The Fountainhead is a 1949 American black-and-white drama film produced by Henry Blanke, directed by King Vidor, and starring Gary Cooper, Patricia Neal, Raymond Massey, Robert Douglas and Kent Smith.

[3] The story follows the life of Howard Roark, an individualistic architect who chooses to struggle in obscurity rather than compromise his artistic and personal vision.

Roark's complex relationships with the individuals who assist or hinder his progress allow the film to be both a romantic drama and a philosophical work.

Ellsworth Toohey, the architecture critic for The Banner newspaper, opposes Roark's individualism and volunteers to lead a print crusade against him.

Wealthy and influential publishing magnate Gail Wynand pays little attention, approving the idea and giving Toohey a free hand.

Dominique Francon, a glamorous socialite who writes a Banner column, admires Roark's designs, and opposes the paper's campaign against him.

With prodding from the envious Toohey, the firm backing the project alters the Roark design presented by Keating into a gingerbread monstrosity.

Faced with losing, Wynand saves The Banner by bringing back Toohey's gang, joining the rest in publicly condemning Roark.

Roark stands triumphant, his arms akimbo, near the edge of the tall skyscraper as the crosswinds buffet him atop his magnificent, one-of-a-kind creation.

[8] Stanwyck continued to push for the role of Dominique, appealing personally to Rand and to producer Henry Blanke, but Vidor thought she was too old.

Press reports in early 1948 suggested Lauren Bacall would be cast as Dominique, but in June, Vidor hired Patricia Neal for the role.

The setting of The Fountainhead is a collective society in which individuals and new ideas of architecture are not accepted, and all buildings must be constructed "... like Greek temples, Gothic cathedrals and mongrels of every ancient style they could borrow", in the deathbed words of Roark's patron Henry Cameron.

Rand's screenplay criticized the Hollywood film industry and its self-imposed mandate to "give the public what it wants".

[7][8] However, the novel's criticisms were aimed at Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal, which is reflected in Rand's endorsement of modernism in architecture in both the book and the film.

During filming, Rand told Gerald Loeb that she disliked the style, which she felt had resulted from Carrere's lack of experience as a practicing architect.

[19] The film's closing image, depicting Roark standing atop his "tallest structure in the world", arguably evokes futurism.

[10] Philosophy professor Glenn Alexander Magee has offered that the score suggested "a strong affinity for The Fountainhead...[it] perfectly conveys the feel of a Rand novel,"[10] and that Steiner's music accents the story's themes of redemption and renewal, providing insight into Roark's opposition, Francon's sense of life, and Wynand's flaw.

[10] Excerpts from Steiner's score were included in RCA Victor's tribute to the composer, an album featuring the National Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Charles Gerhardt that was released on LP in 1973 and reissued on CD.

"[21] In later years, she would state that she "... disliked the movie from beginning to end" and complained about the film's editing, acting and other elements.

"[7] The Los Angeles Times wrote that the film would not "catch the interest of what is known as the average movie audience -- whoever they may be nowadays".

[7] Variety called the film "cold, unemotional, loquacious [and] completely devoted to hammering home the theme that man's personal integrity stands above all law".

[7] Bosley Crowther, in his review for The New York Times, called the film "wordy, involved and pretentious" and characterized Vidor's work as a "vast succession of turgid scenes".

[25] While The Fountainhead opened to negative reviews upon initial release, the film has since been reappraised and received significantly more positive reception in the early years of the 21st century.

[26] Film critic Emanuel Levy described it as a "highly enjoyable, juicy Freudian melodrama", praising Vidor's technical virtuosity and imagery.

"[28] Marxist philosopher Slavoj Žižek considers it one of his five favorite movies: "ultracapitalist propaganda, but it’s so ridiculous that I cannot but love it [29] In the United States, the film was released on DVD by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on November 7, 2006.

[33] In a March 2016 interview, director Zack Snyder also expressed interest in a new film adaptation,[34] but revealed in 2021 that he had put the project on hold, for the time being.