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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.

Overview

User Rating:
7.1/10   3,377 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?

Down 14% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.

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

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 1 win & 1 nomination more

User Comments:

Thought-provoking look at politics and media. more (48 total)


Cast

  (in credits order) (complete, awaiting verification)

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)
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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
 
Crew believed to be complete


Production CompaniesDistributorsOther Companies
  • Medion  McKay commercials by
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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

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


Fun Stuff

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. 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:

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

Movie Connections:

Referenced in A Decade Under the Influence (2003) more


FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
9 out of 9 people found the following comment useful.
Thought-provoking look at politics and media., 6 September 2000
7/10

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.

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