Hollywood on Trial

Last updated

Hollywood on Trial
Directed byDavid Helpern
Written byArnie Reisman
Produced byJames Gutman
David Helpern Jr. [1]
CinematographyBarry Abrams
Edited byFrank Galvin
Distributed byCorinth Films
Release date
  • November 1976 (1976-11)
Running time
105 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Hollywood on Trial is a 1976 American documentary film directed by David Helpern. [2]

Contents

Synopsis

The film chronicles the 1947 hearings of the House Un-American Activities Committee, with a focus on the Hollywood Ten directors, screenwriters and producers cited for contempt of Congress and blacklisted by the movie industry after refusing to answer questions about their alleged involvement with the Communist Party. The documentary is narrated by John Huston [3] and includes archival footage from the hearings and interviews with key participants in the hearings and studio figures affected by those events. [4]

Accolades

It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, but lost to Barbara Kopple's Harlan County USA . [5] [6]

Cast

Related Research Articles

The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the film industry. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence in cinematic achievements as assessed by the Academy's voting membership. The Oscars are widely considered to be the most prestigious awards in the film industry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Huston</span> American filmmaker (1906–1987)

John Marcellus Huston was an American film director, screenwriter and actor. He wrote the screenplays for most of the 37 feature films he directed, many of which are today considered classics. He received numerous accolades including two Academy Awards and three Golden Globe Awards. He also received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960 and the BAFTA Fellowship in 1980.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Wyler</span> German-born American filmmaker (1902–1981)

William Wyler was a German-born film director and producer. Known for his work in numerous genres over five decades, he received numerous awards and accolades, including three Academy Awards. He holds the record of twelve nominations for the Academy Award for Best Director. For his oeuvre of work, Wyler was awarded the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award, the Directors Guild of America Lifetime Achievement Award, and the American Film Institute Life Achievement Award.

The Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature Film is an award for documentary films. In 1941, the first awards for feature-length documentaries were bestowed as Special Awards to Kukan and Target for Tonight. They have since been bestowed competitively each year, with the exception of 1946. Copies of every winning film are held by the Academy Film Archive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vilmos Zsigmond</span> Hungarian-American cinematographer

Vilmos Zsigmond was a Hungarian-American cinematographer. His work in cinematography helped shape the look of American movies in the 1970s, making him one of the leading figures in the American New Wave movement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">58th Academy Awards</span> Award ceremony for films of 1985

The 58th Academy Awards ceremony, organized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), took place on March 24, 1986, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles beginning at 6:00 p.m. PST / 9:00 p.m. EST. During the ceremony, AMPAS presented Academy Awards in 23 categories honoring films released in 1985. The ceremony, televised in the United States by ABC, was produced by Stanley Donen and directed by Marty Pasetta. Actors Alan Alda, Jane Fonda, and Robin Williams co-hosted the show. Fonda hosted the gala for the second time, having previously been a co-host of the 49th ceremony held in 1977. Meanwhile, this was Alda and Williams's first Oscars hosting stint. Eight days earlier, in a ceremony held at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, on March 16, the Academy Awards for Technical Achievement were presented by host Macdonald Carey.

The 21st Academy Awards were held on March 24, 1949, honoring the films of 1948. The ceremony was moved from the Shrine Auditorium to the Academy's own theater, primarily because the major Hollywood studios had withdrawn their financial support in order to address rumors that they had been trying to influence voters. This year marked the first time a non-Hollywood production won Best Picture, and the first time an individual (Olivier) directed himself in an Oscar-winning performance.

<i>With the Marines at Tarawa</i> 1944 film by Louis Hayward

With the Marines at Tarawa is a 1944 short documentary film directed by Louis Hayward. It uses authentic footage taken at the Battle of Tarawa to tell the story of the American servicemen from the time they get the news that they are to participate in the invasion to the final taking of the island and raising of the Stars and Stripes.

<i>Seal Island</i> (film) 1948 film

Seal Island is a 1948 American documentary film directed by James Algar. Produced by Walt Disney, it was the first installment of the True-Life Adventures series of nature documentaries. It won an Oscar in 1949 for Best Short Subject (Two-Reel).

Casals Conducts: 1964 is a 1964 American short film directed by Larry Sturhahn. It is a documentary about the cellist and conductor Pablo Casals. It won an Oscar at the 37th Academy Awards in 1965 for Best Short Subject. The Academy Film Archive preserved Casals Conducts: 1964 in 2013.

Robert Kennedy Remembered is a 1968 American short documentary film produced and directed by Charles Guggenheim. In 1969, it won an Oscar for Best Short Subject at the 41st Academy Awards.

<i>Hitler Lives</i> 1945 film

Hitler Lives is a 1945 American short documentary film directed by Don Siegel, who was uncredited. The film won an Oscar at the 18th Academy Awards in 1946 for Documentary Short Subject. The film's copyright was renewed.

Number Our Days is a 1976 American short documentary film about a community of elderly Jews in Venice, California. It was directed by Lynne Littman and aired on KCET's news show 28 Tonight. The Academy Film Archive preserved Number Our Days in 2007.

Karl Hess: Toward Liberty is a 1980 American short documentary film about the anarchist Karl Hess, directed by Roland Hallé and Peter Ladue. It won an Oscar in 1981 for Documentary Short Subject.

<i>A Queen Is Crowned</i> 1953 British documentary film by Michael Waldman

A Queen Is Crowned is a 1953 British Technicolor documentary film written by Christopher Fry. The film documents the 1953 Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, with a narration of events by Laurence Olivier. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature and was the first winner of the now-defunct Golden Globe Award for Best Documentary Film. The film was one of the most popular at the British box office in 1953.

<i>Homage to Chagall: The Colours of Love</i> 1977 film

Homage to Chagall: The Colours of Love is a 1977 Canadian documentary film about artist Marc Chagall directed by Harry Rasky.

<i>Agee</i> (film) 1980 film

Agee is a 1980 American documentary film about the writer and film critic James Agee directed and produced by Ross Spears. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.

George Cooper Stevens Jr. is an American writer, playwright, director, and producer. He is the founder of the American Film Institute, creator of the AFI Life Achievement Award, and co-creator of the Kennedy Center Honors. He has also served as Co-Chairman of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities.

<i>O.J.: Made in America</i> 2016 American documentary

O.J.: Made in America is a 2016 American documentary, produced and directed by Ezra Edelman for ESPN Films and their 30 for 30 series. It was released as a five-part miniseries and in theatrical format. O.J.: Made in America premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 22, 2016, and was theatrically released in New York City and Los Angeles in May 2016 by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It debuted on ABC on June 11, 2016, and aired on ESPN.

<i>Five Came Back</i> (TV series) 2017 American documentary miniseries

Five Came Back is an American documentary based on the 2014 book Five Came Back: A Story of Hollywood and the Second World War by journalist Mark Harris. It was released as a stand-alone documentary in New York and Los Angeles, and as a three-part series on Netflix, on March 31, 2017.

References

  1. Documentary Winners: 1977 Oscars
  2. MUBI
  3. Turner Classic Movies
  4. Emanuel Levy
  5. "The 49th Academy Awards (1977) Nominees and Winners". oscars.org. Retrieved October 3, 2011.
  6. "NY Times: Hollywood on Trial". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times . 2011. Archived from the original on May 21, 2011. Retrieved November 15, 2008.
  7. BFI