Network

Television will never be the same.

When veteran anchorman Howard Beale is forced to retire his 25-year post because of his age, he announces to viewers that he will kill himself during his farewell broadcast. Network executives rethink their decision when his fanatical tirade results in a spike in ratings.

Drama

Faye Dunaway

(Diana Christensen)

William Holden

(Max Schumacher)

Peter Finch

(Howard Beale)

Robert Duvall

(Frank Hackett)

Ned Beatty

(Arthur Jensen)

Beatrice Straight

(Louise Schumacher)

Wesley Addy

(Nelson Chaney)

Arthur Burghardt

(Great Ahmed Kahn)

Bill Burrows

(TV Director)

John Carpenter

(George Bosch)

Jordan Charney

(Harry Hunter)

Kathy Cronkite

(Mary Ann Gifford)

Ed Crowley

(Joe Donnelly)

Jerome Dempsey

(Walter C. Amundsen)

Conchata Ferrell

(Barbara Schlesinger)

Gene Gross

(Milton K. Steinman)

Stanley Grover

(Jack Snowden)

Cindy Grover

(Caroline Schumacher)

Darryl Hickman

(Bill Herron)

Mitchell Jason

(Arthur Zangwill)

Paul Jenkins

(TV Stage Manager)

Ken Kercheval

(Merrill Grant)

Kenneth Kimmins

(Associate Producer)

Lynn Klugman

(TV Production Assistant)

Carolyn Krigbaum

(Max's Secretary)

Zane Lasky

(Audio Man)

Michael Lipton

(Tommy Pellegrino)

Michael Lombard

(Willie Stein)

Pirie MacDonald

(Herb Thackeray)

Russ Petranto

(TV Associate Director)

Bernard Pollock

(Lou)

Roy Poole

(Sam Haywood)

William Prince

(Edward George Ruddy)

Sasha von Scherler

(Helen Miggs)

Lane Smith

(Robert McDonough)

Ted Sorel

(Giannini)

Fred Stuthman

(Mosaic Figure)

Cameron Thomas

(TV Technical Director)

Marlene Warfield

(Laureen Hobbs)

Lydia Wilen

(Hunter's Secretary)

Lee Richardson

(Narrator (voice))

Lance Henriksen

(Network Lawyer at Khan's Place (uncredited))

Robert P. Cohen

(Window Person (uncredited))

Andrew Duncan

(Agent (uncredited))

Todd Everett

(Reporter (uncredited))

John Gabriel

(TV Anchor Reporting Beale's Suicide Threat (uncredited))

Raymond Martino

(Window Person (uncredited))

John Pashley

(Cameraman (uncredited))

Michael Tucker

(Man at Desk (uncredited))

John Chancellor

(Self (archive footage) (uncredited))

Walter Cronkite

(Self (archive footage) (uncredited))

Betty Ford

(Self (archive footage) (uncredited))

Gerald Ford

(Self (archive footage) (uncredited))

Howard K. Smith

(Self (archive footage) (uncredited))

David Susskind

(Self (archive footage) (uncredited))