Harold and Maude

This 1971 film is one of my favorites. It didn't attract much attention when it was released. I saw it at the Biograph theater in Richmond in 1974 and can't remember being so affected by a movie. Wow! The best use of music in any movie, ever!

Hal Ashby, Bud Cort and Ruth Gordon

One of the first movies directed by Hal Ashby. He was a superb film editor ("The Russians Are Coming!", "The Thomas Crown Affair", and "In the Heat of the Night" for which he won the Academy Award in 1968) But for some reason, his bio on imdb.com doesn't even mention "Harold and Maude".

Ruth Gordon was the oldest person ever to host Saturday Night Live. She was also a close friend of Natalie Wood and was godmother to Wood's daughter Natasha Gregson Wagner ("High Fidelity").

Ruth Gordon won the 1968 Academy Award for
Best Supporting Actress for "Rosemary's Baby"
In her acceptance speech, she said, "I can't tell
you how encouraging a thing like this is, for a
young actress like myself."

Bed-Head: Ruth Gordon in 1920.

"Don't be officious! You're not yourself when you're officious.
That is the curse of a government job."

Stealing a cop's motorcycle.

The screenplay was an original by Colin Higgins. He was gay and that may explain the very poignant "forbidden love" theme. He died of AIDS in 1988.