just as in the modeling world, there are the Victoria's Secret models at the top and an exploitative ugly underbelly that are not depicted together, so it is in the casting business. There's a documentary to be made there, but this movie is not it. It is about the cream that has justifiably risen to the top and gifted us with some of the greatest actors we may ever see.