25 Stuff You Did not Learn About 'Network'

Altogether now: "I am as mad as hell, and I am not likely to take this any longer!" This is the famous catchphrase uttered by "mad prophet from the airwaves" Howard Beale in 'Network,' a film that, within the 35 years since its release (on November 27, 1976), originates to appear much less like satire and a lot more like a blueprint. There is nothing too much-fetched any longer in film writer Paddy Chayefsky's vision of the TV industry where newscasting is becoming indistinguishable from entertainment, where developers will attempt virtually anything for rankings, where reality TV stars will attempt virtually almost anything to grab their fifteen minutes of fame, and in which the goals of worldwide corporatism override the very best interests from the condition and also the individual. Obviously, 'Network's critique is applicable towards the film industry too it's difficult to assume today a Hollywood studio that will greenlight a comedy that so brazenly bites the bites the hands that feeds it. On the other hand, in age Occupy Wall Street, there can be some resonance inside a movie where people nationwide start chanting Beale's bleat. Read onto find out about the horrifying on-air suicide that inspired the legendary movie, the behind-the-moments buzz on its unparalleled Oscar victories, and it is ties to contemporary stars Heath Ledger, Tim Robbins, and George Clooney. 1. The germ from the idea for 'Network' originated from the actual-existence on-air suicide of California, Fla. TV reporter Christine Chubbuck, who wiped out herself throughout an active newscast on This summer 15, 1974. Inside a Howard Beale-worthy pronouncement, Chubbuck had stated, "Consistent with Funnel 40's policy of getting the latest in bloodstream and guts, as well as in living color, you will see another first: attempted suicide," then shot herself behind the best ear. That same month, Paddy Chayefsky started writing 'Network.' 2. Chayefsky and director Sidney Lumet were well-poised to provide a hpv warts-and-all portrayal from the TV industry. Both had become their large career breaks throughout the golden chronilogical age of television within the nineteen fifties, when live dramas were common network fare. Chayefsky won the very first of his three screenwriting Academy awards for 1955's 'Marty,' based by himself 1953 TV drama script. Lumet's legendary pointing career, which spanned nearly six decades, also started in the beginning of TV and incorporated among the first news/entertainment hybrid cars, the CBS series 'You Exist,A by which historic occasions were re-passed as Walter Cronkite pretended to set of them. Lumet broke into movies with '12 Angry Men' (1957), which, like 'Marty,' would be a remake of the play written for TV. 3. Like Lumet, Chayefsky's real title was Sidney. "Paddy" would be a nickname the Jewish Chayefsky had acquired throughout his Military service in The Second World War, when he stated to become half-Irish to be able to request permission to go to Mass and get free from KP duty. 4. MGM and U . s . Artists decided to finance and distribute 'Network' within the wake of Chayefsky's suit from the latter over royalties from his previous movie, 1971 medical satire 'The Hospital,' the origin of his second screenwriting Oscar. 5. Finding an actress authoritative enough and unhinged enough to experience Howard Beale was tricky. Henry Fonda had the gravitas, but he apparently declined the role as "too hysterical." The filmmakers finally found their Beale within the courageous Peter Finch. 'Network' - "I am as Mad as Hell" Speech 6. As Max Schumacher, the television professional who's the film's problematic moral center, the filmmakers needed to decide between durable leading males Glenn Ford and William Holden. Holden's recent success in 'The Towering Inferno,' because the mogul behind the condemned skyscraper, expected the scales in the favor. 7. For Diana Christensen, the ambitious, charming, soulless programmer, the studio wanted Jane Fonda, but Chayefsky vetoed her while he could not agree together with her politics. Other stars around the wish list incorporated Candice Bergen, Jill Clayburgh, Diane Keaton, and Marsha Mason. Faye Dunaway finally agreed to accept role, conscious of alerts from Chayefsky and Lumet that she'd be permitted to impart no vulnerability towards the character. Dunaway's advisors, including her then-husband, J. Geils Band frontman Peter Wolf, feared she'd get typecast as cold and heartless women if she required the role. That did not happen, though she ended up getting typecast a couple of years later after her well known portrayal of Joan Crawford in 'Mommie Dearest,' and she or he joked that they wanted the negative people out there have been around to speak her from that certain. 8. To experience Louise, the wife Max cheats on when he's an affair with Diana, the filmmakers cast Beatrice Straight. The actress originated from a classic-money New England family (she would be a cousin of Gloria Vanderbilt), and she'd won a Tony in 1953 for taking part in Elizabeth Proctor in Arthur Miller's 'The Crucible,' a tricked-but-defiant wife role much less not the same as Louise Schumacher. Before her casting within the movie, she was most likely most widely known for lending her aristocratic bearing towards the role of Lynda Carter's regal mother on TV's 'Wonder Lady.' 9. Ned Beatty agreed to defend myself against the little but key role as corporate titan Arthur Jensen, whose lecture to Beale concerning the cosmic energy of worldwide companies is among the film's funniest and most frightening sequences. Years later, Beatty would remark that stars should not turn lower employment, stating his experience here. "I labored each day on 'Network' and also got an Oscar nomination for this," he apparently stated. 10. For research, Dunaway met with NBC daytime programming v . p . Lin Bolen to discover about as being a lady within the mostly male realm of the television executive suite. Along the way, she acquired a lot of Bolen's actions and speech tempos. Bolen stated she thought the performance was accurate so far as taking her idiosyncrasies but was appalled through the character's amorality. 11. An in-joke: Max and Diana make reference to their fling as "a many-splendored factor." Holden, obviously, have been the star of 1955's romantic drama 'Love Is really a Many-Splendored Factor.' 12. Diana stays a lot of the film determining Howard's fate, but she's so detached in the perception of Howard like a flesh-and-bloodstream person who there is no scene within the film where Dunaway really talks to Finch. 13. Throughout all Howard's different broadcasts, he seems to become addressing exactly the same studio audience. Search for a guy with lengthy hair along with a beard who's putting on a black vest he seems at each tape. 14. When 'Network' is made, Lumet's former 'You Are There' host Walter Cronkite took over as most reliable news anchor in the usa. His tie towards the film's satire from the news business: his daughter Kathy plays the kidnapped, Patty Hearst-like heiress. 15. Lengthy before his looks in 'The Terminator' and 'Aliens,' Lance Henriksen turned up in 'Network' in a tiny, uncredited role like a network attorney. 16. It's lengthy been stated that certain from the assassins in the finish from the movie is Tim Robbins, making his film debut. The uncredited actor certainly resembles the near future 'Bull Durham' star, but Robbins, who had been 17 when 'Network' is made, has asserted that he isn't within the film. 17. Upon its release in November 1976, 'Network' was an immediate hit with audiences in addition to experts. Designed for a reported $3.8 million, it made $23.7 million in The United States. 18. TV journalists were appalled incidentally 'Network' described their area and worried it would harm their image. One national news anchor was adamant there would not be "that type of showbiz method of this news because we can't allow it to happen." The one who stated that? Barbara Walters. 19. A heart condition was taking its toll on Finch throughout filming it had been the main reason he could barely complete two takes from the "I am mad as hell" speech. He resided lengthy enough to determine the completed film and also to result in the models marketing it. He made an appearance on 'The Tonight Show' the evening before he died of cardiac arrest, within the lobby from the Beverly Hillsides Hotel, on The month of january 14, 1977. He was six decades old. 20. 'Network' was nominated for 10 Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Editing, Best Cinematography, Best Original Script, and finest Lead and Supporting performances for five of their stars (Holden, Dunaway, Finch, Beatty, and Straight). It lost Best Picture to 'Rocky,' however it did win four awards, for Chayefsky, Dunaway, Finch, and Straight. It had been the very first film since 1951's 'A Streetcar Named Desire' to win three from the four available acting trophies, and also the last movie to do this even today. 21. Finch wasn't the very first actor to become nominated to have an Academy Award after his dying, but he was the first one to win. He seemed to be the very first Australian to win Best Actor. At that time, many Oscar commentators saw his victory like a sympathy prize, not only for getting died, however for getting lost the award in 1971 to Gene Hackman. Hackman tried an awesome job playing macho cop Popeye Doyle in 'The French Connection,' but Finch tried groundbreaking act as a gay physician who took part in mainstream cinema's first guy-on-guy hug in 'Sunday, Bloody Sunday.' Many felt at that time the snub was because of Hollywood homophobia -- electric power charge that will echo 34 years later when fellow Aussie Heath Ledger unsuccessful to win the prize for 'Brokeback Mountain.' Ledger, too, would win a consolation prize Oscar for 'The Dark Knight' 3 years later -- and that he will be the first artist since Finch to win it after their own dying. 22. Straight was on the watch's screen for just 5 minutes and 40 seconds, making hers the least performance ever to win an Oscar. (Judi Dench came close together with her victory for 'Shakespeare in Love' 22 years later, for any role that lasts about eight minutes.) 23. Together with his 'Network' win, Chayefsky grew to become only film writer to possess won three Academy awards for scripts he authored by themself other threepeaters Francis Ford Coppola, Charles Brackett, and Billy Wilder all won their own together with other authors. 24. After winning her Oscar at 62, Straight ongoing to become active in movies and television for an additional fifteen years she died in 2001. Apart from 'Network,' she's best appreciated today on her role because the ghost-hunting researcher in 1982's 'Poltergeist.' Dunaway's career, obviously, hasn't become within the debacle which was 'Mommie Dearest,' though some fans think the 1981 film is her best product. Beatty has loved a lengthy career like a character actor. So has Robert Duvall, the only real principal cast member who did not have an Oscar jerk for 'Network,' who finally did win one for 1983's 'Tender Mercies' and it has continued to be sought after for 4 decades. Chayefsky completed yet another movie, 1980 sci-fi drama 'Altered States,' before he died of cancer almost 30 years ago. Holden ongoing to experience the key guy such movies as 'Damien: Omen II' and 'S.O.B.' before dying of injuries sustained inside a fall at his home almost 30 years ago. Lumet continued to be an active director of acclaimed films ('Prince from the City,' 'The Verdict,' 'Running on Empty,' 'Q&A,' 'Before the Demon Knows You are Dead') into his 80s but never won an aggressive Oscar, though he ended up getting an honorary Academy Award in 2005. He died in April 2011. 25. In 2005, 'Network' almost returned towards the very medium it so mercilessly satirized, like a made-for-TV movie that will have starred George Clooney (most probably in Holden's role). Inside a jerk to Chayefsky and Lumet's roots, it could have been done like a live drama. The concept was the creation of CBS network chief L'ensemble des Moonves, who had been apparently not insulted through the story's scathing indictment of their own industry. In the end, what had once appeared prophetic or absurd was now just business as always. [Photos: MGM/U . s . Artists] Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook Follow Gary Susman on Twitter: @garysusman