Mike Nichols’ cinematic zeitgeist, The Graduate, was released in theaters on this day in 1967. Interestingly, although her character was meant to be at least 20 years his senior, Anne Bancroft was only six years older than her co-star, Dustin Hoffman. A landmark film on many counts, it won the 1968 Best Director Oscar for Nichols and was nominated for six more. That same year it won five Golden Globes out of a total seven nominations.
Film Factoid: The leg of then-unknown model Linda Gray would grace the famous promotional still for the film, standing in for Anne Bancroft’s Mrs. Robinson. More than 30 years later, Gray would play Robinson in the 2001 stage production of the film in London’s West End.