Guilty by Suspicion
| Guilty by Suspicion | |
|---|---|
 Promotional movie poster for the film | |
| Directed by | Irwin Winkler |
| Written by | Irwin Winkler |
| Produced by | Arnon Milchan |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Michael Ballhaus |
| Edited by | Priscilla Nedd-Friendly |
| Music by | James Newton Howard |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
Release date |
|
Running time | 105 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $16 million |
| Box office | $9.48 million |
Guilty by Suspicion is a 1991 American drama film about the Hollywood blacklist, McCarthyism, and the activities of the House Un-American Activities Committee. Written and directed by Irwin Winkler, it stars Robert De Niro, Annette Bening, and George Wendt. The character of David Merrill was inspired by the experiences of John Berry during the Hollywood blacklist era.[1]
The film was entered into the 1991 Cannes Film Festival.[2]
Plot summary[]
 | This article needs an improved plot summary. (October 2015) |
David Merrill, a director in 1950s Hollywood, returns from abroad to find that a rising tide of McCarthyism and the Red Scare has led to him not being allowed to work in films. He will only be allowed to direct once he implicates colleagues as Communist agents. He must decide whether to turn informant, or to stick to principle at the cost of his life's work.
Cast[]
- Robert De Niro as David Merrill
- Annette Bening as Ruth Merrill
- George Wendt as Bunny Baxter
- Patricia Wettig as Dorothy Nolan
- Sam Wanamaker as Felix Graff
- Luke Edwards as Paulie Merrill
- Chris Cooper as Larry Nolan
- Ben Piazza as Darryl F. Zanuck
- Martin Scorsese as Joe Lesser
- Barry Primus as Bert Alan
- Gailard Sartain as Chairman Wood
- Robin Gammell as Congressman Clyde Howard Tavenner
- Brad Sullivan as Congressman Harold H. Velde
- Tom Sizemore as Ray Karlin
- Stuart Margolin as Abe Barron
- Roxann Biggs as Felicia Barron
- Barry Tubb as Jerry Cooper
Reception[]
The film opened to good reviews and earned praise for Robert De Niro's performance. Roger Ebert gave the film three-and-a-half out of four stars and wrote that the film "teaches a lesson we are always in danger of forgetting: that the greatest service we can do our country is to be true to our conscience."[3]
References[]
- ^ Oliver, Myrna (December 1, 1999). "John Berry; Blacklisted Film Director Relocated Overseas". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ "Festival de Cannes: Guilty by Suspicion". festival-cannes.com. Retrieved 2009-08-09.
- ^ "Guilty By Suspicion". Chicago Sun-Times. The Chicago Sun-Times. 1991-03-15. Retrieved 2013-10-22.
External links[]
- Guilty by Suspicion at IMDb
- Guilty by Suspicion at AllMovie
- Guilty by Suspicion at Rotten Tomatoes
- Guilty by Suspicion at Box Office Mojo
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- 1991 films
- English-language films
- American legal drama films
- 1991 drama films
- 1990s legal films
- American courtroom films
- Films directed by Irwin Winkler
- Films about the Hollywood blacklist
- Warner Bros. films
- Films scored by James Newton Howard
- Films set in 1951
- American films
- 1991 directorial debut films
- 1990s drama film stubs