THE NEWSPAPER MAN: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF BEN BRADLEE

US, 2017, 90 minutes, Colour.
Directed by John Maggio.


From a movie point of view, Ben Bradlee is best known as being portrayed by Jason Robards, in an Oscar-winning performance, in Alan Pakula’s All the President’s Men (1976). In fact, later in the film in the aftermath of Watergate, there is a sequence when Robert Redford explains how he persuaded Bradlee not to be suspicious of Hollywood and he enjoys the Washington premiere of the film.

However, in the world of the press, Bradley is very well known for his work at Newsweek in the 1950s and 1960s and then his career at the Washington Post through the 1970s until his retirement in 1991. He died in 2014, age 93.

This HBO documentary was screened not long before the release of Steven Spielberg’s The Post, a film about the Washington Post and the publication of the Pentagon Papers in 1971, the ownership of the paper by Katharine Graham and the drive for the publication by Ben Bradlee, played in Spielberg’s film by Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks. This documentary provides a very interesting background as well is personal and career insights into Bradlee.

The film is linear in its presentation, using a great number of photos in the early part of the film, especially for Bradlee’s family, Boston origins, his bout with polio as a boy, bonding with his father, going to Harvard, barely passing, but involved in a project at Harvard examining over 200 young men and their physical and psychological development, his first marriage, his four years in the Navy and its effect on him, his work as a journalist, on the crime beat and then as foreign correspondent living in Paris, his second marriage, the strong friendship between him and his wife with the Kennedys, his exhilaration in sharing Kennedy’s campaign, home movie footage of visits with the Kennedys, and then the assassination. Bradlee was numbed. Then his sister-in-law was killed and her document revealed that she had an affair with Kennedy at the time that the families were together – and Bradlee’s wife, Tony, revealed that the President had accosted her.

The film shows Bradlee’s ambitions for the Washington Post to be a world-class paper, his collaboration with Katharine Graham, the decision to publish the Pentagon papers – and, very interestingly, the leads for the Watergate investigation, tracking the leads into the White House, persevering when no other paper did, leading to Nixon’s animosity and then to his resignation.

There is still some drama in the latter part of the film with African- American reporter, Janet Cook, the Pulitzer prize-winning piece of the addicted child in Washington, all exposed as fraud – with the Washington Post commissioning a long article admitting what had happened and preoccupation more about journalism than about the alleged child victim.

Bradlee married again, had a son with dyslexia and other difficulties, but spent a lot of time with him in his retirement.

The National Cathedral in Washington was full for his funeral. His motto was to tell the truth – and he was not worried about not being liked. He rehabilitated the status of the press in the 1970s with both the Pentagon Papers and the Watergate expose.

1. An HBO production, documentary, the quality of the research?

2. The point of view, the film based on Ben Bradlee’s memoir, his voice-over? His perspective on memoirs – or significant people, newspapermen? His motto of telling the truth, not to be liked?

3. The linear presentation of his life, career, episodes in his career, the cumulative effect?

4. The range of photos used, early photos of the family and his childhood, Harvard, the men in the project and their “eugenics� monitoring? His years in the Navy, marriage, the Washington Post, going to Newsweek? The range of home movies, especially with the Kennedy family?

5. The range of talking heads, his oldest son, his youngest son? Sally Quinn? Woodward and Bernstein? The range of journalists from the post, his friends, Jim Lehrer, Norman Lear by Tom Brokaw? Tina Brown? Members from the grant project at Harvard? His two sons?

6. His life, 1921 to 2014: from Boston, the status of his family, his education, contracting polio, the bond with his father looking after him? Harvard, the project, the reports, the information about him, handling situations, emotions? The Navy, marrying Jean, their son? For years in the Navy and his learning? After the war and no job?

7. The 1940s and 50s, to Washington DC, reporting, police cases, becoming foreign correspondent, living in Paris, the adrenaline rush for this kind of reporting? The encounter with Tony, marrying her? Going to Newsweek? The 1960s?

8. JF Kennedy and Jackie, all from Boston, talking, meals, friendship, the years of friendship, knowing the importance of his parameters for Newsweek and his friendship? Kennedy giving him the story of Francis Gary Powers? The domestic footage of the families together? November 22, the footage? The effect, the visual reminders? Bradlee and his reaction? His sister-in-law’s death, the revelation about the affair, the effect on him, the story of Kennedy flirting with Tony?

9. Going to the Washington Post, Katharine Graham and her ownership, Wall Street and the financial issues? His aims, world-class newspaper? The issue of the Pentagon Papers, the New York Times, Daniel Ellsberg and the contact? Publication, the injunction from the government, the Supreme Court? Nixon re-elected, his reaction? Forbidding the Washington Post at the White House? Ellsberg and his story, the decision of the Supreme Court, freedom of speech?

10. Watergate, the fact, the intruders, Hispanic, the CIA link, Howard Hunt, leading to John Mitchell, the phone calls, his reactions? Colson and his role? John Dean and his testimony? Ron Ziegler as the Press Secretary? Bradlee and his team following through? Woodward and Bernstein? Only the Post reporting the story? The New York Times missing out? The tensions, the decisions, the role of Katharine Graham? Leading to the issues of the tapes, the Senate hearings, the condemnation, Nixon and his TV talk and lies, his resignation, leaving the White House and the helicopter? Bradlee advising his staff not to gloat?

11. Success, All the President’s Men, the interviews with Robert Redford and his opinions, Woodward and Bernstein, Redford persuading Bradlee about Hollywood and the film? The Premier, Jason Robards and his swinging arm and brightly imitating it?

12. The Janet Cook story, from Toledo, her reputation, her report, the young addict, the Pulitzer prize? Her TV interviews? The expose, the fraud? Ben Green and his overall article and the confession by the Post?

13. 1991, the Post and its farewell to Bradlee, the emotions of the big staff?

14. His marriage to Sally Quinn, his son, the later years and the bonding, his son’s impediments?

15. His funeral, the speeches?

16. His achievement, his career, the personal issues and his regrets about hurting his former wives? His establishing the status of the press and its credibility?