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The Fountainhead
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The Fountainhead (1949) More at IMDbPro »

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The Fountainhead (1949) -- Trailer for this film adaptation of the famous Ayn Rand novel

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Overview

User Rating:
7.0/10   3,335 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 9% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
Ayn Rand (screenplay)
Ayn Rand (novel)
Contact:
View company contact information for The Fountainhead on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
2 July 1949 (USA) more
Genre:
Tagline:
No Man Takes What's Mine ! more
Plot:
An uncompromising, visionary architect struggles to maintain his integrity and individualism despite personal, professional and economic pressures to conform to popular standards. full summary | add synopsis
NewsDesk:
(4 articles)
Who Isn't John Galt?
 (From Huffington Post. 27 August 2009, 3:35 PM, PDT)

The Insanity of Ayn Rand: The Fountain-Brain-Dead.
 (From Huffington Post. 4 June 2009, 3:09 AM, PDT)

User Reviews:
The best they could do with a difficult book more (138 total)

Cast

  (in credits order) (verified as complete)

Gary Cooper ... Howard Roark

Patricia Neal ... Dominique Francon
Raymond Massey ... Gail Wynand
Kent Smith ... Peter Keating
Robert Douglas ... Ellsworth M. Toohey
Henry Hull ... Henry Cameron
Ray Collins ... Roger Enright
Moroni Olsen ... Chairman
Jerome Cowan ... Alvah Scarret
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Bob Alden ... Newsboy (uncredited)
John Alvin ... Young intellectual (uncredited)
Morris Ankrum ... Prosecutor (uncredited)
Lois Austin ... Female party guest (uncredited)
Griff Barnett ... Judge (uncredited)
Monte Blue ... Gas station executive (uncredited)
Gail Bonney ... Woman (uncredited)
Ralph Brooks ... Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Glen Cavender ... Pedestrian onlooker (uncredited)
Dorothy Christy ... Society woman (uncredited)
Tristram Coffin ... Toohey's secretary (uncredited)
Tom Coleman ... Court Clerk (uncredited)
G. Pat Collins ... Jury foreman (uncredited)
James Conaty ... Party Guest (uncredited)
Bill Dagwell ... Banner shipping clerk (uncredited)
Ann Doran ... Wynand's secretary (uncredited)
Lester Dorr ... Minor Role (uncredited)

John Doucette ... Gus Webb (uncredited)
Jay Eaton ... Party Guest (uncredited)
Charles Evans ... Banner board member (uncredited)
Raoul Freeman ... Juror (uncredited)
Roy Gordon ... Vice-President (uncredited)
William Haade ... Worker (uncredited)
Creighton Hale ... Court Clerk (uncredited)
Jonathan Hale ... Guy Francon (uncredited)
Thurston Hall ... Businessman at party (uncredited)
Sam Harris ... Board Member / Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Paul Harvey ... Opera businessman (uncredited)
Henry Hebert ... Juror (uncredited)
Russell Hicks ... Banner board member (uncredited)
Bert Howard ... Board Member (uncredited)
Selmer Jackson ... Cortlandt official (uncredited)
Fred Kelsey ... Old watchman (uncredited)
Douglas Kennedy ... Reporter (uncredited)
Raymond Largay ... Director (uncredited)
Philo McCullough ... Bailiff (uncredited)
Harold Miller ... Party Guest (uncredited)
Jack Mower ... Construction foreman (uncredited)
Paul Newlan ... Policeman (uncredited)
Lee Phelps ... Juror (uncredited)
Bob Reeves ... Juror (uncredited)
Almira Sessions ... Dominique's housekeeper at quarry (uncredited)
George Sherwood ... Policeman (uncredited)
Paul Stanton ... Dean who expels Roark (uncredited)
Larry Steers ... Party Guest (uncredited)
Ruthelma Stevens ... Roark's secretary (uncredited)
Charles Trowbridge ... Director (uncredited)
Tito Vuolo ... Pasquale Orsini (uncredited)
Geraldine Wall ... Woman (uncredited)
Harlan Warde ... Young man (uncredited)
Pierre Watkin ... Cortlandt official (uncredited)
Leo White ... Pedestrian onlooker (uncredited)
Josephine Whittell ... Hostess (uncredited)
Frank Wilcox ... Gordon Prescott (uncredited)
Isabel Withers ... Secretary (uncredited)
Harry Woods ... Quarry superintendent (uncredited)
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Directed by
King Vidor 
 
Writing credits
Ayn Rand (screenplay)

Ayn Rand (novel)

Produced by
Henry Blanke .... producer
 
Original Music by
Max Steiner 
 
Cinematography by
Robert Burks 
 
Film Editing by
David Weisbart 
 
Art Direction by
Edward Carrere 
 
Set Decoration by
William L. Kuehl  (as William Kuehl)
 
Makeup Department
Perc Westmore .... makeup artist
John Wallace .... makeup artist (uncredited)
Gertrude Wheeler .... hair stylist (uncredited)
 
Production Management
Eric Stacey .... production manager (uncredited)
 
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Richard Maybery .... assistant director (uncredited)
 
Art Department
Harold Michelson .... illustrator (uncredited)
 
Sound Department
Oliver S. Garretson .... sound
 
Special Effects by
Edwin B. DuPar .... special effects (as Edwin DuPar)
John Holden .... special effects art director
Hans F. Koenekamp .... special effects (as H.F. Koenekamp)
William C. McGann .... special effects director (as William McGann)
 
Visual Effects by
Chesley Bonestell .... matte artist (uncredited)
 
Camera and Electrical Department
James Bell .... camera operator (uncredited)
Earl Ellwood .... grip (uncredited)
Harold Noyes .... grip (uncredited)
Jack Woods .... still photographer (uncredited)
 
Costume and Wardrobe Department
Milo Anderson .... wardrobe
 
Music Department
Murray Cutter .... orchestrator
 
Other crew
Jack Daniels .... dialogue director
Rita Michaels .... script supervisor (uncredited)
 
Crew believed to be complete


Production CompaniesDistributors
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Additional Details

Runtime:
114 min
Country:
Language:
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (RCA Sound System)
Filming Locations:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
It only took 59 days to shoot the movie. more
Goofs:
Continuity: When Roark is having his first meeting with Toohey he has a copy of the Banner in his hand. When Roark says "I read that in your column yesterday" the paper in his hands is open. The scene shifts perspective to Roark from behind and the paper is folded. more
Quotes:
Howard Roark: Before you can do things for people, you must be the kind of man who can get things done. But to get things done, you must love the doing, not the people! Your own work, not any possible object of your charity. I'll be glad if men who need it find a better method of living in the house I built, but that's not the motive of my work, nor my reason, nor my reward! My reward, my purpose, my life, is the work itself - my work done my way! Nothing else matters to me! more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Zizek! (2005) more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
38 out of 54 people found the following review useful.
The best they could do with a difficult book, 3 October 2006
9/10
Author: Wayne Malin (wwaayynnee51@hotmail.com) from United States

Movie based on Ayn Rand's book. Idealistic architect Howard Roark (Gary Cooper) won't compromise his designs for society. He also falls for beautiful Dominique Francon (Patricia Neal).

Now the original novel is brilliant...but over 1,000 pages and quite dense. The studio (wisely) got Rand to write the screenplay for this--I suspect a studio writer would have ruined it. She manages to cut down the book and get her message across perfectly. The movie is also well-directed--full of incredible sets and designs. It has a pounding lush score and some truly hysterical sexual imagery involving Cooper and Neal.

The acting though is another story. Neal is fantastic--the perfect choice for Dominique--sexy, smart and strong. Raymond Massey is also good as Gail Wynand. Unfortunately Gary Cooper is terrible as Roark. He was hand-picked by Rand to play the role--but I think she picked him because she was attracted to him. He's wooden all through the movie and his unsure line readings are pretty painful. (Purportedly he didn't understand the script--it shows). Still, the movie survives despite him. I can truthfully only give it a 9--with a better actor I might give this a 10.

Be warned--this is not an easy movie. It's all talk, runs almost 2 hours and deals with idealism and values. Some people will be bored silly by this but I find it fascinating. Recommended.

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The irony of this film... Tchoutoye
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How old do people tend to be when they start asking loaded questions? Kurt-150
King Vidor scottoro
Another Irony scarlata1966-2
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