The excellent Trumbo examines a black time in Hollywood history. In the 1950s when the Cold War was just beginning it’s ugly reign, the perceived threat of an invading Communist regime threw most Americans into a panic. As the Red scare spread, it hit the entertainment industry particularly hard, as those with any affiliation with what was deemed “unpatriotic” were placed on a blacklist and lost their livelihoods.
The film follows one blacklisted screenwriter, Dalton Trumbo (Bryan Cranston), part of the Hollywood 10, who decided to fight back using the only weapon he had at his disposal: his words. After being demonized by the House of Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), led primarily by the hugely popular gossip columnist Hedda Hopper (Helen Mirren), and even sent to jail for a time for contempt, Trumbo came out swinging. He continued to write in any way he could, finding like-minded, low budget producers to buy his scripts under aliases and also buy the work of his blacklisted friends. Trumbo even won two uncredited screenwriting Oscars (for Roman Holidayand The Brave One) during this time. The man never gave up, and when he finally received credit for his work on Spartacus in 1960, Trumbo’s in-your-face coup was instrumental in dismantling the Hollywood blacklist.
At the film’s press conference, stars Cranston, Diane Lane (who plays Trumbo’s wife, Cleo), Elle Fanning (who plays Trumbo’s oldest daughter, Niki), Michael Stuhlbarg (who plays Edward G. Robinson) and director Jay Roach all discuss the impact Trumbo made on the industry, how the blacklist history relates to today’s climate, and more. Continue reading ‘How to Interview: The Cast of “Trumbo”’
