TRUMBO
US, 2015, 124 minutes, Colour.
Bryan Cranston, Diane Lane, Elle Fanning, Helen Mirren, Louis C.K., Alan Tudyk, David James Elliott, Richard Portnow, Roger Bart, Adewale Akkinuoue- Agbaje.
Directed by Jay Roach.
The title might seem a mysterious name – except for those who are film buffs or who are film students. Trumbo is the name of screenwriter Dalton Trumbo, a significant figure in Hollywood in the 1940s, socialist leaning and joining the Communist Party during World War II, when the USSR and the US were allies. But, with the end of the war, the coming down of the Iron Curtain and militant patriotism taking hold of the American public as well as of the American Congress, it was “Un-American” to have been a member of the Communist Party. Trumbo became a victim of the investigations and hearings, and was blacklisted for over a decade.
Playwright Lillian Hellman called this period “Scoundrel Times”. In retrospect, from 1947 throughout most of the 1950s, a number of people in public office, including Vice-President? and later, President, Richard Nixon, participated in hearings, including investigations about the Hollywood film industry, pressurising people to profess their loyalties and to name names. Perhaps the actors and directors featured in Trumbo have become part of Hollywood history and the impact of their patriotic statements does not make such an impact today, but there was a divide and many reputations were lost and a great number of actors, writers, producers and directors were not able to work for many years.
This background is made clear in this film. As is the ultra-Conservative and patriotic stances of some of the Hollywood personnel. Here, one of the main upholders of the right is John Wayne. But one of the principal crusaders is the gossip columnist, Hedda Hopper, powerful with her widely read columns, played intensely with destruction aforethought by Helen Mirren. There are clips from a number of actors, especially those denouncing, with images of Ronald Reagan, Robert Taylor, Sam Wood. Others, like Gregory Peck and Lucille Ball overheard in radio clips supporting the alleged communists, or like Humphrey Bogart and his wife, Lauren Bacall, seen in many demonstration scenes. Some were pressurised like Edward G. Robinson.
But, the focus of this film is Dalton Trumbo, play convincingly, sympathetically but not underestimating his ego and his demanding nature, by Breaking Bad’s Bryan Cranston. It is very interesting to see Cranston breaking from his TV series to this kind of serious performance, Oscar-nominated. The support of his family and a variety of sequences are convincing because of the presence of Diane Lane as his long-suffering wife and Elle Fanning as his oldest daughter.
The span of the film is 1947 to 1960 with a postscript to 1970 and an award from the Writers Guild of America. Further information is given in the final credits with a number of photos and radio and TV excerpts.
Early in the film, Trumbo is the leader of a group of writers and directors who had affiliations with the Communist Party who band together to try to deal with the hearings by Congress, preserve the values of the First Amendment, risk being held on contempt and jailed – which does happen to a number of them, known as The Hollywood Ten. Trumbo spent a year in jail in Kentucky, ironically sharing prison time with J.Parnell Thomas, his principal interrogator who was found guilty of tax fraud and jailed. One of the main interrogators in the early 1950s was Senator Joe Mc Carthy – but the film shows him only briefly.
The latter part of the film shows how Trumbo survived professionally and financially, albeit undercover, by writing screenplays like Roman Holiday for which he won Oscar, though it was attributed to Ian Mc Clellan Hunter (Alan Tudyk) a close friend. He then worked for the King Bros (only two of the three present here, played by John Goodman and Stephen Root) writing small budget quickie movies or being a script doctor on many screenplays, involving a number of his friends in similar kind of work, including Arlen Hird (Louis C.K.). One of the projects dear to his heart, The Brave One, then won him another Oscar although under the name, Robert Rich.
Trumbo, unlike others, lived to see his vindication, supported by Kirk Douglas in getting him to write Spartacus and, especially, director, Otto Preminger, not only getting him to write Exodus but deciding to put Trumbo’s name on the script and publicising this in a press conference, something which Kirk Douglas followed with Spartacus.
The film was directed by Jay Roach who, early in his career, directed the Austin Powers series as well as the Meet the Parents series but who moved to more serious films with about the 2000 presidential election in Florida, Recount, and Game Change and about Sarah Palin and the 2008 Republican campaign.
The anti-Communist fervour of the period offers a lesson in the effect of extremist political and social stances, victimisation of people, so many innocent, and the dangers of any kind fanaticism – something featured in the 2015-2016 campaigns for US presidential nominations, especially the campaign of Donald Trump.
1. An interesting drama, history, Hollywood, communism, the blacklist, the hearings? The consequences for writers, actors, the fronts? Final success for Dalton Trumbo?
2. Hollywood in the 1940s and 50s, the culmination in 1960? The House Un- American Hearings? Congress and contempt? Prison? The studios, Hollywood society, suburban homes? The musical score?
3. The LA locations, Hollywood, Washington, the suburbs, prison? The musical score? The music of the times?
4. The history recapitulation, the USSR, World War II, LA with the US post-war ideologies and membership of the Communist Party, the change post-war, suspicions, the Iron Curtain and the Cold War? The reaction of the militant right, patriotism? Officials like Richard Nixon? The enthusiasm and bigotry of the person in the street? The authorities and the hearings? Studio heads like Louis B. Mayer, stars like John Wayne, Robert Taylor, directors like Sam Would? The militancy of columnist, Hedda Hopper? The glimpse of supporters of the blacklisted, voices of Gregory Peck and Lucille Ball, the presence of Humphrey Bogart Lauren Bacall? The experience of pressures?
5. The Hollywood 10, leading to the blacklist? The government, the denunciations, testimonies, the willing witnesses? Dalton Trumbo as the leader of the group, 17, some dropping out? Speaking at the hearings, J. Parnell Thomas, discussions of the first Amendment, risking careers, finance, prison? The group meeting, the discussions, the personalities? Idealism and consequences, prison?
6. Trumbo as a person, Bryan Cranston, his Oscar nomination? His relationship with his wife, his children, the years? His writing, successful films, reputation? His honesty and directness, his support by his wife and children? Prison? The experience in prison, at work, relationships? Being denounced and patriotic taunts of the prisoners? Arlen Hird, friendship and dislike, discussions, ideals, Hird and his cancer, deciding to stand by Trumbo?
7. The work in prison, doing the accounts, the racial clash, ideologies, getting out?
8. His life after prison, the King Brothers, their personalities, second-rate films, posters, interview, writing scripts, doctoring screenplays? Writing in the bath, seclusion, the scene with the birthday party and his abrupt response to Nicole? Getting jobs for the other writers with the King Brothers?
9. The friendship with Ian Mc Clellan Hunter, the discussion about the credit for Roman Holiday? The agreement? Payment? Winning the Oscar, the family joy?
10. The hard years, isolation, the effect on the writers?
11. Hedda Hopoper, as a personality, fashions and hats, the influential column, threats and career blackmail, patriotic, her son, about boys fighting in Korea…? The work with John Wayne, John Wayne and his office, Association, testimonies? The threats to Mayer and his cancelling Trumbo’s contract? Her confronting Trumbo? Her friendship with the interviewer at House Hearings? Her reigning supreme – but the final scene of the defeat?
12. J. Parnell Thomas, his role at the hearings, attacks, his being in jail, tax and fraud, the same jail as Trumbo? The glimpse of Senator Mc Carthy?
13. The idea for The Brave One, writing, production, winning the Oscar? Anonymous. Robert Rich?
14. The role of Kirk Douglas, Spartacus, wanting the rewrite, the visit to the house, the limited time, having his name on it – and the impact of seeing clips from Spartacus, illustrating Trumbo’s writing, illustrating Trumbo’s writing?
15. Otto Preminger, strong, arrogant, the visit, the proposal, to write Exodus? Satisfied? The announcing that Trumbo’s was to be name on the screen?
16. 1960s, family, their continued support, his success?
17. 1970, the speech and the award from the Writers Guild? Receiving his Oscar? Achievement and integrity?
18. Further information at the end about the scoundrel times, photos and the clip from Trumbo’s speech?
