In the 1976 movie Network evening news anchor Howard Beale, portrayed by Peter Finch, has a psychotic breakdown and declares that he will blow his brains out on the air next Tuesday. Beale had earlier been informed that because of poor ratings, he would be leaving the program in two weeks time. After his televised breakdown, Beale is immediately fired, but his best friend, the President of the network news division (William Holden) intervenes and allows Beale to anchor the news one last time. Beale, one of the most respected figures in the history of broadcast-journalism, will be allowed to end his career with honor and dignity, not madness. They’re both old-school broadcaster-journalists with their gray hair, their lined and weathered faces, and their trench coats. They like hard drinking and talking about the good old days with Murrow, before news became a product to be packaged and sold like soap flakes. Unfortunately, and in spite of the deep affection the two men have for one another, Beale has truly gone off the deep end and the next night during the live broadcast, launches into a tirade about how everything in life has turned into bullshit.
The ratings are spectacular and the network changes its mind about Beale’s retirement. The evening news is handed over to a young ambitious programming executive from the entertainment division (Faye Dunaway), and Beale becomes “The Mad Prophet of the Airwaves.” His rallying cry to his audience is, “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take this anymore.” Millions of people across the nation open their windows and scream it out into the night. Glenn Beck can only wish he had that kind of clout.
