''The Pursuit of Happiness'' is a 1971 American drama film about a student who goes on the run to avoid serving his full prison sentence for vehicular manslaughter. The film was directed by
Robert Mulligan
Robert Patrick Mulligan (August 23, 1925 – December 20, 2008) was an American director and producer. He is best known for his humanist dramas, including ''To Kill a Mockingbird'' (1962), '' Summer of '42'' (1971), ''The Other'' (1972), '' Same ...
. The producer was
David Susskind
David Howard Susskind (December 19, 1920 – February 22, 1987) was an American producer of TV, movies, and stage plays and also a TV talk show host. His talk shows were innovative in the genre and addressed timely, controversial topics beyond th ...
and the associate producer Alan Shayne. The screenplay was written by Jon Boothe and George L. Sherman.
Plot
Disenchanted college student William Popper (
Michael Sarrazin) is convicted of vehicular manslaughter for killing a woman with his car. With only a week left on his sentence and the help of his girlfriend, Jane (
Barbara Hershey), he escapes to Canada, making both of them wanted fugitives.
Cast
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Michael Sarrazin as William Popper
*
Barbara Hershey as Jane Kauffman
*
Robert Klein as Melvin Lasher
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Sada Thompson as Ruth Lawrence
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Ralph Waite as Detective Cromie
*
Arthur Hill as John Popper
*
E.G. Marshall as Daniel Lawrence
* Maya Kenin as Mrs. Conroy
*
Rue McClanahan as Mrs. O'Mara
*
Peter White as Terence Lawrence
*
Joseph Attles as Holmes
* Beulah Garrick as Josephine
*
Ruth White as Mrs. Popper
*
Charles Durning as Guard #2
*
Barnard Hughes
Bernard Aloysius Kiernan Hughes (July 16, 1915 – July 11, 2006), known professionally as Barnard Hughes, was an American actor of television, theater and film. Hughes became famous for a variety of roles; his most notable roles came after m ...
as Judge Vogel
*
David Doyle as Senator James J. Moran
*
Gilbert Lewis as George Wilson
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Albert Henderson as McArdle
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William Devane as Pilot
See also
*
List of American films of 1971
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Pursuit Of Happiness (1971 Film)
1971 films
1971 drama films
American chase films
American drama films
Columbia Pictures films
1970s English-language films
Films scored by Dave Grusin
Films based on American novels
Films directed by Robert Mulligan
Films set in Canada
Films set in New York City
1970s prison drama films
1970s American films