Cradle Will Rock
Cradle Will Rock is a 1999 American historical drama film written, produced and directed by Tim Robbins. The story fictionalizes the true events that surrounded the development of the 1937 musical The Cradle Will Rock by Marc Blitzstein; it adapts history to create an account of the original production, bringing in other stories of the time to produce a social commentary on the role of art and power in the 1930s, particularly amidst the struggles of the labor movement at the time and the corresponding appeal of socialism and communism among many intellectuals, artists and working-class people in the same period.
Plot
At the height of the Great Depression, aspiring singer Olive Stanton dreams of getting a job as an actress with the Federal Theatre Project. Playwright Marc Blitzstein is working on his new musical, The Cradle Will Rock, but lacks the inspiration to finish it. While attending a public protest, he is visited by two imaginary figures representing his late wife and the famed German playwright Bertolt Brecht. They encourage him to make the play more relevant to the times rather than an abstract concept.
Awards
Cast
- Allan F. Nicholls
- Angus Macfadyen
- Audra McDonald
- Barbara Sukowa
- Barnard Hughes
- Bill Murray
- Bob Balaban
- Carrie Preston
- Cary Elwes
- Cherry Jones
- Chris Bauer
- David Costabile
- Dominic Chianese
- Emily Watson
- Gretchen Mol
- Hank Azaria
- Harris Yulin
- Jack Black
- Jamey Sheridan
- Joan Cusack
- John Cusack
- John Turturro
- Karen Lynn Gorney
- Kyle Gass
- Leonardo Cimino
- Lynn Cohen
- Michelle Rodriguez
- Ned Bellamy
- Paul Giamatti
- Peter Jacobson
- Philip Baker Hall
- Rubén Blades
- Sarah Hyland
- Scott Sowers
- Stephen Spinella
- Susan Sarandon
- Tim Robbins
- Tony Amendola
- Vanessa Redgrave
More details
| author | Tim Robbins |
|---|---|
| award | National Board of Review: Top Ten Films |
| contentLocation | New York City |
| director | Tim Robbins |
| editor | Geraldine Peroni |
| genre | drama historical political social |
| keywords | advertise aspiring singer bertolt brecht break in broadway broadway theatre communism diego rivera federal government federal theatre project great depression house committee on un-american activities improvised john houseman late wife lose man at the crossroads marc blitzstein nelson rockefeller orson welles set up the cradle will rock times square works progress administration wpa |
| musicBy | Dave Robbins |
| producer | Tim Robbins |
| productionCompany | Touchstone Pictures |
| publisher | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures |
| recordedAt | New York City |