Hollywood on Trial
by David Helpern
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Product details
Actor: Alvah Bessie, Gary Cooper, Henry Daniell, Lester Cole, Walter BernsteinDirector: David Helpern
Cinematographer: Barry Abrams
Editor: Frank Galvin
Producer: Frank Galvin
Producer: James C. Gutman
Producer: Juergen Hellwig
Writer: Arnie Reisman
Edition: VHS Tape
Audio: English (Original Language)
Format: Black & White, Color, NTSC
Running Time: 105 minutes
Release Date: 1994-10-25
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Publisher: Mpi Home Video
Studio: Mpi Home Video
VHS Movie Reviews of Hollywood on Trial
Movie Review: A brilliant film about a turbulent time in our history
Summary: 5 Stars
Narrated by John Huston, and with original trial footage, interviews with members of the original "Hollywood Ten" and others affected by the blacklists, this is a riveting documentary that keeps you glued to your seat. It is an important film that should be seen by all interested in the history of filmmaking, and history buffs as well.
Movie Review: Exposes the Legal and Moral Outrages of Hollywood Blacklist
Summary: 5 Stars
Hollywood on Trial serves as a reminder to all citizens of the United States that our freedom of expression and our dedication to the Constitution has never been as sacred as we'd like to think. This film explores the events of the Hollywood Blacklist, during which Communist witch hunts were carried out by the House Un-American Activities Committee during the late 1940's and early 1950'. Alec Baldwin narrates footage from the infamous nine-day trial that saw dozens of careers destroyed as actors like Ronald Reagan and Gary Cooper testified against their colleagues in order to save themselves from censure. Viewers will see the outrageous, comtempible and inflammatory behavior of the Committee member; interrupting testimony, ignorant remarks at the witnesses expense, etc. Intertwined with this footage are interviews with actors who were intimately involved with the trial. The most interesting of these interviews is with Edward Dymtryk, a screenwriter who started as an "unfriendly witness" and later implicated 23 colleagues in order to salvage his career. Other interviews include Dalton Trumbo's son (watch for his description of visiting his father in prision), Marsha Hunt and members of the Holloywood Ten. This movie will outrage viewers with any sense of justice as they list to stories of moral equivocation, blind (and not-so-blind) loyalty, fear and dignity in the face of insurmountable adversity. I highly reccommend this film -- especially to teachers of American History and Government as examples of our legal system gone awry.
Summary of Hollywood on Trial
"Are you now or have you ever been a member of the Communist Party?" is the by-now familiar phrase that echoes through David Helpern's portrait of Congress's Hollywood witch hunt, the dark period of American Cold War hysteria that opened the door for Joseph McCarthy's "red-baiting" reign of terror. Hundreds of Hollywood artists had their civil rights suspended when they were called before Congress to confess their Communist dealings, past and present, and identify other potential "enemies of democracy.""The Hollywood Ten," a group of writers and directors, refused, on their First Amendment rights, to testify, were jailed for contempt of Congress, and subsequently blacklisted from Hollywood for years. "It was a just verdict," reflects Hollywood Ten member Dalton Trumbo in a 1975 interview. "I did have contempt for that congress."
Startling newsreel recordings of both "friendly" and "unfriendly" witnesses are enriched with contemporary interviews of former blacklistees who share their personal stories of survival. Then-Governor of California Ronald Reagan, a former president of the Screen Actor's Guild, makes a hollow defense for the blacklist: "I don't think there is any blame that can be assessed to anyone." A more complex history can be found in the books Naming Names and The Inquisition in Hollywood, but Helpern's 1976 documentary is a powerful introduction and a potent personal perspective. --Sean Axmaker
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