50-442: College Swing , also known as Swing, Teacher, Swing in the U.K. , is a 1938 American comedy film directed by Raoul Walsh and starring George Burns , Gracie Allen , Martha Raye , and Bob Hope . The supporting cast features Edward Everett Horton , Ben Blue , Betty Grable , Jackie Coogan , John Payne , Robert Cummings , and Jerry Colonna . It's 1738, and Gracie Alden of the powerful Alden family fails to graduate from
100-723: A camp sensibility lay behind the successful Carry On films , while in America subversive independent film-maker John Waters made camp films for college audiences with his drag queen friends that eventually found a mainstream audience. The success of the American television show Saturday Night Live drove decades of cinema with racier content allowed on television drawing on the program's stars and characters, with bigger successes including Wayne's World , Mean Girls , Ghostbusters and Animal House . Parody and joke-based films continue to find audiences. While comedic films are among
150-460: A date, to Mrs. Robinson's displeasure. Ben attempts to sabotage the date by ignoring Elaine, driving recklessly and taking her to a strip club . She flees the club in tears, but Benjamin chases after her, apologizes and kisses her. They eat at a drive-in restaurant, where they bond over their shared uncertainty about their future plans. After they visit the Taft Hotel for a late-night drink and
200-509: A function of aging and wisdom. He, along with Gene Siskel , gave the film a positive, if unenthusiastic review on the television program Siskel & Ebert . Furthermore, the film's rating in the American Film Institute list of the greatest American films fell from seventh in 1997 to 17th in the 2007 update. Lang Thompson, however, argued that "it really hasn't dated much". Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gives
250-428: A guy like me in a million years". Ross agreed, believing that Hoffman "looked about 3 feet tall ... so unkempt. This is going to be a disaster." Producer Joseph E. Levine later admitted that he at first believed Hoffman "was one of the messenger boys". Despite – or perhaps because of – Hoffman's awkwardness, Nichols chose him for the film. "As far as I'm concerned, Mike Nichols did a very courageous thing casting me in
300-587: A hotel bellhop. Kevin Tighe who would later go on to star in the 1970's TV series Emergency! made a brief uncredited appearance as one of the showering fraternity brothers. Getting the film made was difficult for Nichols, who, while noted for being a successful Broadway director, was still an unknown in Hollywood. Producer Lawrence Turman , who wanted only Nichols to direct it, was continually turned down for financing. Turman also said that every studio turned down
350-450: A part that I was not right for, meaning I was Jewish," said Hoffman. "In fact, many of the reviews were very negative. It was kind of veiled anti-Semitism.... I was called 'big-nosed' in the reviews; 'a nasal voice'." Hoffman was paid $ 20,000 for his role in the film, but netted just $ 4,000 after taxes and living expenses. After spending that money, Hoffman filed for New York State unemployment benefits , receiving $ 55 per week while living in
400-532: A recent college graduate with no well-defined aim in life who is seduced by an older married woman, Mrs. Robinson, but then falls for her daughter, Elaine. The Graduate was released December 21, 1967, to critical and commercial success, grossing $ 104.9 million in the United States and Canada, making it the highest-grossing film of 1967 in North America. Adjusted for inflation (as of 2021),
450-664: A reference. The leg-framing scene where Mrs. Robinson seduces Benjamin has been parodied in the Roseanne episode "David and Goliath", which includes a fantasy scene in which Jackie assumes the Bancroft role and attempts to seduce David. This scene is also parodied in The Simpsons episode, " Lisa's Substitute ", when Mrs. Krabappel tries to seduce Mr. Bergstrom, who was voiced by Dustin Hoffman. The car Benjamin drives in
500-487: A separate genre, but rather, provides a better understanding of the film. The Graduate The Graduate is a 1967 American independent romantic comedy-drama film directed by Mike Nichols and written by Buck Henry and Calder Willingham , based on the 1963 novella by Charles Webb , who wrote it shortly after graduating from Williams College . The film tells the story of 21-year-old Benjamin Braddock,
550-710: A shame – they were halfway to something wonderful when they skidded on a patch of greasy kid stuff." Pauline Kael wondered, "How could you convince them [younger viewers] that a movie that sells innocence is a very commercial piece of work when they're so clearly in the market to buy innocence?" Critics continue to praise the film, if not always with the same ardor. For the film's thirtieth anniversary reissue, Ebert retracted some of his previous praise for it, noting that he felt its time had passed, and that he now had more sympathy for Mrs. Robinson than for Benjamin (who he considered "an insufferable creep"), viewing one's sympathy for Mrs. Robinson and disdainful attitude toward Ben as
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#1732794024166600-431: A story in which a woman learns that her mother and grandmother may be the inspiration for The Graduate , and the 1963 novel of the same name it was based on. (500) Days of Summer features a scene in which the protagonist, Tom, watches The Graduate with his then girlfriend Summer. He is said to misinterpret the ending, a fact that serves to characterize his naivety concerning relationships. In 1996, The Graduate
650-489: A two-room apartment in the West Village of Manhattan . Before Hoffman was cast, Robert Redford and Charles Grodin were among the top choices. Redford tested for the part of Benjamin (with Candice Bergen as Elaine), but Nichols thought Redford did not possess the underdog quality Benjamin needed. Grodin turned down the part at first because of the low $ 500/week salary offered by producer Lawrence Turman . Grodin
700-562: Is a film genre that emphasizes humor . These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending , with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the oldest genres in film, and it is derived from classical comedy in theatre . Some of the earliest silent films were slapstick comedies , which often relied on visual depictions, such as sight gags and pratfalls, so they could be enjoyed without requiring sound. To provide drama and excitement to silent movies, live music
750-461: Is currently (as of the 2007 rankings) ranked by the American Film Institute as the 17th greatest American film of all time , having been ranked 7th in 1997. It is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential films of all time . After earning his bachelor's degree , Benjamin Braddock returns to his parents' home in Pasadena, California . During his graduation party, Mrs. Robinson,
800-700: Is so upset that she throws Benjamin out of the house and soon returns to school at Berkeley . Benjamin follows her there, hoping to regain her affections. Elaine initially rejects him and briefly dates medical student Carl Smith. When she learns her mother lied about Benjamin raping her, she reconciles with him. Benjamin pushes for an early marriage, but Elaine is uncertain despite her feelings for him. Mr. Robinson arrives at Berkeley and angrily confronts Benjamin. He informs him that he and Mrs. Robinson are getting divorced and threatens to have him jailed if he keeps seeing Elaine. Mr. Robinson forces Elaine to leave college to marry Carl. Benjamin drives to Pasadena and breaks into
850-483: The Batman television series . Jack Nicholson , Steve McQueen , Anthony Perkins , Warren Beatty , George Peppard , George Hamilton , Keir Dullea , Brandon deWilde and Michael Parks were also considered for the role of Benjamin Braddock. Ronald Reagan was considered for the part of Benjamin's father Mr. Braddock, which eventually went to William Daniels. Nichols cast Gene Hackman as Mr. Robinson, but he
900-512: The Chicago Sun-Times praised the film, with Murphy describing it as a "delightful satirical comedy drama", and Ebert claiming it was the "funniest American comedy of the year". However, Life critic Richard Schickel felt the film "starts out to satirize the alienated spirit of modern youth, does so with uncommon brilliance for its first half, but ends up selling out to the very spirit its creators intended to make fun of... It's
950-529: The Robinson home searching for Elaine. Instead he finds Mrs. Robinson, who tells him that he cannot prevent Elaine's marriage to Carl. Benjamin flees the house and drives back to Berkeley. There he discovers the wedding is in Santa Barbara that very day. He speeds over 300 miles to Santa Barbara, but his car runs out of gas a short distance from the church. Benjamin runs to the church, arriving just as
1000-608: The brick campus of USC in Los Angeles . The church used for the wedding scene is actually the United Methodist Church in La Verne . In an audio commentary released with the 40th anniversary DVD , Hoffman revealed he was uneasy about the scene in which he pounds on the church window, as the minister of the church had been watching the filming disapprovingly. The wedding scene was highly influenced by
1050-463: The bus drives on, their ecstatic smiles slowly change into neutral expressions as they begin to ponder their uncertain future together. Richard Dreyfuss makes an uncredited appearance in his second film role as one of the tenants in Mr. McCleery's building. Ben Murphy also has an uncredited appearance, as the shaving fraternity brother who comes out with a double entendre. Mike Farrell was uncredited as
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#17327940241661100-424: The ceremony is ending. His desperate appearance in the glass church gallery stirs Elaine into defying her mother and fleeing the sanctuary. Benjamin fights off Mr. Robinson and repels the wedding guests by swinging a large cross , which he uses to barricade the church doors, trapping everyone inside. Benjamin and Elaine escape aboard a bus and sit among the startled passengers, with Elaine still in her wedding gown. As
1150-482: The college founded by her grandfather for the ninth year in a row, so he leaves the institution in his will to the first female of the family to graduate within 200 years. At the deadline, in 1938, another Gracie Alden, the last girl of the line, is having trouble with her studies, so she hires fast-talking Bud Brady to help her. Her efforts are opposed by woman-hating professor Hubert Dash and his secretary George Jones, who don't want to see their beloved college fall into
1200-513: The ending of the 1924 comedy film Girl Shy starring Harold Lloyd , who also served as an advisor for the scene in The Graduate . The film boosted the profile of folk-rock duo Simon & Garfunkel . Originally, Nichols and O'Steen used their existing songs like " The Sound of Silence " merely as a pacing device for the editing, until Nichols decided that substituting original music would not be effective, and decided to include them on
1250-547: The film an approval rating of 86% based on 87 reviews, with an average rating of 8.90/10. The site's consensus reads: "The music, the performances, the precision in capturing the post-college malaise – The Graduate 's coming-of-age story is indeed one for the ages." On the similar website, Metacritic , the film holds a score of 83 out of 100, based on 19 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". Numerous films, TV shows, music videos, and commercials have referenced The Graduate . The climactic sequence in which Benjamin crashes
1300-515: The film industry due to their popularity. In The Screenwriters Taxonomy (2017), Eric R. Williams contends that film genres are fundamentally based upon a film's atmosphere, character, and story, and therefore, the labels "drama" and "comedy" are too broad to be considered a genre. Instead, his taxonomy argues that comedy is a type of film that contains at least a dozen different sub-types. A number of hybrid genres have emerged, such as action comedy and romantic comedy . The first comedy film
1350-409: The film's 25th anniversary home video release, alternative rock band The Lemonheads recorded a punk -style cover of Simon & Garfunkel's "Mrs. Robinson". The music video includes scenes from the film. The film Kingpin parodied the leg-framed shot, showing Woody Harrelson framed by his landlady's leg, and features an excerpt of "The Sound of Silence" after Harrelson's character has sex with
1400-459: The film's gross is $ 857 million, making it the 22nd highest-grossing film in the United States and Canada , with inflation taken into account. It received seven nominations at the 40th Academy Awards , including for Best Picture and Best Director , the latter being the film's sole win. In 1996, The Graduate was selected for preservation in the U.S. National Film Registry as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". It
1450-398: The hands of an empty-headed nit-wit like Gracie. When by hook and by crook Gracie manages to pass her exam and becomes the owner of the college, she does away with entrance exams, hires a bunch of incompetent but kooky teachers, and turns the place into a jumpin' jitterbugging joint complete with swing bands and remote radio broadcasts. Cast notes: Comedy film The comedy film
1500-569: The landlady to make up for back rent. Hoffman recreated the church wedding scene for a 2004 Audi commercial, in which he stops his daughter (played by Lake Bell ) from getting married, and tells her "you're just like your mother" as they drive off, implying he is an older Benjamin who has a daughter with Elaine. The plot of the 2005 romantic comedy film Rumor Has It , directed by Rob Reiner and starring Jennifer Aniston , Kevin Costner , Shirley MacLaine and Mark Ruffalo , revolves around
1550-754: The most popular with audiences at the box office, there is an 'historical bias against a close and serious consideration of comedy' when it comes to critical reception and conferring of awards, such as at the Academy Awards . Film writer Cailian Savage observes "Comedies have won Oscars, although they’ve usually been comedy-dramas, involved very depressing scenes, or appealed to stone-hearted drama lovers in some other way, such as Shakespeare in Love ." According to Williams' taxonomy , all film descriptions should contain their type (comedy or drama) combined with one (or more) sub-genres. This combination does not create
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1600-549: The movie is an Alfa Romeo Spider . Based on its iconic role, Alfa Romeo sold a version of the Spider in the United States from 1985 to 1990 under the name "Spider Graduate". In the 1992 film The Player , Robert Altman 's satire of Hollywood , Buck Henry pitches a sequel to The Graduate to producer Griffin Mill (played by Tim Robbins ) during the film's opening sequence. A parody of Hollywood high concept films, Henry describes
1650-805: The music video for " Love Action (I Believe in Love) " by The Human League and " If You Go " by Jon Secada , as well as the song " Crashed the Wedding " by Busted . The scene was also referenced in the 1998 finale of the Papa and Nicole advertising campaign in the United Kingdom for the MK1 Renault Clio , featuring Reeves and Mortimer and tying in with the release of the MK2 Renault Clio. The 1999 film The Other Sister contained
1700-412: The photography. Surtees, who had photographed major films since the 1920s, including Ben-Hur , said later, "It took everything I had learned over 30 years to be able to do the job. I knew that Mike Nichols was a young director who went in for a lot of camera. We did more things in this picture than I ever did in one film." Many of the exterior university campus shots of Berkeley were actually filmed on
1750-553: The plot as Ben and Elaine living in a haunted house in Northern California, with an invalid Mrs. Robinson living in the attic. George Michael 's 1992 song, " Too Funky ," features a clip of the Anne Bancroft lines, "I am not trying to seduce you... Would you like me to seduce you? Is that what you're trying to tell me?", as an intro of the song, and is repeated during the final crescendo. In conjunction with
1800-691: The project, saying "they read the book and hated it, and no one thought it was funny". He then contacted producer Joseph E. Levine , who said he would finance the film because he had associated with Nichols on the play The Knack , and because he heard Elizabeth Taylor specifically wanted Nichols to direct her and Richard Burton in Virginia Woolf . With financing assured, Nichols suggested Buck Henry for screenwriter, although Henry's experience had also been mostly in improvised comedy, and he had no writing background. Nichols said to Henry, "I think you could do it; I think you should do it." Nichols
1850-549: The role of Mrs. Robinson. Dustin Hoffman was cast as Liebkind in the Mel Brooks film The Producers (1967), but before filming began Hoffman begged Brooks to let him go to audition for The Graduate . When Dustin Hoffman auditioned for the role of Benjamin, he was just short of his 30th birthday at the time of filming. He was asked to perform a love scene with Ross, having previously never done one, and believed that, as he said later, "a girl like [Ross] would never go for
1900-461: The soundtrack, an unusual move at that time. According to a Variety article by Peter Bart in the May 15, 2005, issue, Lawrence Turman , his producer, then made a deal for Simon to write three new songs for the movie. By the time they had nearly finished editing the film, Simon had written only one new song. Nichols begged him for more, but Simon, who was touring constantly, told him he did not have
1950-417: The staff greet Benjamin as "Mr. Gladstone", Elaine deduces that Benjamin is having an affair. Benjamin admits to having an affair with a married woman whom he does not name. He tells Elaine the affair is over and asks to see her again. To prevent Benjamin from dating Elaine, Mrs. Robinson threatens to tell her about their affair. To thwart this, Benjamin tells Elaine that the married woman is her mother. Elaine
2000-689: The time. He did play a few notes of a new song he had been working on: "It's not for the movie... It's a song about times past — about Mrs. Roosevelt and Joe DiMaggio and stuff." Nichols advised Simon, "It's now about Mrs. Robinson , not Mrs. Roosevelt." The Graduate had a dual world premiere in New York City December 20, 1967, at the Coronet Theatre , and at the Lincoln Art Theatre on 57th Street. Its general release began on December 21, 1967. The Graduate
2050-512: The use of comedy film to make social statements by building their narratives around sensitive cultural, political or social issues. Such films include Dr Strangelove, or How I Learned to Love the Bomb , Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? and The Graduate . In America, the sexual revolution drove an appetite for comedies that celebrated and parodied changing social morals, including Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice and Fanny Hill . In Britain,
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2100-612: The wedding and leaves with Elaine is frequently parodied and referenced. TV show episodes that reference the scene include the Family Guy episode " When You Wish Upon a Weinstein ", The Simpsons episode " Lady Bouvier's Lover ", the Archer episode " Skin Game ", the New Girl episode " Elaine's Big Day ", and The Office episode " Two Weeks ". The scene was referenced in
2150-715: The wife of his father's law partner, asks him to drive her home. Once there, she tries to seduce him. At first he resists her advances but later changes his mind. He invites Mrs. Robinson to the Taft Hotel, where he registers under the surname "Gladstone". Benjamin spends the summer idly floating in his parents' swimming pool and meeting Mrs. Robinson at the hotel. During one of their trysts, Mrs. Robinson reveals that she and her husband married after she accidentally became pregnant with their daughter, Elaine. When Benjamin jokingly suggests that he date Elaine, Mrs. Robinson angrily forbids it. His parents and Mr. Robinson relentlessly pester Benjamin to ask Elaine out. He reluctantly takes her on
2200-414: Was L'Arroseur Arrosé (1895), directed and produced by film pioneer Louis Lumière . Less than a minute long, it shows a boy playing a prank on a gardener. The most notable comedy actors of the silent film era (1895–1927) were Charlie Chaplin , Harold Lloyd , and Buster Keaton , though they were able to make the transition into “ talkies ” after the 1920s. Film-makers in the 1960s skillfully employed
2250-422: Was later fired after a few days of rehearsals; he was replaced by Murray Hamilton. Hackman would later say being fired from the film still hurts him. Despite playing mother and daughter, Anne Bancroft and Katharine Ross were only eight years apart in age. Bancroft and Hoffman differed less than six. The quality of the cinematography was influenced by Nichols, who chose Oscar winner Robert Surtees to do
2300-415: Was offered more money, but declined again because he did not believe he could prepare for a screen test for the film overnight. "If they had given me three days to prepare, I think I would have gotten the role," he said. Harrison Ford also auditioned for the role of Benjamin Braddock but was turned down. Burt Ward was informally offered Hoffman's role, but was already committed to the role of Robin in
2350-656: Was paid $ 150,000, and was to receive one-sixth of the profits. Nichols' first choice for Mrs. Robinson was French actress Jeanne Moreau . The motivation for this was the cliché that in French culture, "older" women tended to "train" the younger men in sexual matters. Casting for the project was challenging. Doris Day turned down an offer because the nudity required by the role offended her. Shelley Winters , Ingrid Bergman , Eva Marie Saint , Ava Gardner , Patricia Neal , Susan Hayward , Deborah Kerr , Rita Hayworth , Lana Turner and Geraldine Page were also considered for
2400-417: Was played in sync with the action on the screen, on pianos, organs, and other instruments. When sound films became more prevalent during the 1920s, comedy films grew in popularity, as laughter could result from both burlesque situations but also from humorous dialogue . Comedy, compared with other film genres , places more focus on individual star actors, with many former stand-up comics transitioning to
2450-418: Was released on DVD by MGM Home Entertainment in 1999 and 2007. A Blu-ray release was first issued by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment in 2009 and later by StudioCanal in 2010. A 4K digital restoration of the film was released by The Criterion Collection in 2016. The Graduate was met with generally positive reviews from critics upon its release. A.D. Murphy of Variety and Roger Ebert of
2500-503: Was selected for preservation in the U.S. National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant", and placed #22 on the list of highest-grossing films in the United States and Canada , adjusted for inflation. The film is listed in 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die . The film appears on the following American Film Institute lists: Terry Johnson 's adaptation of
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