The Activist is a 1969 American drama film directed by Art Napoleon and written by Art Napoleon and Jo Napoleon. It depicts the conflicts of a college student who, after appearing on television news decrying the Vietnam War, is torn between engaging in further anti-war protests and settling for conventional happiness with his new girlfriend. The film stars Michael Smith, who had been an actual member of the Oakland Seven, an anti-war group involved in the planning of the 1967 Stop the Draft Week. Co-star Lesley Taplin also alternated between community activism and acting at the time of production.
The Activist | |
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![]() Theatrical release poster | |
Directed by | Art Napoleon |
Written by | Art Napoleon Jo Napoleon |
Produced by | Art Napoleon Jo Napoleon |
Starring | Michael Smith Lesley Taplin Tom Maier Brian Murphy |
Edited by | Michael Kahn Gilbert D. Marchant |
Production company | Jana Films |
Distributed by | Universal (as Regional Film Distributors) |
Release date |
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Running time | 87 minutes |
Land | Vereinigte Staaten |
Sprache | Englisch |
Also starring in the film are Tom Maier and Brian Murphy. Also, the parents of filmmaker Michael Ritchie, Benbow Ritchie and Patricia Ritchie, briefly appear as a suburban couple upset by the lead character when he appears in their neighborhood.
The film received an X rating due to a graphic (for the time) love scene between Smith and Taplin. It was released on December 10, 1969, by Universal Pictures' shadow company Regional Film Distributors, a division created to handle films either receiving an X rating or deemed to esoteric for the studio to be associated with.[1][2][3]
Cast
edit- Michael Smith as Mike Corbett
- Lesley Taplin (billed as Lesley Gilbrun) as Lee James
- Tom Maier as Prof. Peter Williams
- Brian Murphy as Member of Steering Committee
References
edit- ^ "The Activist (1969) - Overview". TCM.com. Retrieved 2017-11-14.
- ^ Dan Pavlides. "The Activist (1969) - Art Napoleon". AllMovie. Retrieved 2017-11-14.
- ^ "The Activist". Catalog.afi.com. Retrieved 2017-11-14.
External links
edit- The Activist at IMDb