<P> In the role of Mr. Robinson, Gene Hackman was originally cast, but just before filming began, the director decided he was too young and decided to replace him . Marlon Brando, Howard Duff, Brian Keith, George Peppard, Jack Palance, Frank Sinatra, Walter Matthau and Gregory Peck were all other choices for the role that Murray Hamilton eventually played . Susan Hayward was the first choice for Benjamin's mother, Mrs. Braddock, but the role was given to Elizabeth Wilson . And to play Mr. Braddock, Yul Brynner, Kirk Douglas, Jack Lemmon, Robert Mitchum, Karl Malden, Christopher Plummer and Ronald Reagan all came close to getting the role that ended up going to William Daniels . </P> <P> There are considerable age discrepancies between the lead roles and the actors who portrayed them . Benjamin Braddock says, "I will be 21 next week "; at the time of filming, Dustin Hoffman was 29 . William Daniels, who plays Hoffman's father, was, at 39, only 10 years older than Hoffman . Mrs. Robinson states, "Benjamin, I am twice your age ." Anne Bancroft was 35, only six years older than Hoffman . Mrs. Robinson's daughter Elaine is 19 and was portrayed by Katharine Ross, who was 27 at the time . Elaine May, who portrayed Elaine's college roommate and delivered a note to Benjamin from Elaine, was 35 at the time and only seven months younger than Anne Bancroft . Mrs. Singleman and Miss DeWitte, party guests in one of the Taft Hotel scenes, were said to be sisters, though there was a 38 - year age difference between their portrayors, Alice Ghostley (age 44) and Marion Lorne (age 82). </P> <P> Many of the exterior university campus shots of Berkeley were actually filmed on the brick campus of USC in Los Angeles . Other scenes were filmed on Durant Avenue and College Ave . across from the Unit One Dorms in the city of Berkeley, as well as on the Berkeley campus itself (shot remotely from Telegraph Avenue, as the university did not permit commercial filming at the time). </P> <P> The Taft Hotel scenes were filmed at the Ambassador Hotel . </P>

Where did the movie the graduate take place