# Questions about The Graduate (coo coo ca-choo) \[spoilers\]

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-the-graduate-coo-coo-ca-choo-spoilers/368158>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [August 10, 2006, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-the-graduate-coo-coo-ca-choo-spoilers/368158 "2006-08-10T14:55:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\
**Post date:** [August 16, 2006, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-the-graduate-coo-coo-ca-choo-spoilers/368158/21 "2006-08-16T19:19:52Z")

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[QUOTE=Kalhoun]  
Shut. Up. I love when I catch stuff like that!  
[/QUOTE]  
Ah, well then you’ll love finding a very young Ben Murphy’s (Alias Smith & Jones) minor role in the film too.

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**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\
**Post date:** [August 16, 2006, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-the-graduate-coo-coo-ca-choo-spoilers/368158/22 "2006-08-16T20:23:04Z")

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[QUOTE=Annie-Xmas]  
The role was originally offered to Robert Redford, who definitely looked the part. He turned it down because he didn’t think he had the degree of naivity that Benjamin needed. Good thing for Hoffman.  
[/QUOTE]

[IMDB’s trivia page for **The Graduate**](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0061722/trivia) tells it the other way 'round: director Mike Nichols rejected Redford because he didn’t feel Redford had the necessary “underdog qualities.”

The trivia page also confirms something I’ve read before: Nichols really wanted Burt Ward for the Benjamin Braddock role. That’s right, Robin from the campy 60’s **Batman** series. And Ward really wanted to do it, but 20th Century Fox, who produced **Batman** , wouldn’t let him. Wouldn’t that have been a trip, though…

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**Author:** ![JohnBckWLD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JohnBckWLD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnBckWLD)\
**Post date:** [August 16, 2006, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-the-graduate-coo-coo-ca-choo-spoilers/368158/23 "2006-08-16T20:32:51Z")

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[QUOTE=Max Torque]  
Wouldn’t that have been a trip, though…  
[/QUOTE]  
Holy hosiery, Mrs. Robinson, you’re trying to seduce me!

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