The Fountainhead

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The Fountainhead

1949,

1h 54m,

Drama

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80%

15 Reviews

Tomatometer

74%

2,500+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

80%

Tomatometer

15 Reviews

74%

Popcornmeter

2,500+ Ratings

Unconventional and arrogant architect Howard Roark (Gary Cooper) sees himself as misunderstood, having been openly criticized by writer Ellsworth Toohey (Robert Douglas). Taking a job at a quarry in lieu of compromising his vision, Roark becomes involved with rich, married socialite Dominique Francon (Patricia Neal). As he struggles to preserve his ideals and projects while competing for the heart of a married woman, Roark's reactions become increasingly complex and dramatic.

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Nell Minow

Movie Mom

Jul 26, 2003

4/5

Potboiler of potboilers.

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Bernardo Rondeau

Screen Slate

Jul 27, 2026

Rand's "fool visionary" plows onward with unwavering egotism and is rewarded by literally ending up above it all.

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Yasser Medina

Cinefilia

Feb 5, 2025

6/10

A melodrama that Vidor builds on architectural spaces that have a certain sophistication, but its modern approach lacks emotion, and the narrative often trivializes its discourse on power, individual and the virtue of selfishness. [Full review in Spanish]

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Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

Nov 8, 2024

8/10

It’s intoxicating and extreme in its focus and perspective (running a touch overlong as it reiterates its themes a few too many times) – and highly compelling (even if the conclusion is tidier than anticipated).

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Nick Davis

Nick's Flick Picks

Jan 20, 2012

B

The Fountainhead is by turns exciting, handsome, astoundingly awkward, fully committed, untowardly relentless, very strange, and a little creepy in its compulsive watchability.

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Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Jul 15, 2009

B+

King Vidor's melodrama about individualism and creativity works better as cinema than as literature (it's based on Rand's novel).

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Feb 1, 2019

The best romance movie ever made!

Hermione R

Jan 26, 2019

As relevant today as then.

Leia P

Jul 15, 2018

Movie is faithful to the book since Ayn Rand wrote the screenplay. Deserves 10 for content. The miscasting of Gary Cooper, Patricia Neal, and Raymond Massey prevented it from being the great movie it deserved to be.

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King Vidor

Director

Gary Cooper

Howard Roark

Patricia Neal

Dominique Francon

Raymond Massey

Gail Wynand

Kent Smith

Peter Keating

Robert Douglas

Ellsworth Toohey

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Synopsis

Unconventional and arrogant architect Howard Roark (Gary Cooper) sees himself as misunderstood, having been openly criticized by writer Ellsworth Toohey (Robert Douglas). Taking a job at a quarry in lieu of compromising his vision, Roark becomes involved with rich, married socialite Dominique Francon (Patricia Neal). As he struggles to preserve his ideals and projects while competing for the heart of a married woman, Roark's reactions become increasingly complex and dramatic.

Director: King Vidor
Producer: Henry Blanke
Screenwriter: Ayn Rand, Ayn Rand
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co: Warner Brothers, First National Pictures
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 2, 1949, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 21, 2016
Runtime: 1h 54m
Sound Mix: Mono
Aspect Ratio: 35mm

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