Quiz Show (1994)

Director:

Robert Redford

Writers (WGA):

Paul Attanasio (screenplay)
Richard N. Goodwin (book)

Release Date:

14 September 1994 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History

Tagline:

Fifty million people watched, but no one saw a thing.

Plot:

Dick Goodwin discovers game shows are fixed: pretty boy WASP Charles Van Doren is fed answers so he beats geeky Jew Herbie Stempel.

Plot Keywords:

Columbia University | Television | Investigation | Fraud | 1950s

Awards:

Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 4 wins & 10 nominations

Cast

John Turturro	...	Herbie Stempel
Rob Morrow	...	Dick Goodwin
Ralph Fiennes	...	Charles Van Doren
Paul Scofield	...	Mark Van Doren
David Paymer	...	Dan Enright
Hank Azaria	...	Albert Freedman
Christopher McDonald	...	Jack Barry
Johann Carlo	...	Toby Stempel
Elizabeth Wilson	...	Dorothy Van Doren
Allan Rich	...	Robert Kintner
Mira Sorvino	...	Sandra Goodwin
George Martin	...	Chairman
Paul Guilfoyle	...	Lishman
Griffin Dunne	...	Account Guy
Michael Mantell	...	Pennebaker
Byron Jennings	...	Moomaw
Ben Shenkman	...	Childress
Timothy Busfield	...	Fred
Jack Gilpin	...	Jack
Bruce Altman	...	Gene
Martin Scorsese	...	Martin Rittenhome
Joseph Blaire	...	Lester Stempel (as Joda Hershman)
Ernie Sabella	...	Car Salesman
Barry Levinson	...	Dave Garroway
Debra Monk	...	Kintner's Secretary
Mario Cantone	...	Passerby
Timothy Britten Parker	...	Researcher
Grace Phillips	...	Mrs. Nearing
Jerry Grayson	...	Limo Driver
Scott Lucy	...	NBC Pages
Matt Keeslar	...	NBC Pages
Ron Scott Bertozzi	...	NBC Pages
Harriet Sansom Harris	...	Enright's Secretary
Mary Shultz	...	Freedman's Secretary
Dave Wilson	...	Director
Robert Caminiti	...	Associate Director
Eddie Korbich	...	Lighting Director
Le Clanché du Rand	...	Cornwall Neighbor
Carole Shelley	...	Cornwall Aunt
Shawn Batten	...	Cornwall Cousins
Cornelia Ryan	...	Cornwall Cousins
Jeffrey Nordling	...	John Van Doren
Gina Rice	...	Mrs. John Van Doren
Vince O'Brien	...	Bunny Wilson
Adam Kilgour	...	Thomas Merton, The Monk
Richard Seff	...	Congressman Devine
Bill Moor	...	Congressman Rogers
Nicholas Kepros	...	Congressman Flynt
Barry Snider	...	Congressman Springer
Chuck Adamson	...	Congressman Mack
Joseph Attanasio	...	Congressman Derounian
Dan Wakefield	...	Professors at Book Party
Hamilton Fish	...	Professors at Book Party
Merwin Goldsmith	...	Writer at Book Party
Illeana Douglas	...	Woman at Book Party
Gretchen Egolf	...	Student at Book Party
Stephen Pearlman	...	Judge Schweitzer
Anthony Fusco	...	Librarian
Douglas McGrath	...	Snodgrass
Calista Flockhart	...	Barnard Girls
Alysa Shwedel	...	Barnard Girls
Kelly Coffield Park	...	Queens Neighbors (as Kelly Coffield)
Dede Pochos	...	Queens Neighbors
Maria Radman	...	Queens Neighbors
David Stepkin	...	Queens Neighbors
Steve Roland	...	Today Announcer
Bernie Sheredy	...	Reporters
Joe Lisi	...	Reporters
Greg Martin	...	Reporters
Reno	...	Woman at Door
Neil Leifer	...	Psychoanalyst
Caryn Krooth	...	Blonde
Mario Contacessi	...	Waiter
Patricia Geri Russell	...	NBC Secretary (as Pat Russell)
Bill Cwikowski	...	Challenger
William Fichtner	...	Stage Manager
Vincent J. Burns	...	Crew Member
Katherine Borowitz	...	#1 Mom (as Katherine Turturro)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ray Abbott	...	Photographer (uncredited)
John D. Bair	...	Grad Student (uncredited)
Ted Brunson	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Michael J. Burg	...	Student (uncredited)
Michael Cline	...	Senator (uncredited)
Richard Council	...	Reporter #1 (uncredited)
Brian Gildea	...	Student (uncredited)
Matthew T. Gitkin	...	NBC Staff (uncredited)
Jerry Griffin	...	Doorman (uncredited)
David Hausen	...	Camera Operator (uncredited)
Ethan Hawke	...	Don Quixote Student (uncredited)
Michael Luceri	...	Student (uncredited)
Owen Lund	...	Technical Director (uncredited)
Ron Ostrow	...	Photographer (uncredited)
John Ponzio	...	NBC Page (uncredited)
James Prendergast	...	Lawyer (uncredited)
Steve Ryan	...	Nbc employee (uncredited)
Jonathan Marc Sherman	...	Don Quixote Student #2 (uncredited)
Nick Taylor	...	Herbie's Neighbor (uncredited)
Glenn Zarr	...	Press Photographer (uncredited)

Directed by
Robert Redford

Writing credits (WGA)
Paul Attanasio		(screenplay)
Richard N. Goodwin		(book "Remembering America: A Voice From the Sixties")

Produced by
Richard Dreyfuss	....	executive producer
Richard N. Goodwin	....	co-producer
Michael Jacobs	....	producer
Judith James	....	executive producer
Julian Krainin	....	producer
Jeff McCracken	....	co-producer
Susan Moore	....	associate producer
Gail Mutrux	....	co-producer
Michael Nozik	....	producer
Robert Redford	....	producer
Frederick Zollo	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Mark Isham

Cinematography by
Michael Ballhaus

Film Editing by
Stu Linder

Casting by
Bonnie Timmermann

Production Design by
Jon Hutman

Art Direction by
Tim Galvin

Set Decoration by
Samara Schaffer

Costume Design by
Kathy O'Rear

Makeup Department
Kymbra Callaghan	....	additional makeup artist
Angel De Angelis	....	additional hair stylist (as Angelina De Angelis)
Sharon Ilson	....	key makeup artist
Bernadette Mazur	....	additional makeup artist
Francesca Paris	....	additional hair stylist
Bunny Parker	....	key hair stylist (as Bunny Parker-Adamson)
Linda Lazar	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Gabriella Pollino	....	hair stylist (uncredited)

Production Management
Lydia Dean Pilcher	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Joe Burns	....	second assistant director (as Joseph Burns)
Stuart Feldman	....	dga trainee
Susan E. Fiore	....	second second assistant director
Joseph P. Reidy	....	first assistant director (as Joseph Reidy)

Art Department
Troy R. Adee	....	set dresser
Tommy Allen	....	property master
Dimitri Apletchef	....	assistant property master
Jeff Balsmeyer	....	storyboard artist
Joe Bird	....	set dresser (as Joseph L. Bird)
Jeff Brink	....	set dresser (as Jeffrey S. Brink)
Conrad V. Brink Jr.	....	set dresser (as Conrad Brink)
Ed Check	....	assistant art director
Diane D'Addio	....	assistant set decorator
Tony Fanning	....	assistant art director
Gilbert Gertsen	....	set dresser (as Gilbert H. Gertsen)
Gordon Gertsen	....	set dresser (as Gordon H. Gertsen)
Donna Hamilton	....	assistant set decorator (as Donna F. Hamilton)
Sandy Hamilton	....	assistant property master
Brent Haywood	....	carpenter foreman
Mark Horstmann	....	carpenter foreman
Kalina Ivanov	....	storyboard artist
Gary Levitsky	....	set dresser
Kevin McCarthy	....	lead man (as Kevin B. McCarthy)
Matthew McCarthy	....	set dresser
Ken Nelson	....	construction coordinator (as Kenneth D. Nelson)
John Oates Jr.	....	set dresser
Charlotte Palmer-lane	....	design assistant
Joseph Proscia	....	set dresser (as Joseph F. Proscia)
Miriam Schapiro	....	art department coordinator
Bob Shaw	....	assistant art director (as Robert K. Shaw Jr.)
Robert Topol	....	master scenic artist
M. Tony Trotta	....	camera scenic artist
Paul Wardwell	....	key construction grip
Alyssa Winter	....	assistant set decorator
John Merrick	....	construction grip (uncredited)
Silvija L. Moess	....	scenic artist (uncredited)
Mary Prlain	....	assistant set decorator (uncredited)

Sound Department
Sandina Bailo-Lape	....	foley editor
Tom Barwick	....	foley artist
Sara Bolder	....	dialogue editor
Christopher Boyes	....	assistant sound designer (as Chris Boyes)
Tony Eckert	....	foley mixer
Andre Fenley	....	assistant sound editor
Ken Fischer	....	sound effects editor
Rob Fruchtman	....	adr editor
J.R. Grubbs	....	assistant sound editor
Joel Holland	....	sound recordist
Richard Hymns	....	supervising sound editor
Donna Jaffe	....	assistant sound editor
Tom Johnson	....	sound re-recording mixer
Tod A. Maitland	....	sound mixer
David Platt	....	boom operator
Kevin Rose-Williams	....	assistant sound editor
Gary Rydstrom	....	sound designer
Gary Rydstrom	....	sound re-recording mixer
Susan Sanford	....	assistant sound editor
Michael Silvers	....	dialogue editor
Karen Tenkhoff	....	assistant sound editor
Dennie Thorpe	....	foley artist
John Countryman	....	sound re-recordist (uncredited)
Sean England	....	machine room operator (uncredited)
Matthew Wood	....	assistant sound editor (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Bruce Atwater	....	grip
Florian Ballhaus	....	camera operator
Jerry DeBlau	....	gaffer
Michael Finnerty	....	rigging grip
Brian Fitzsimons	....	best boy
Kenneth Fundus	....	rigging grip
Dennis Gamiello	....	dolly grip
Dennis Gamiello	....	key grip
John Lowry	....	grip
Bobby Mancuso	....	second assistant camera
Anastas N. Michos	....	Steadicam operator
Anastas N. Michos	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Arthur Moshlak	....	electrician
Fred Muller	....	electrician
Heather Norton	....	camera trainee
Wayne Paull	....	camera operator: video camera
Louis Petraglia	....	electrician
Peter John Petraglia	....	best boy
Ronald Plant	....	rigging grip
Lance Shepherd	....	electrician
Susan Starr	....	first assistant camera
Bobby Vercruse	....	electrician
Barry Wetcher	....	still photographer
Rick Whitfield	....	video supervisor
Dick Fisher	....	camera operator: video camera (uncredited)
David Hausen	....	additional camera operator (uncredited)
Allen Stillman	....	light board operator (uncredited)

Casting Department
Karen E. Etcoff	....	extras casting
Barbara Harris	....	voice casting
Patricia Kerrigan DiCerto	....	casting assistant
Alison E. McBryde	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Michael Adkins	....	assistant wardrobe supervisor
Dan Bronson	....	assistant costume designer
Paul Buboltz	....	wardrobe supervisor
Danajean Cicerchi	....	assistant wardrobe supervisor
Patricia Eiben	....	wardrobe supervisor
Mary Gierczak	....	wardrobe assistant (as Mary C-Gierczak)
Barrett Hong	....	wardrobe assistant
Beulah Jones-Black	....	assistant costume designer
Lisa Padovani	....	assistant to costume designer
Haleen K. Holt	....	costume illustrator (uncredited)
Valerie Laven-Cooper	....	costumer (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Blair Daily	....	associate editor
Mark Daily	....	assistant editor
Dale E. Grahn	....	color timer
Abraham Park	....	post-production assistant (uncredited)

Music Department
Sandy DeCrescent	....	music contractor
Dell Hake	....	additional orchestrator
Mark Isham	....	musician: trumpet solos
Stephen Krause	....	score mixer (as Steve Krause)
Ken Kugler	....	conductor
Ken Kugler	....	orchestrator
Craig Pettigrew	....	music editor
Katherine Quittner	....	music supervisor
Kim Scharnberg	....	additional orchestrator
Todd Homme	....	music producer (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Timothy Shannon	....	transportation co-captain
James Patrick Whalen Jr.	....	transportation captain
Bobby Marsh	....	driver (uncredited)

Other crew
Alison Armstrong	....	production assistant
Jeffrey T. Barabe	....	set production assistant (as Jeffrey Barabe)
Laura Berning	....	location assistant (as Laura J. Berning)
Ron Scott Bertozzi	....	production assistant
Maria T. Bierniak	....	assistant location manager
Jessica Bradford	....	production assistant
Susan Bradley	....	title designer
Donnaldson Brown	....	assistant: Mr. Nozik
Elizabeth Collins	....	assistant accountant
John Crowder	....	location coordinator: Washington D.C. (as John A. Crowder Jr.)
Shirley Davis	....	office production assistant
David DeClerque	....	location manager
Michael Demers	....	craft service
Deborah Devgan	....	office production assistant
Lou DiGiaimo Jr.	....	office production assistant
Amy DiPrima	....	production assistant
Anne Disano	....	production assistant
Lynn D. Ezelle	....	post-production accountant
Kerin Ferallo	....	production assistant
Rebecca L. Feuer	....	production assistant
Daniel Freeman	....	technical advisor
Danny Glicker	....	production assistant (as Daniel Glicker)
Scott Gottesman	....	production assistant
Amy Herman	....	location manager
Ellen M. Hillers	....	production coordinator
Shelley Houis	....	production coordinator
Andrea Isaacs	....	assistant accountant
Donna Kail	....	assistant: Mr. Redford
Mark Kamine	....	location assistant
Steve Kardell	....	production assistant
Lara Kelly	....	shop manager
R. Michael King	....	craft service
Caryn Krooth	....	set production assistant
Ilene S. Landress	....	production accountant
Sandra Leoncavallo	....	assistant: Ms. Mutrux
Ann-Louise Lipman	....	production assistant
Maria Alaina Mason	....	production assistant
Mary Kate McCormick	....	production assistant
Ron Mitchell	....	production assistant
Tim Monich	....	dialect coach
Carlos Moore	....	assistant location manager
Ric Morelli	....	set production assistant
Sheila Paige	....	script supervisor
Dawn Murphy Riley	....	assistant production coordinator
Marsha Robertson	....	unit publicist
Meika Rouda	....	production assistant
Shea Rowan	....	set production assistant
Bob Rubin	....	technical advisor
Alex Ruttenberg	....	production assistant
Cornelia Ryan	....	assistant: Mr. Redford
Alysa Shwedel	....	assistant production coordinator
Jane Silberstein	....	production assistant
Susan Sloan	....	set nurse
Lois Smith	....	public relations
Bryan Thomas	....	location assistant
Judy Thomason	....	assistant: Mr. Nozik
Jennifer Truelove	....	office production assistant
Thomas M. Tucker	....	location assistant
Tom Tumminello	....	location assistant
Melissa Unger	....	set production assistant
Amanda Weisenthal	....	office production assistant
Douglas Busby	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Kyle Cooper	....	title designer: end titles (uncredited)
Amanda Herman	....	location assistant (uncredited)
Diane Modafferi	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Eli Roth	....	assistant: Fed Zollo (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Baltimore Pictures
• Hollywood Pictures
• Wildwood Enterprises

Distributors

• Buena Vista Pictures (1994) (USA) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1997) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Buena Vista International (Sweden) (1995) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Abril Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Gativideo (Argentina) (video)
• Gaumont Buena Vista International (GBVI) (France)
• Laurenfilm (Spain)

Other Companies

• Buena Vista Imaging  main title opticals
• Buena Vista Negative Cutting  negative cutting
• Hollywood Records  soundtrack
• Howard A. Anderson Company  optical effects
• Movie Movers  star trailers
• PMK Public Relations  publicity
• Pacific Title and Art Studio  end title opticals
• R/Greenberg Associates  titles
• Skywalker Sound  post-production sound services

Runtime:

133 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

USA:PG-13 (certificate no. 32957) | Netherlands:AL | Iceland:L | South Korea:15 | Philippines:PG-13 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Finland:S | Germany:6 (w) | Singapore:PG | Spain:T | Sweden:Btl | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Bronx, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Baltimore Pictures

Trivia:

Before filming began, Ralph Fiennes wanted to speak with Charles Van Doren in person to get his accent down for the role. However, the feeling was that Charles Van Doren would not want to help with the film at all. So Ralph Fiennes and one of the film's staff drove to the town in rural Connecticut where Charles Van Doren lives. They found Charles Van Doren sitting on a chair outside his house, and Ralph Fiennes pretended to be a lost driver and asked him for directions.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: A theatre marquee advertises La dolce vita (1960).

Quotes:

Announcer: Geritol. America's #1 tonic. Geritol, the fast-acting, high-potentcy tonic, that helps you feel... stronger... fast... presents the exciting quiz program...”Twenty-One." Brought to you by NBC, The National Broadcasting Company, broadcasting nationally coast to coast, from New York to Los Angeles, from Seattle to St. Petersburg... via a vast network of affiliates crisscrossing the country. Coming up next, "Twenty-One," starring master of ceremonies Jack Barry!
[music cues build dramatically]
Announcer: Two players racing to score 21 points... each in a soundproof television studio, not knowing the other one's score... with $500 riding on each point... as they both play...”Twenty-One!"
[lively theme music plays]
Announcer: And here's your host... Jack Barry!
[the audience applauds as Jack runs on to the stage and stands behind his podium]
Jack Barry: [looking at us] Good evening. I'm Jack Barry. Due to a series of ties, Herbert Stempel, our 29-year-old ex-G.I. college student, must play at $3,000 a point, which means that in a few brief minutes, he can either win as much as $100,000 - the most money won on television to date - or lose everything he's won in the last eight weeks.
[as Jack continues to speak, Herbert and his opponent wait to be introduced]
Stempel's opponent: You nervous?
Herbie Stemple: [chuckles as he clean's his glasses] It's only money.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Dialogue: An Interview with Screenwriter Paul Attanasio (2007) (V)

Soundtrack:

DANCING IN THE DARK

Polished and professional drama

The ratings of 1950's quiz show `21' are in freefall due to the dominance of dorky Jew Herbie Stempel. The sponsors and network owners put pressure o the producers to replace him. When WASP Charles Van Doren comes to audition for another show they offer to ask him the questions that he already answered at the practice. Herbie is told to take a dive and Van Doren becomes an audience draw. However when Herbie starts making noise about a fix, a congress employee, Dick Goodwin, decides to go after the network.

This is a glossy, professional piece of work that sadly was never as huge as hit as it deserved to be (probably not enough explosions for the US audience). The story is based on a true story that happened in the 50's and it's used here partly as a bit of history but also as a look at television in terms of it's most basic desire to sell and entertain at any costs – if that means fixing shows or getting the `right' ethnic groups on screen then s be it. It is effective on that level because it's hard to imagine anything has changed since 1950. The actual human drama comes between Van Doren and Stempel – the film makes them both real people, neither good nor bad but having a bit of both.

Turturro is the best thing in this film. His Herbie has so many levels which he must touch throughout and he does them all well – whether it's humour, pride, anger or realisation. Fiennes is good but at times I did find it hard to be sympathetic with a WASP born into a lofty family who gets more given to him. That said Fiennes did him well. Morrow was a strange choice – famous at the time for Northern Exposure, he does a weird performance here – almost doing an impression of what he thinks a tough Noo Yark investigator would be like. The supporting cast is filled out with quality so deep that even the extras are famous now! (Calista Flockhart turns up briefly). David Palmer and Hank Azaria are good as 21's producers, Christopher Mcdonald is good as the host – people like Griffin Dunne, Mira Sorvino, Timothy Busefield and Barry Levinson come and go, and Martin Scorsese has a wicked role as the money behind the scandal.

It works on many levels – at it's most basic it is a true story of great interest, at best it lets you see how television works and how men with money can rarely be reached for any wrong doing. Working on so many levels this is a polished professional drama that involves from start to finish.