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Context Trivia / TheFountainhead

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1!!Book
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3* DevelopmentHell: Various filmmakers have expressed interest in doing new adaptations, although none of these potential films has begun production. In the 1970s, Creator/{{Michael Cimino|Director}} wanted to film his own script for Creator/UnitedArtists. In 1992, producer James Hill optioned the rights and selected Phil Joanou to direct. In the 2000s, Creator/OliverStone was interested in directing a new adaptation; Creator/BradPitt was reportedly under consideration to play Roark. In a March 2016 interview, Creator/ZackSnyder also expressed interest in doing a new film adaptation.
4* SleeperHit: Rand had a devil of a time getting this book published. A reviewer at a publishing house fell in love with it and convinced his bosses to publish the book. They didn't do much advertising, and the book sold largely through word of mouth.
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6!!Film
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8* CreatorChosenCasting: Creator/GaryCooper was Creator/AynRand's personal choice for Howard Roark.
9* DawsonCasting: The 47 year old Creator/GaryCooper as the twenty-something Howard Roark.
10* DisownedAdaptation: Creator/AynRand didn't like the movie, even though the screenplay was almost completely done by her. She would go on to note that it was the best they all could do [[UsefulNotes/TheHaysCode under the constraints of the time.]]
11%%* ExecutiveMeddling: Largely {{subverted|Trope}}.
12* NoStuntDouble: Creator/PatriciaNeal said in an autobiography that the sudden unavailability of a stunt woman meant that she had to learn to ride a horse for the riding scenes, including the frenetic cross-country gallop to the quarry. Since she only needed to be seen close-up in the saddle during the brief angry confrontation with Roark and her character was only seen when actually riding in silhouette and in distance-shots, someone with real riding skills could have stood in for Neal at any time during production for this 'second unit' footage; there would have been no sense in risking injury to the star.
13* RomanceOnTheSet: Creator/GaryCooper and Creator/PatriciaNeal had an affair during filming.
14* SelfAdaptation: Creator/AynRand wrote the screenplay and had significant say in the creative process. Among other things, she absolutely insisted that Howard Roark's climactic monologue at the end of the film be reproduced from the novel in its entirety; it ended up being one of the longest monologues in cinematic history.
15* WhatCouldHaveBeen:
16** Creator/BarbaraStanwyck asked Jack L. Warner to buy the rights to the book for her. She was not told of the decision to cast Creator/PatriciaNeal in the role she coveted until she read about it in the Hollywood trade papers. This led to her leaving Creator/WarnerBros.
17** Creator/KingVidor wanted Creator/HumphreyBogart to play Howard Roark, while Rand wanted Creator/GaryCooper to play the part. Cooper was cast alongside Creator/LaurenBacall as Dominique Francon, but Bacall was replaced by Creator/PatriciaNeal. Creator/BetteDavis was also considered. Creator/JamesCagney and Creator/IdaLupino were also considered.
18** Creator/WarnerBros approached Frank Lloyd Wright (who had been the inspiration for Howard Roark), and asked him to submit some architectural designs to be used in the film. However, the studio balked when Wright requested his usual fee of $250,000, and decided instead to leave the designs to the film's art director, Edward Carrere.

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