The Fountainhead

[stephaniejane81]

from the comments I've read it seems there's some debate about how the characters were cast and and how accurate the movie was, etc. I don't know anything about the movie or characters b/c I haven 't seen it yet, but all I know is that if Gary Cooper looked at me that way, I would just melt ;)

[lennythecow123]

lol. exactly how i pictured this scene in my head.

[frankbooth64]

VERY entertaining film, but not intentionally so. A camp classic. It's up (or should I say down?) there with NIGHT OF THE LEPUS.

[onemooners]

always thought she was so good looking,esp. in the 50s

[pretorious700]

I always thought that this was the worst miscasting of multiple parts in any film. Gary Cooper and Patricia Neal are both about 180 degrees wrong for the roles the book created. And I don't think Francon was meant to be pronounced "Franken"..it's French, hence her father's name was "Guy", pronounced "Gee"...Hollywood totally screwed up this adaptation.

[ThePhantomBlacksmith]

I remember in the film 'Dirty Dancing' they threw in some kind of a sly dig at some aspect of Rand's philosophy when the rich asshole kid held up a copy of The Fountainhead to justify his behavior. I've been intending to eventually read The Fountainhead to see if I could figure out the point they were trying to make.

[yepheth]

how different Patricia Neal looks here as character from the Kazan's "A face from the crowd". As she was totally sweet and warm there now she's absolutely cold and bitch here. But always hot In both of them.

[Seanbo87]

I will never watch this movie, I will only be disappointed.

[Josyphilis]

Ayn Rand was disgusted with the her own screenplay adaptation. Lines were cut, especially from Roark's defense speech. Nothing came out correctly; not the actors, their images, movements, speech patterns, etc. But for as failed as the movie turned out, it still captures some of the indomitable spirit that was the total unyielding bitch, Ayn Rand. We need more people like that; everyone is just too socially acceptable.

[Charliecomet82]

Gary Cooper wielding his mighty tool! What woman could resist that!

[Bulacanos]

yea think of that drill mizz franco

yea think of that drrrrillll

[jmen4ever]

This movie wrecked Steve Ditko's career.

[al2i]

I had forgotten how great a piece of art this movie really was, but now I have bought a copy for myself. Thanks for reminding me of it!

[shrinkrap123]

Just got it at the library and it is one the best laughs of a movie I've ever seen. In the Leonard Maltin movie guide he charitably says, "cast does what it can with script" and never mentions it was Rand herself who did the screenplay adaptation. It's a shame she didn't have at least one friend with the balls to advise her to re-write before everyone involved had to be so embarassed to have been a part of it.

[AKAciti]

I first watched this movie when I was 9 years old and ran to the bathroom only during commercials. it made me see life in a different perspective and for that I'm thankful. each actor was well picked.

[Ciada91]

All of Rand's characters are stiff, wooden, unemotional cardboard characters, and self-discriptive.

[springchken]

this scene makes me cringe...

[YtothemuddafukinT]

boOOOooorring....

bring on the rape! Suck it bitch!

[hulka99]

How phallic.

[MetronAnthropos]

I agree, even if Rand herself picked Gary Cooper. Though I haven't seen the movie, from these clips it doesn't seem like he fits the character of Howard Roark well. But I may think differently when I eventually do see the whole movie, so I'll see.

[supreme600]

Why aren't the miners wearing ear protection?

[hattrick3011]

Gary Cooper looks too old to play Howard Roark.

Bad casting.

[MrDeppness]

The cast was hand-selected by Ayn Rand herself. Trust me, Gary Cooper was dynamite and this is perhaps the greatest film of all time. Buy it!!!!

[artsyann]

i am sorry awful choice of characters just awful...

Roark is not at all like gary cooper..

what the fuck were they thinking..

hes like 50! Roark is supposed to be in his 20's the casting directors must have been on crack... and he has a typical face.. theres nothing special or even angular about it..

this is awful just awful!

[dnamont]

Ayn Rand said that no other actor could play Roark but Gary Cooper. So, it is puzzling that Cooper didn't have the fire and passion that the reader often puts into Roark, but, it is possible that Rand envisioned Roark as a strong silent unemotional type like Cooper.

[gi261]

I've never seen the film but I've always read Roark as silent and unemotional.

[dnamont]

That clarifies a lot.  I never read The Fountainhead but saw the movie. One can hardly argue with the author. And Rand, being well acquainted with Hollywood must have known Cooper and his acting range very well. He fits.

[jessicatron]

i expected him to be more of a jerk than this, though. i imagined roark as being somewhat smug.

[SnapeSoul]

^^ Should have chosen Nimoy, imo. ;P Now *that* is an angular face!!

[derekwilliams1982]

It's all about marketing. Besides, perhaps Roark would be in his forties. How many twentsomething year olds think like a Roark?

[GiovanniLW]

Interesting question....

[nonsenses]

last scene... please.

great film.

[ladyofsouth]

Ebay has this movie for sale all of the time. It is a great movie.

[AluminumFoilHatMan]

And also, for someone who supposedly put so much stock in the supremacy of the human mind, Rand certainly was obsessed with all her most heroic characters being quite tall, slender, and striking-looking... she apparently was considerably compromised by superficiality.

[sinnerstefan]

Bullshit

[AluminumFoilHatMan]

Lazy, one-word mouth-cuntings count for nothing. Who here will point out to this wussy little clitoris that Rand consistently described all her lead heroes as tall, slender, and striking-looking? You're a boot-licking toadie, mate... don't waste my time with your natural shit.

[AluminumFoilHatMan]

My only complaint about this movie is that Gary Cooper doesn't seem quite intelligent or obsessive enough to fully be Howard Roark.

[progress069]

i totally agree with u....roark was much younger..and as described in the novel he always looked passionate...

choice of dominique is also not good...dominique was an independent thinker and very confident lady...whereas patricia neal seems to be very fragile and girly as compared to high womanly virtues of dominique..

[hatewannabeposerband]

well its not the same as it is in the book, but then its not possible either. perfectly done. the stare was perfect.

[omidsarmad]

seriously, i can't find this anywhere either

[GEROIDIN]

I just ordered a copy of the film on ebay yesterday

[kitesflyhigher]

Oh my god, he did that stare perfectly.

[ashmorebenowa]

I've been looking for this movie everywhere but no video store seems to have it.

[oliviathecanadian]

library

[AynRandOeuvre]

"She stood very still, because her first perception was not of sight, but of touch: the consciousness, not of a visual presence, but of a slap in the face. She held one hand awkwardly away from her body, the fingers spread wide on the air, as against a wall. She knew that she could not move until he permitted her to." (DF:HR\TF\AR)