Seduced by Mrs. Robinson: How "The Graduate" Became the Touchstone of a Generation

Inarguably one of the most influential films of the 1960s, The Graduate, which is based on the 1963 novella of the same name by Charles Webb, has a great backstory. Just in time for its 50th anniversary, this behind-the-scenes look at the modern classic by film historian and former story editor Gray (Roger Corman: Blood-Sucking Vampires, Flesh-Eating Cockroaches, and Driller Killers; Ron Howard: From Mayberry to the Moon…and Beyond) reveals an unlikely multicharacter marriage. A schlockmeister producer (Lawrence Turman), a young film director (Mike Nichols), a New York actor considered too short and homely to play a leading man (Dustin Hoffman), and an unsympathetic leading lady (Anne Bancroft) all combine to make movie history. Gray has plumbed film archives and interviews to reveal the story behind optioning the book, casting, and the intentions behind set and costume design. There is even scene-by-scene narration of the plot. Readers discover how this seemingly unprepossessing movie, adapted from a decidedly not best-selling novella, became one of the top-grossing films of its day, helping to articulate the frantic youth movement that defined 1960s culture and made stars of its actors.