Year: 2007
Director: Peter Askin
Cast: Documentary. Donald Sutherland, David Strathairn, Liam Neeson, Joan Allen, Christopher & Mitzi Trumbo.
Plot Outline: The life and career of blacklisted screenwriter Dalton Trumbo, told through interviews with friends, family and co-workers, and through readings from his works and letters.
Standouts: Dalton Trumbo is one of my heroes, plain and simple. I am attracted to stories of little people taking on large battles. Trumbo was never really a great screenwriter — he was very successful, especially in his early years, because he was fast and he was consistent. He told great stories, but he was not a great hand at dialogue. His best works were his novels, particularly Johnny Got His Gun, and his letters, which are used to great advantage here, with dramatic readings from some of Hollywood’s finest. If I have any complaints, it’s that some of the dramatic readings are too actorly. Paul Giamatti was overboard, I thought, as was Michael Douglas in spots. His letters are so well-written, though, I can hardly blame them for wanting to really sink their teeth into the material.
Based on a play by his son Christopher Trumbo, this is an affectionate and warm tribute to a man, a flawed man, who had the courage to say “Hell no.” And good for him. I hope that I am never in the position that Trumbo found himself. But if I ever am, I hope I have his courage.
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Trumbo was part of the Hollywood 10 during the Red Scare witch hunt. I’m sure you know a lot more about him than I do but what little I know shows a conflicting character. On the one hand he was violently oppossed to our entering WW2 to help Britian because at that time the Soviet Union was still at peace with Germany. After the Soviet Union got involved, Trumbo went along too. He sided with Communism over democracy (Britian). He was once quoted as saying the hollywood communist party successfully squashed several movies that were anti-communist.
After WW2, Russia was pounding on the table saying they were going to destroy us. Many legitimate Soviet agents were found in portions of our military and business working to help the Soviet Union gain an advantage over us. All this kicked off the Red Menace witch hunts, which in hindsight, were horrible violations of people like Trumbo (who did nothing to hurt the US) but the public was in a frenzy by then.
Russia was a real threat to us in those days but you don’t react by blasting US citizens who did nothing wrong. Before long we had commie spys under every rock. Trumbo ended up in jail and finally went to Mexico didn’t he? I seem to remember that.
Trumbo’s politics were pretty crappy (especially at the time) but he did nothing to deserve being blacklisted and punished. A horrible chapter in our history.
You’re right. I do know a lot more about him than you do.
Trumbo was opposed to us entering World War II because he was opposed to war, full stop. Read his novel Johnny Got His Gun and you will understand why. As a Communist, he staunchly opposed Facism. But like a surprisingly large number of American citizens, he did not favor entering the war until the attack on Pearl Harbor. Your info about him favoring the Soviets over Great Britain doesn’t line up with what I’ve read. And what I’ve read has been pretty exhaustive.
In the film there are several excerpts of interviews with Trumbo, and in one that’s used early on, he says very plainly that in the post-war era, Russia did pose a serious threat, and that the American people were right to be afraid, and that this atmosphere of fear is precisely what led to the witch-hunts.
I recommend the film highly. Do check it out if you get the chance.
Naturally, all I know about him is what I’ve read and it seems we’ve read slightly different things, although not hugely different.
People also say he wasn’t bitter towards those who testified at the unamerican hearings. He said they were all caught up in the same horrible situation. He was much more forgiving than many others in his position.
Another tidbit of info. Have you see this written by Art Eckstein, Professor of History at the University of Maryland at College Park.
http://97.74.65.51/readArticle.aspx?ARTID=9274
I guess as with most politically charged figures, there are “pro” pieces and “anti” pieces, and in most cases the truth lies somewhere in the middle.
Pubicly, Trumbo made a speech at the WGA upon receipt of their Laurel Award in 1970 in which he famously made the statement that there were no villains or heroes from the time of the blacklist — “only victims.” By that time, I think he’d mellowed a bit. But privately, I do think he carried some grudges. I suppose that’s only natura.
It sounds like a great film. I’ll have to hunt it down and maybe do some back-up reading on this man, very interesting.