The Candidate (1972)

Director:

Michael Ritchie

Writer:

Jeremy Larner (writer)

Release Date:

23 August 1972 (France)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Too Handsome. Too Young. Too Liberal. Doesn't have a chance. He's PERFECT!

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.

Plot Keywords:

Candidate | California | Cynicism | Wheelchair | Politician

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

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
Jason Goodrow	...	Boy in commercial
Robert De Anda	...	Jaime
Robert Goldsby	...	Fleischer
Mike Barnicle	...	Wilson (as Michael Barnicle)
Lois Foraker	...	Large girl
David Moody	...	Watts Heckler
George Meyer	...	Man in Urinal
Dudley Knight	...	Magazine Editor
Fred L. Van Amburg	...	Himself (ABC) (as Van Amburg)
Richard Bergholtz	...	Himself
Jesse Birnbaum	...	Himself
Ken Cory	...	Himself
Alan Cranston	...	Himself (as Senator Alan Cranston)
Judy Fayard	...	Herself
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Leslie Allen	...	Mabel
Mark Anger		(as Irving Israel)
Gene S. Cantamessa		(as Gene Cantamessa)
Susan Demott	...	Groupie
Maury Green	...	Himself
Cedrick Hardman	...	Himself
Hubert H. Humphrey	...	Himself (as Senator Hubert H. Humphrey)
Lu Hurley	...	Himself
Ken Jones	...	Himself
Walter Krabien	...	Himself
Grover Lewis	...	Himself
Gary Liddiard
George McGovern	...	Himself (as Senator George McGovern)
Terence McGovern	...	Himself (as Terry McGovern)
Robert Moretti	...	Himself
Harvey Orkin	...	Himself
Julie Payne	...	Woman
Dick Poston
Rollin Post	...	Himself
Nelson Rising
Elsie Ritchie
Howard K. Smith	...	Himself (ABC)
Bill Stout	...	Himself (CSS)
Barry Sullivan	...	Voice of McKay, Narrator (voice)
John V. Tunney	...	Himself
Jesse M. Unruh	...	Himself
Jerome Waldie	...	Himself (as Congressman Jerry Waldie)
Ward Wardman
Dick Whittington	...	Himself
Natalie Wood	...	Herself
Sam Yorty	...	Himself (as Mayor Sam Yorty)
Bruce Chesse	...	Mr. Rich (uncredited)
Broderick Crawford	...	Voice of Jarmon, Narrator (uncredited)
Michael L. Davis	...	Press Photographer (uncredited)
Pat Harrington Jr.	...	Dinner MC (uncredited)
Groucho Marx	...	Himself (uncredited)
Lee Stanley	...	McKay's High School Friend (uncredited)
Stanley Tretick	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Mike Wallace	...	Himself (on TV) (archive footage) (uncredited)

Directed by
Michael Ritchie

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Jeremy Larner		writer

Produced by
Walter Coblenz	....	producer
Nelson Rising	....	associate producer

Original Music by
John Rubinstein

Cinematography by
Victor J. Kemper

Film Editing by
Robert Estrin
Richard A. Harris

Casting by
Hoyt Bowers

Production Design by
Gene Callahan

Set Decoration by
Patrizia von Brandenstein

Costume Design by
Patricia Norris

Makeup Department
Gary Liddiard	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Michael Daves	....	assistant director
Albert Shepard	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Ted Moehnke	....	set dresser
Patrizia von Brandenstein	....	set designer
Doug von Koss	....	property master (as Doug Von Koss)
Burt C. Wiley	....	assistant property master (as Burt Wiley)

Sound Department
Gene S. Cantamessa	....	sound mixer (as Gene Cantamessa)
James Nelson	....	sound effects
Richard Portman	....	dubbing mixer
Bob Sheridan	....	boom operator

Camera and Electrical Department
Howard Bingham	....	still photographer
Ray De La Motte	....	first assistant camera (as Ray de la Motte)
Dick Dova	....	best boy (as Richard Spah)
Joe Dunnigan	....	gaffer (as Joseph Dunnigan)
Eduardo Fabio	....	electrician
Jack Kirkwood	....	advance gaffer
John Korty	....	director of photography: second unit
Keith Mason	....	key grip
Richard Paup	....	first assistant camera
Roger Sherman Jr.	....	camera operator
Edward Washington	....	second assistant camera
Les Zell	....	second assistant camera
Stanley Tretick	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Bernie Pollack	....	costume supervisor
Bernie Pollack	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Jill Godmilow	....	assistant editor
Marcia Lucas	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Ted Whitfield	....	music editor

Transportation Department
Michael Collins	....	transportation
Joseph P. Rotter	....	transportation
Henry Travers	....	transportation

Other crew
Michael Britton	....	production assistant
Rebecca Britton	....	production staff
Donna De Verona	....	production staff
Laura Golden	....	production staff
Lillian O. MacNeill	....	script supervisor (as Lillian MacNeill)
Norman G. Miller	....	electronic consultant
Don Record	....	title designer
Mary Van Houten	....	auditor
Ward Wardman	....	location manager
Vernon White	....	unit publicist
Luigi Zito	....	production staff

Production Companies

• Redford-Ritchie Productions

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1972) (USA) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1974) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Warner Home Video (1988) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1997) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Bros. (197?) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Warner Española S.A. (1972) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Vídeo (200?) (Brazil) (theatrical)
• Warner-Columbia Films (1974) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Warner-Columbia Filmverleih (1973) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Dear-Warner Home Video (????) (Italy) (video)
• Scanvideo (????) (Finland) (video)
• Warner Bros. (Spain)
• Warner Home Video (1997) (Canada) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2001) (Canada) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1998) (UK) (VHS)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Medion  McKay commercials by

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]

Runtime:

110 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

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

Company:

Redford-Ritchie Productions

Trivia:

A prop campaign button from this film is on display at the Smithsonian's Museum of American History in Washington. It is on display with several authentic campaign buttons.

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.

Quotes:

[last lines]
Bill McKay: What do we do now?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in A Decade Under the Influence (2003)

Thought-provoking look at politics and media.

The Candidate, 1972, was a film that really made me think. It takes you through Bill McKay's campaign for California senator - and shows how an idealistic and inexperienced young man gets trapped by the media system. Most plot summaries will tell you that it is about how he gives the political system a kick - but I found that it was really more about how he became lost in it. It seemed that it was more of an 'outside' movie than an 'inside' one - there is always some mystery about what is going on inside everyone's heads. Robert Redford is really very good here as McKay - watch for a speech he makes to himself in the car. Peter Boyle also gave a thought-provoking performance, as Bill McKay's smooth-talking campaign manager. A sad commentary on the way things work. Very relevant. I recommend it for fans of Robert Redford or anybody interested in politics or media. 7 out of 10.