Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!wivax!decvax!harpo!floyd!vax135!cornell!uw-beaver!tektronix!tekecs!waltt From: waltt@tekecs.UUCP Newsgroups: net.movies Subject: Great Movie Credits Message-ID: <1494@tekecs.UUCP> Date: Fri, 24-Jun-83 13:23:46 EDT Article-I.D.: tekecs.1494 Posted: Fri Jun 24 13:23:46 1983 Date-Received: Mon, 27-Jun-83 13:37:41 EDT Lines: 36 What about the mid-seventies Woody Allen movie "The Front"? This film differed from his usual style in that it fell into a more serious vein. The movie was about a down-and-out writer/actor (Allen) in Hollywood in the '50s who becomes a front for a number of screen writers who have been black-listed because of suspected communist affiliations (McCarthyism). Allen is now coming up with this great volume of material (3 writers submitting under his name) and becomes one of the best TV screen writers in Hollywood. Near the end of the movie, someone finds out he is not really writing all this stuff, and is acting as a front for suspected communists. He is called to testify at the House Committee investigation on unamerican activities (ever seen the file footage?) at the end of the movie, where he tells the head of the committee to F**K OFF! He goes to jail rather than to reveal who he is acting as a front for. Long intro, huh? Anyway, the film stars a number of actors, including Zero Mostel and Hershel Bernardi, all of whom were actually blacklisted in the McCarthy era. At the end of the movie, when the credits are listed, each actor's name is followed by "(blacklisted:195x)", with "x" being the actual year. End of history lesson for today. Someone is watching - Walt Tucker Tektronix P.S. When I first went to this movie, I was disappointed, primarily since I expected a typical Woody Allen comedy. I saw it again a couple of years later, and was able to view it for what it was. Extremely well made, go see it if you get a chance. Expect to see Woody Allen in a slightly different role. Four and a half out of five.