The Front
The Front is a 1976 American drama film set against the Hollywood blacklist in the 1950s, when artists, writers, directors, and others were rendered unemployable, having been accused of subversive political activities in support of Communism or of being Communists themselves. It was written by Walter Bernstein, directed by Martin Ritt, and stars Woody Allen, Zero Mostel and Michael Murphy.
Plot
In New York City, 1953, at the height of the anti-Communist investigations of the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), television screenwriter Alfred Miller is blacklisted and cannot get work. He asks his friend Howard Prince, a restaurant cashier and small-time bookie, to sign his name to Miller's television scripts in exchange for ten percent of the money Miller makes from them, i.e. to serve as a "front" for Miller. Howard agrees out of friendship and because he needs the money. The scripts are submitted to network producer Phil Sussman, who is pleased to have a writer not on the television blacklist. Howard's script also offers a plum role for Hecky Brown, one of Sussman's top actors.
Awards
More details
| author | Walter Bernstein |
|---|---|
| award | National Board of Review: Top Ten Films Silver nugget for the best foreign film |
| contentLocation | New York City |
| director | Martin Ritt |
| editor | Sidney Levin |
| genre | drama political |
| keywords | blacklist catskills cheer club owner communist party date entertainment industry hollywood blacklist house un-american activities committee jump kiss may day question the daily worker want wife and child |
| musicBy | Dave Grusin |
| nomination | Academy Award for Best Writing, Original Screenplay |
| producer | Charles H. Joffe Jack Rollins |
| publisher | Columbia Pictures |
| recordedAt | New York City |