Editing Network (1976 film) (section)

=== Casting ===
In his notes, Chayefsky jotted down his ideas about casting. For Howard Beale, who would eventually be played by [[Peter Finch]], he envisioned [[Henry Fonda]], [[Cary Grant]], [[James Stewart]] and [[Paul Newman]]. He went so far as to write Newman, telling him that "You and a very small handful of other actors are the only ones I can think of with the range for this part." Lumet wanted Fonda, with whom he had worked several times, but Fonda declined the role, finding it too "hysterical" for his taste. Stewart also found the script unsuitable, objecting to the strong language. Early consideration was given to real-life newscasters [[Walter Cronkite]] and [[John Chancellor]], but neither was open to the idea (both appear during the opening scene through stock footage). Although not mentioned in Chayefsky's notes, [[George C. Scott]], [[Glenn Ford]] and [[William Holden]] reportedly also turned down the opportunity to play Beale, with Holden instead playing Max Schumacher: For that role, Chayefsky had initially listed [[Walter Matthau]] and [[Gene Hackman]]. Ford was under consideration for this part as well, and he was said to be one of two final contenders. Holden finally got the edge because of his recent box-office success with ''[[The Towering Inferno]]''.<ref>[https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/342/network#articles-reviews Network]  TCM. Retrieved 8 November 2018.</ref>

Producers were wary that Finch, an Australian, would not be able to sound authentically American; they demanded an audition before his casting could be considered. A well-known actor, Finch reportedly responded, "Bugger pride. Put the script in the mail." Immediately excited by the role, he agreed to pay his own fare to New York for a screen test. He prepared for the audition by listening to broadcasts by American newscasters and reading the international editions of ''The New York Times'' and the ''Herald Tribune'' into a tape recorder, then listening to playbacks with a critical ear. Gottfried recalled that Finch "was nervous as hell at that first meeting over lunch and just like a kid auditioning. Once we'd heard him, Sidney Lumet, Paddy, and I were ecstatic because we knew it was a hell of a part to cast." Finch further convinced Lumet by playing him the tapes of his newspaper readings.<ref>{{cite book |first= Trader |last=Faulkner |year= 1979 |title= Peter Finch: A Biography |publisher=Angus & Robertson |isbn=9780207958311 }}</ref>

[[Faye Dunaway]] wanted [[Robert Mitchum]] to play Max Schumacher, but Lumet refused, believing that Mitchum was not sufficiently urbane.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://home.sprintmail.com/~sknolle/mitchum/not.html |title=Robert Mitchum: Not Starring ... |access-date=July 1, 2018 |archive-date=November 7, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107045353/http://home.sprintmail.com/~sknolle/mitchum/not.html |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite book | first=Faye| last=Dunaway | title=Looking for Gatsby | publisher=Pocket Books | year=1995| isbn=0-671-67526-5 }}</ref> For the role of Diana Christensen, Chayefsky thought of [[Candice Bergen]], [[Ellen Burstyn]], and [[Natalie Wood]], while the studio suggested [[Jane Fonda]], with alternate candidates [[Kay Lenz]], [[Diane Keaton]], [[Marsha Mason]] and [[Jill Clayburgh]]. Lumet wanted to cast [[Vanessa Redgrave]] in the film, but Chayefsky did not want her. Lumet argued that he thought she was the greatest English-speaking actress in the world, while Chayefsky, a proud Jew and [[Zionism|supporter of Israel]], objected on the basis of her support of the [[PLO]]. Lumet, also a Jew, said "Paddy, that's blacklisting!", to which Chayefsky replied, "Not when a Jew does it to a [[Gentile]]."<ref name="lumet">{{cite book |first=Sidney |last=Lumet |title=Making Movies |url=https://archive.org/details/makingmovies00lumerich |url-access=registration |publisher=Vintage |year=1995 |isbn=9780679756606 |author-link=Sidney Lumet}}</ref>

Dunaway was cast as Diana in September 1975. Lumet told her that he would edit any attempts on her part to make her character sympathetic and insisted on presenting her without any vulnerability. Lumet cast [[Robert Duvall]] as Frank Hackett. Duvall saw Hackett as a "vicious president [[Gerald Ford|Ford]]".<ref>{{cite book |first= John |last= Eastman |title=Retakes: Behind the Scenes of Classic Movies |publisher= Ballantine Books |year= 1989 |isbn=9780345353993 }}</ref> On Duvall, Lumet said: "What's fascinating about Duvall is how funny he is." [[Ned Beatty]] was cast as Arthur Jensen on the recommendation of director [[Robert Altman]] after the original actor failed to live up to Lumet's standards. Beatty had one night to prepare a four-page speech, and was finished after one day's shooting. [[Beatrice Straight]] played Louise Schumacher, Max's wife, on whom he cheats with Diana.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2t585TgSt30 |title=Part 2: Network (1976): Why The Acting Is So Good-Acting-CinemaTyler on YouTube |website=[[YouTube]] |date=March 8, 2018 |access-date=July 1, 2018 |archive-date=April 9, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180409055246/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2t585TgSt30&gl=US&hl=en |url-status=live }}</ref> Straight had won a [[Tony Award]] in 1953 for playing an anguished wife who is similarly cheated on in [[Arthur Miller]]'s ''[[The Crucible]]''.