Home / Harold and Maude

Harold and Maude

Year:

1971

Duration:

91 min

Genres:

Comedy | Romance

IMDB rate:

8.1

Director:

Hal Ashby

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 2 wins & 1 nomination

Details

Country: USA

Release Date: 1971-12-20

Filming Locations: San Francisco Trains State Belt #4 Restoration Site, Bayshore Blvd, Brisbane, California, USA

Cast

Actor

Character

Shari Summers

Ruth Gordon

Maude

Bud Cort

Harold

Vivian Pickles

Mrs. Chasen

Cyril Cusack

Glaucus

Charles Tyner

Uncle Victor

Ellen Geer

Sunshine Doré

Eric Christmas

Priest

G. Wood

Psychiatrist

Judy Engles

Candy Gulf

Tom Skerritt

Motorcycle Officer (as M. Borman)

Susan Madigan

Girlfriend

Ray K. Goman

Police Officer (as Ray Goman)

Gordon Devol

Police Officer (as Gordon DeVol)

Harvey Brumfield

Police Officer

Henry Dieckoff

Butler

Philip Schultz

Doctor

Sonia Sorel

Head Nurse (as Sonia Sorrell)

Margot Jones

Student Nurse

Barry Higgins

Intern

Hal Ashby

Bearded Man Watching Model Train (uncredited)

Michael L. Davis

Policeman (unconfirmed) (uncredited)

Marjorie Eaton

Madame Arouet (uncredited)

William Lucking

Policeman (uncredited)

Jerry Randall

(uncredited)

Cat Stevens

Man in Front of Maude at Funeral (unconfirmed) (uncredited)

Did you know?

Trivia

When considering the role of Harold, Bud Cort asked the opinion of director Robert Altman, his mentor. Altman cautioned that rising star Cort might find himself forever typecast. For this reason, Cort turned down the role of Billy Bibbit in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975).

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There is a deleted scene in which Maude paints smiles on the statues in the church. A still from this scene can be found on one of the original lobby cards, and it is described in detail in the book-adaptation. In the movie, the priest at the cemetery refers to this incident when he asks Maude, "Are you also the one who painted the saint?"

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Actors originally considered for the role of Harold Chasen include John Rubinstein, Bob Balaban, Daniel Fortus, Todd Susman, Elton John and John Neilson.

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Goofs

When Maude pulls the banjo out of a cabinet, you see the reflection of crew and lights.

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About 50 minutes into the film, when Maude is doing donuts around the officer, the driver-side window of the truck is alternately up/down between shots.

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Quotes

Maude: [gesturing to a sick tree growing through a sidewalk] Harold, we have *got* to do something about this life.

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Maude: Vice, Virtue. It's best not to be too moral. You cheat yourself out of too much *life.* Aim above morality. If you apply that to life, then you're bound to live life fully.

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Psychiatrist: That's very interesting, Harold, and I think, very illuminating. There seems to be a definite pattern emerging. And, of course, this pattern, once isolated, can be coped with. Recognize the problem, and you are halfway on the road to its, uh, its solution. Uh, tell me, Harold, what do you do for fun? What activity gives you a different sense of enjoyment from the others? Uh, what do you find fulfilling? What gives you that... special satisfaction?

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Faq

How much sex, violence, and profanity are in this movie?

For detailed information about the amounts and types of (a) sex and nudity, (b) violence and gore, (c) profanity, (d) alcohol, drugs, and smoking, and (e) frightening and intense scenes in this movie, consult the IMDb Parents Guide for this movie. The Parents Guide for Harold and Maude can be found here.

Is "Harold and Maude" based on a book?

No. Harold and Maude was based on an original screenplay written by producer Colin Higgins. The screenplay was subsequently novelized as Harold and Maude in 1971. Harold and Maude was also a play on Broadway, and the script for the play was published as Harold and Maude: A Play in Two Acts in 1983.

Why was Harold continually trying to commit suicide?

Technically, he wasn't trying to commit suicide...he was merely trying to stage it in a variety of ways, e.g., by hanging, by slaughter, by drowning, by a gunshot to the forehead, by setting himself on fire, etc. His goal was to get a reaction from his cold and preoccupied mother. As Harold tells Maude, the only time his mother ever showed any "loving emotion" towards him was the time she thought he had died. Thus, to get that reaction again, he staged suicides. However, as time wore on, even though the tricks got more elaborate, they lost their impact, and his mother just poohpoohed him off and went on talking.

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