THE PRIVATE FILES OF J. EDGAR HOOVER

US, 1977, 112 minutes, Colour.
Broderick Crawford, Jose Ferrer, James Wainwright, Michael Parks, Ronee Blakley, Rip Torn, Celeste Holm, Dan Dailey, Michael Sacks, Raymond St. Jacques. Andrew Duggan. John Marley, June Havoc, Howard Da Silva, Lloyd Nolan, Jack Cassidy.
Directed by Larry Cohen.

The Private Files of J. Edgar Hoover is an intriguing overview of the legendary F.B.I. Director who influenced so many U.S. attitudes of self respect and self importance with his dogged upholding of the law and his campaigns against gangsters, communists and protesters. Before he died in 1972 he was under fire and myths were exposed. This film continues in this vein with post-Watergate insight and shows a rigid, puritanical and humourless crusader for his own and U.S. causes. James Wainwright and Broderick Crawford portray the young and older Hoover expertly; a large gallery of Hollywood character actors support. Much is merely touched on, but is always interesting, in a man embodying fifty years of U.S. history.

1. Audience interest in Hoover? His status in American history and politics? In his time, now? The purpose of this film?

2. His establishment of the F.B.I., its work over fifty years, its prestige, power, use and abuse? Its place in America of the 70s?

3. The structure of the film: the private files and their being shredded. the narrative by Dwight Webb Jr., and his ambivalent attitude towards Hoover? The chronological happenings, the chronology of American history, the return to the shredding of the files and the indications about information leading to the downfall of Richard Nixon and to Watergate? What conclusions were the audience meant to draw about the files and their use ? and the irony of their destroying Nixon?

4. The technical qualities of the film: colour photography, re-creation of the various periods, the indications of changes in American history over half a century? The re-enactment of historical events, the impersonations of real characters? The atmosphere of the United States in the 20th. century? The contribution of the musical score?

5. The number of old-time Hollywood stars in the film? Their contribution? Impersonations? Impressions of the characters they portrayed? The cumulative effect of this gallery of people?

6. How well did the film explain what motivated Hoover? His desire for success, power? His invasion of people's privacy? Questions of prestige. honour? Self~ righteousness? His isolation and aloneness, his relationship with his mother? His fear of women? How much did this contribute to an explanation of him?

7. The background of American politics and the interpretation of the film: the questions and unrest of the 20s, migrants, the application of the law? Leftwing movements and Rightwing opposition? The Depression, American gangsters? The G-men and their status? The war and the need for espionage and wiretapping? The Cold War and the continued hostilities, the witch hunts of Mc Carthy? The Kennedy background, the power of the Kennedys, the clashes e.g. Cuba? Johnson and his continued employment of Hoover in the background of the 60s, Nixon and the 70s? The various Presidents and their styles? The freedom that Hoover had during this period? How much did he change despite the changes of the Presidents?

8. The portrait of the young Hoover - his presence at meetings, his confrontations with the migrants, his interpretation of the law? The abuses that this led to and his disowning of them and reporting the abuses? The vivid portrayal of the migrant problems and the imprisonment of suspects? Hoover's being called to Washington, the importance of Attorney General Stone's choosing him for the department, Hoover's attitude towards his job and his laying down of conditions and their being granted? His rise to power?

9. The episode with Carrie De Witt? The indications of Hoover's relationship with women? Her attitudes, invitation, seductive behaviour? His almost succumbing, his fears, suspicions that this was a set-up? How much puritanical attitudes, how much suppression? The various compensations in his knowledge of people's private lives? Prurience? His relationship with his mother and his calling her his best friend? The scenes with her, her support, the impact of her death? The sequence with Florence Hollister and his shyness with her, the possibility of marriage? His isolating himself? Dave Hindley's accusations of homosexuality? His reaction to this? His friendship with Clyde Tolson? Sequences in the restaurant? His defying people's opinion? How well did the film present Hoover's private life and help understand him?

10. Hoover's establishment of the F.B.I., his recruiting, his standards for the personnel? His stances, his lectures? The importance of the support of Walter Winchell? Winchell's publicity, America's top cop? How much did Winchell glamorise Hoover and his work? The need for this kind of morale-boosting in the 30s? Winchell's presence at various incidents? Winchell's links with the Mafia e.g. Lepke and his role in helping the war against gangsters?

11. The establishment of the G-men: Melvin Purvis and his skills, Hoover's jealousy? The re-enactment of Dillinger capture? Hoover's farcical first arrest and the car being lost? Purvis and his obsessions and his suicide? Was Hoover to blame?

12. Hoover during World War Two, the interview with Roosevelt? Roosevelt and the unkind portrait the film seemed to paint? His cover-ups, political talk, the wiretapping? The purpose of espionage during World War Two?

13. The story of Dwight Webb Jr.? His enthusiasm, the recruitment, his aims, goals, youthful enthusiasm? The flashback to his father and his death? Webb and his tangled emotional relationships, the sequences with his girlfriend?

14. The transition to the post-World War Two period, the symbolic sequence with Senator Mc Carthy, the card game, Mc Carthy's wanting Hoover to supply him with lists? Hoover's supplying lists but critical of Mc Carthy and his ambitions?

15. What light on Hoover's character and approach did the sequence with Frank, the waiter, offer? Frank and his continued service of Hoover, Hoover and his punctilious habits and going to the same restaurant? The evidence of his extensive knowledge about Frank's family and Frank's emotional reaction?

16. The era of the Kennedy's? John Kennedy and his attitude towards Hoover, his administration, his politicking? Bobby and his tough line? Hoover's memory of the Kennedys as boys? His treatment of then as boys? Bobby and his shrewdness in humiliating Hoover and getting him to do what he wanted, the various tactics? His telephone calls, demands of obedience? The indication of the period of civil rights? The question of Hoover employing African Americans, not just as drivers or fly swatters! The deal with Bobby Kennedy for tapping the phones of people like Martin Luther King?

17. The glimpse of Martin Luther King, audiences watching in the light of his subsequent reputation? The confrontation between the two? The judgment on Hoover's approach in the light of King's reputation and death?

18. Hoover's friends and rivals? Lionel Mc Coy and the strained friendship, the various pressures in the relationship between the two, Webb and his working for Mc Coy? Mc Coy and his ambitions to take over? The personality of Clyde Tolson? The close friendship, their meals and work together, the sequence at the racecourse, the accusation of homosexuality? Tolson's hear attacks and Hoover's care? Their growing old together? His inheriting Hoover's fortune and the tapes and his shredding them? The indication that he might have been the 'Deep Throat' of Watergate?

19. The dramatics of the sequence at the races, Webb and his reaction to Hoover's knowledge of him and his girlfriend, being framed? The clash and the abuse?

20. The impersonation of L.B. Johnson? His glee over having the files of his opponents?

21. The hostility of the Nixon administration and the various personnel, their wanting to run things themselves? The irony of their being upstaged and deposed by Hoover?

22. Hoover's death and the world's reaction? His reputation? The good that he did, the end justifying his means?

23. The transition in the administration of the F.B.I., Tolson and his shredding of the tapes?

24. The cumulative effect of the film? An interpretation of the person of Hoover, his political role. his dynamism? A likable character or not? A portrait of power and its use and abuse? A phenomenon of the 20th. century with his own self promotion in books, articles, films, an American hero and his reputation?