Sunday Screening

Knowledge Towers is currently screening a Sunday night showing of 'The Graduate' (courtesy of ITV3, in a rare break between episodes of Midsomer Murders and Never The Twain). I didn't want to watch it but am currently enthralled, particularly with the similarities between Benjamin and myself (intense social awkwardness, post-studying disillusionment, and of course the frisson with a glamorous older woman) so here's a quick Graduate-based fact:

Robert Redford screen-tested for Dustin Hoffmann's role in The Graduate, but was turned down as he wasn't awkward enough.

Apparently the director, Mike Nichols, when confronted by Redford over his decision, asked him if he'd ever "struck out" with a girl. Redford replied "what do you mean?". Nichols then claimed that this proved his point entirely. Dustin Hoffmann hadn't ever been in a major film before, but has so far been brilliant (let's hope there's no song-and-dance numbers in the last hour). I wish modern films would cast the right people for the part, instead of going for wholly inappropriate famous faces. Anyway, back to the film...