''The Activist'' is a 1969 American

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...

directed by

Art Napoleon Art Napoleon is a former chief of the Saulteau First Nation, from Victoria, British Columbia. He has used his television shows, music, and books to provide education on and increase awareness of Indigenous foods, languages, and cultures. He is c ...

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. Also starring in the film are Tom Maier and

Brian Murphy Brian Murphy may refer to: Sportspeople * Brian Murphy (Jamaican cricketer) (born 1973), Jamaican cricketer * Brian Murphy (Zimbabwean cricketer) (born 1976), Zimbabwean cricketer * Brian Murphy (baseball) (born 1980), American head baseball coach ...

. 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 Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...

' 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.

Cast

*Michael Smith as Mike Corbett *Lesley Taplin (billed as Lesley Gilbrun) as Lee James *Tom Maier as Prof. Peter Williams *

as Member of Steering Committee

References

External links

* 1969 films 1960s English-language films American drama films 1969 drama films Films directed by Art Napoleon 1960s American films {{1960s-drama-film-stub