Quiz Show
A determined young contestant fights to prove the beloved quiz show he’s winning is a sham, risking his newfound fame and freedom as powerful producers and a nation’s illusion threaten to silence him.
“Fifty million people watched but no one saw a thing.”
Synopsis
Herbert Stempel's rise to unexpected television fame occurs when he wins the popular American game show *Twenty-One*. However, when the show introduces the highly skilled contestant Charles Van Doren as Stempel's replacement, it prompts Stempel to express his frustrations and accuse the show of being rigged. Lawyer Richard Goodwin becomes involved and attempts to expose the manipulation taking place behind the scenes.
Credits
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How many hands made this film
The scale of the collaboration
A crew of 254+ credited
Why a floor?
This is a minimum, not a total. We only count the credits we’ve captured so far, and coverage is uneven — a blockbuster might show a few hundred names while another of the same size shows a couple dozen. The real crews all ran into the thousands. The number here only grows as full credits are enriched — so we frame it as a floor, never a headcount.
Craft leads on file
Edited by Stu LinderShot by Michael BallhausScored by Mark IshamDesigned by Jon HutmanSound by Christopher BoyesCostumes by Kathy O Rear
Box Office
1994 · Box office
📉 Underperformed — grossed 0.8× its budget
Why 2.5×?
Cinemas keep roughly half of every ticket sold, and a wide release’s marketing often costs about as much again as the film — so a movie needs to gross around 2.5× its production budget just to break even theatrically. It’s a rule of thumb, not the studio’s ledger (home video and streaming come later).
Worldwide gross
$24.8M
Opening weekend: $758K — 3% of its US run. It had legs — it kept earning long after opening weekend.
Opening week (7-day): $1.2M — 5% of its US & Canada run.
Peak 27 theaters
Also known as
- Quiz Show - Der Skandalde
- (Bulgarian)Телевизионно състезание
Release dates around the world3 countries · showhide
- United StatesAug 30, 1994
- CanadaSep 23, 1994
- AustraliaDec 29, 1994
Companies
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Cast & Crew
254 unique people credited
Top billed cast
Ralph Fiennes
as Charles Van Doren
John Turturro
as Herbie Stempel
Rob Morrow
as Dick Goodwin
Paul Scofield
as Mark Van Doren
David Paymer
as Dan Enright
Hank Azaria
as Albert Freedman
Christopher Mcdonald
as Jack Barry
Johann Carlo
as Toby Stempel
Elizabeth Wilson
as Dorothy Van Doren
Allan Rich
as Robert Kintner
Mira Sorvino
as Sandra Goodwin
George Martin
as Chairman Harris
Supporting cast
94Paul Guilfoyle
as Lishman
Griffin Dunne
as Account Guy
Michael Mantell
as Pennebaker
Byron Jennings
as Moomaw
Ben Shenkman
as Childress
Timothy Busfield
as Fred
Jack Gilpin
as Jack
Bruce Altman
as Gene
Martin Scorsese
as Martin Rittenhome
Joseph Blaire
as Lester Stempel
Ernie Sabella
as Car Salesman
Barry Levinson
as Dave Garroway
Debra Monk
as Kintner's Secretary
Mario Cantone
as Passerby
Timothy Britten Parker
as Researcher
Grace Phillips
as Mrs. Nearing
Jerry Grayson
as Limo Driver
Scott Lucy
as NBC Page
Matt Keeslar
as NBC Page
Ron Scott Bertozzi
as NBC Page
Harriet Sansom Harris
as Enright's Secretary
Mary Shultz
as Freedman's Secretary
Dave Wilson
as Director
Robert Caminiti
as Associate Director
Eddie Korbich
as Lighting Director
Le Clanche Du Rand
as Cornwall Neighbor
Carole Shelley
as Cornwall Aunt
Shawn Batten
as Cornwall Cousin
Cornelia Ryan
as Cornwall Cousin
Jeffrey Nordling
as John Van Doren
Gina Rice
as Mrs. John Van Doren
Vince O Brien
as Bunny Wilson
Adam Kilgour
as Thomas Merton - The Monk
Richard Seff
as Congressman Devine
Bill Moor
as Congressman Rogers
Nicholas Kepros
as Congressman Flynt
Barry Snider
as Congressman Springer
Chuck Adamson
as Congressman Mack
Joseph Attanasio
as Congressman Derounian
Dan Wakefield
as Professors at Book Party
Hamilton Fish
as Professor at Book Party
Merwin Goldsmith
as Writer at Book Party
Illeana Douglas
as Woman at Book Party
Gretchen Egolf
as Student at Book Party
Stephen Pearlman
as Judge Schweitzer
Anthony Fusco
as Librarian
Douglas Mcgrath
as Snodgrass
Calista Flockhart
as Barnard Girls
Alysa Shwedel
as Barnard Girls
Kelly Coffield Park
as Queens Neighbor
Dede Pochos
as Queens Neighbor
Maria Radman
as Queens Neighbor
David Stepkin
as Queens Neighbor
Steve Roland
as Today Announcer
Bernie Sheredy
as Reporter
Joe Lisi
as Reporter
Greg Martin
as Reporter
Reno
as Woman at Door
Neil Leifer
as Psychoanalyst
Caryn Krooth
as Blonde
Mario Contacessi
as Waiter
Patricia Geri Russell
as NBC Secretary
Bill Cwikowski
as Challenger
William Fichtner
as Stage Manager
Vince Burns
as Crew Member
Katherine Borowitz
as #1 Mom
Ray Abbott
as Photographer
John D Bair
as Grad Student
Ted Brunson
as Reporter
Michael J Burg
as Student
Thomas Callahan
as Press Photographer
Susan Janet Cooper
as Susan - Pete's Wife
Richard Council
as Reporter #1
Toni Downey
as Secretary
Matthew T Gitkin
as NBC Staff
Jerry Griffin
as Doorman
Ethan Hawke
as Don Quixote Student
Christopher King
as Congressional Hearing Reporter
Stas Kmiec
as Man in Glasses
Michael Luceri
as Student
Owen Lund
as Technical Director
Gerald Mccullouch
as Busboy
Ilene Morris
as Student
Peter Morse
as Student
Ron Ostrow
as Photographer
John Ponzio
as NBC Page
James Prendergast
as Lawyer
Paul Vincent Rapisarda
as Courtroom Attendee
Skip Rose
as Reporter
Steve Ryan
as NBC Employee
Jonathan Marc Sherman
as Don Quixote Student #2
Nick Taylor
as Herbie's Neighbor
Billy Marshall Thompson
as Student
Glenn Zarr
as Press Photographer
Directors
1Writers
3Producers
11Frederick Zollo
executive producer
Gail Mutrux
co-producer
Jeff Mccracken
co-producer
Judith James
executive producer
Julian Krainin
Producer, Producers
Michael Jacobs
Producer, Producers
Michael Nozik
Producer, Producers
Richard Dreyfuss
executive producer
Richard N Goodwin
co-producer
Robert Redford
Producer
Susan Moore
associate producer
Other crew
139Francesca Paris
additional hair stylist
Angel De Angelis
additional hair stylist (as Angelina De Angelis)
Bernadette Mazur
additional makeup artist
Kymbra Callaghan
additional makeup artist
Dell Hake
additional orchestrator
Kim Scharnberg
additional orchestrator
Rob Fruchtman
adr editor
Stefano Mondini
Albert Freedman
Tim Galvin
Art Director
Samara Hutman
as Samara Schaffer
Andrea Isaacs
assistant accountant
Elizabeth Collins
assistant accountant
Parents Guide
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