The Fountainhead

[Victor Pross]

The Fountainhead - Howard Roark Speech (Ayn Rand)

[BAMF]

Did you end up buying The Fountainhead DVD?

[Victor Pross]

Did you end up buying The Fountainhead DVD?

Not yet. But I have seen the movie.

[BAMF]

Buuuuy it. *brainwashes* :devil:

[C. Jordan]

Now I can agree: this was not Gary Cooper's finest moments as an actor. The speech could have used some more passion.

I assume the bald actor was playing Elsworth Toohey? He looks much the way I would have expected Toohey to look.

When I first read THE FOUNTAINHEAD, I tried to imagine what verdict I would give at the trial, assuming I knew nothing other than the evidence presented in court. While this clip missed the prosecution, I already know their case.

I would have only needed the last 30 seconds of the speech to decide. That Roark was defrauded, and had no other recourse than dynamiting, all I needed to hear. Ironically, Toohey provided precisely the evidence (the Roark-Keating contract) to prove the innocence of the man whom he hated.

The rest of the speech was true; it was also not the thing to present to a jury. Most Americans in my experience have no patience to listen to speeches. If they don't immediately understand the relevance, they cease paying attention to the speaker. Let me be clear: I'm not approving of this in any way. I am not saying this is the way people should behave; I am saying this is the way people do behave.

Howard Roark certainly chose wisely when he (acting as his attorney) selected the jury. He picked men more interested in hearing the facts than in the opinions of the district attorney.

[Chris Grieb]

The actor who played Tooney is Robert Douglas. I will have to look at IMDB to get more information but he was appearing in movies till the 70ths. He was never a leading man but did good supporting work throughout his career. I don't know if Cooper could do long speeches but he was Miss Rand's choice for the part.

[Danneskjold]

I never imagined Roark as one to use a lot of emotions. Rand's prime movers never did. This might be the reason that the speech was delivered in the way it was as well as the reason that Rand chose Cooper for the part.

On a side note, why is she refered to as "Miss Rand"?

[Laure]

I always pictured Roark as being more relaxed, less stiff, when giving the speech. Picture the line "I came here to say that I do not recognize anyone's right to one minute of my life." spoken in a calm, quiet, relaxed, matter-of-fact manner, without any anger. I would have liked it better that way, sort of a Zen-like Roark. I don't know if that's how Rand would have wanted it, though.

Why "Miss Rand"? She preferred to be addressed that way in life, and I think that among some who admired her, it has become a sort of respectful habit to continue referring to her in that way. I personally think "Rand" is appropriate for a deceased public figure, but I mean no disrespect in dropping the "Miss."

[Danneskjold]

Why was it that she preferred that?

[Chris Grieb]

During the time I knew people who saw her a regular basis she was refered to as Miss Rand. I once heard someone call her AR. Ayn Rand was her professional name and pen name. Charles Sures in his book said that when she went to stamp shows the badge she wore said Ayn Rand. She had cleaning women and cooks it would interesting to find if they called her Mrs O'Conner. I once heard someone refer to there going over to the O'Conner's to show them some paintings. I hope this clears it up. I think she was more well known as Ayn Rand.

Edited January 5, 2007 by Chris Grieb

[Laure]

Hmm, I don't know why she didn't go with Mrs. O'Connor, maybe because she wanted to use the name she had already picked out? Also, I think it was somewhat common for well-known females using their maiden names professionally to use the "Miss." From Wikipedia:

Miss was formerly the default title for a businesswoman, but it has largely been replaced by Ms. in this context. It was (and to some extent remains) also a default title for celebrities, such as actresses (Miss Helen Hayes, Miss Amelia Earhart).

[Danneskjold]

Ok, thanks.

[BAMF]

Right. I just found out that my boss (whose last name is Ives) is married to somebody whose last name is Brainard. I had previously thought that her husband's last name would have been Ives as well. They have only been married for 10 years or so, much shorter than Ives' career, so of course she did not change her last name when she married (for business).

Jeff (and everyone), if I remember correctly, Cooper said that if he could he would have redone his part and done it differently. Apparently, he did not understand as much about the philosophy, so did not play it quite as he would have had he better understood. That's just what I recall...don't quote me.

And what's up with Toohey's semi-british accent?

[Chris Grieb]

Robert Douglas was British. I suspect an English accent was considered more intellectual. Douglas's career lasted until the 1980ths. He does not seem to under contract to one studio but perhaps by the studios had reduced their contract players.

[BAMF]

Ahhh. I thought it was annoying...but I guess Toohey IS kind of annoying, huh?

[Chris Grieb]

I think it's for false sense of superiority which Tooey wanted to convey.

[John Dailey]

~ Clearly, much of all this re 'fave' movies and/or actors is really subjective ('reasons' given nwst), ie: nothing more than mere personal taste. Some 'bad' actings we can all agree on, fer sure. Most 'preferences', however, are in that 'grey' area of hard-to-get consensual agreement.

~ I found Cooper quite adequate in the role, Neal and Massey, very good...as they've always been (though Massey sometimes 'hammed' a bit, in other older movies when he was younger.)

~ But, if they e-v-e-r make a re-make of The Fountainhead, I really don't think anyone will out-do Robert Douglas' Toohey. He was par excellence as the penultimate 'snake-in-the-grass' (which he often played in earlier movies.) I'd say he and Massey probably most 'understood' what the whole script/story was about...even more than the obviously intelligent Neal.

LLAP

J:D

PS From MSK: This is a test to see if there is a problem as given here.

Edited January 7, 2007 by Michael Stuart Kelly

[Danneskjold]

If they made another Fountainhead movie, I think that Toohey should be played by the guy that play Lex Luthor in that Superman movie that just came out. On second thought he might be a little too funny.

[Brant Gaede]

Why do you guys think of Toohey?

--Brant

[Dragonfly]

Why do you guys think of Toohey?

Because we are no red-haired architects.

[Danneskjold]

Because when Wynand didn't think of Toohey, Toohey almost destroyed him. There was no reason for Roark to think of Toohey, there is reason for others to think of Toohey and those like him.

So what do you guys think? Luthor the next Toohey?

Edited January 7, 2007 by Jeff Kremer

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

I thought all British were villains...

Michael

[Chris Grieb]

Kevin Spacey is a very good actor and would make a good Tooney. There have been talk about a remake of The Fountainhead. The rights belong to Warner Brothers today because Ayn Rand sold them. It could be a real disaster.

[Danneskjold]

Who would you choose for Roark?

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

Who would you choose for Roark?

It is too late, but I imagined David Caruso in that role when I first saw him on NYPD Blue years ago. He is even a carrot top. As his career progressed, I began to dislike his form of acting.

Michael