IMDb > The Candidate (1972)
The Candidate
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The Candidate (1972) More at IMDbPro »

Videos (see all 2)
The Candidate (1972) -- Bill McKay is a candidate for the U.S. Senate from California. He has no hope of winning, so he is willing to tweak the establishment.
The Candidate (1972) -- Bill McKay is a candidate for the U.S. Senate from California. He has no hope of winning, so he is willing to tweak the establishment.
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Overview

User Rating:
7.1/10   3,390 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
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Director:
Michael Ritchie
Writer:
Jeremy Larner (writer)
Contact:
View company contact information for The Candidate on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
23 August 1972 (France) more
Genre:
Drama more
Tagline:
Too Handsome. Too Young. Too Liberal. Doesn't have a chance. He's PERFECT! more
Plot:
Bill McKay is a candidate for the U.S. Senate from California. He has no hope of winning, so he is willing to tweak the establishment. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
Won Oscar. Another 1 win & 1 nomination more
NewsDesk:
(8 articles)
DVD: Review:Downhill Racer
 (From The AV Club. 17 November 2009, 10:01 PM, PST)
Top Ten Movies About U.S. Politics
 (From CinemaSpy. 3 November 2009, 9:45 PM, PST)
User Comments:
Great movie, hope they make a sequel some day! more (48 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Robert Redford ... Bill McKay

Peter Boyle ... Marvin Lucas

Melvyn Douglas ... John J. McKay
Don Porter ... Senator Crocker Jarmon
Allen Garfield ... Klein
Karen Carlson ... Nancy McKay
Quinn K. Redeker ... Rick Jenkin (as Quinn Redeker)
Morgan Upton ... Wally Henderson

Michael Lerner ... Paul Corliss
Kenneth Tobey ... Floyd J. Starkey
Chris Prey ... David
Joe Miksak ... Neil Atkinson
Jenny Sullivan ... Lynn
Tom Dahlgren ... Pilot
Gerald Hiken ... Station Manager
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Also Known As:
El candidato (Spain) (Venezuela) [es]
O Candidato (Brazil) (Portugal) [pt]
A jelölt (Hungary) [hu]
Bill McKay - Der Kandidat (West Germany) [de]
Bill McKay - utmanaren (Sweden) [sv]
Il candidato (Italy) [it]
Kandydat (Poland) [pl]
Maktspel (Finland: Swedish title) [sv]
O ypopsifios (Greece) [el]
Stem på McKay (Denmark) [da]
Valtapeli (Finland) [fi]
Votez Mc Kay (France) [fr]
Votez McKay (Canada: French title) [fr]
more
Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents
Runtime:
110 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono
Certification:
Brazil:14 | Canada:PG (Ontario) | UK:A (1972) | UK:PG (1988) | West Germany:12 | Finland:K-3 (new rating: 2001) | Spain:T (video rating) | Finland:S | Spain:13 | Sweden:Btl | USA:PG | Australia:PG
Filming Locations:
Angel Island, California, USA more
Company:
Redford-Ritchie Productions more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Robert Redford originated the project and personally hired Michael Ritchie to direct it as he had worked as a technical adviser on various political campaigns. more
Goofs:
Continuity: The red convertible driven by Marvin Lucas (Peter Boyle) has three different license plates during the opening credits: "677 EIY", "185 ENV", and "772 DYD". All are from the 1972 era in California. more
Quotes:
Reporter: [Jarmon's helicopter lands] You know who that is, don't you?
Bill McKay: Yeah. Smokey the Bear.
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in A Decade Under the Influence (2003) more

FAQ

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User Comments

   (Comment on this title)
5 out of 9 people found the following comment useful.
Great movie, hope they make a sequel some day!, 5 January 2006
8/10
Author: Streetwolf

I finally got to see this movie and I found it very charming.

Quick summary:

Redford plays a semi-serious lawyer Bill McKay whose father was once a governor for California. Now some want him to follow his father's footsteps and become a candidate for senator, but he has a tough rival and his attitude towards it all seems as if he doesn't want to do it, but does it anyway.

Redford is just great in this movie... and very cute! The ending is left just right fora sequel, which I wonder why they haven't made yet.

8/10.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more (48 total)

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Candidate (1972)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
From a reliable source BIG NEWS PLEASE READ bruce20207
Male Interns f-mattox
VHS-style video tapes back in 1971? cryptical70
Does McKay have an affair? the_ccramaster1
Sequel? robertb-4
Groucho Marx karmacoupe
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