Guilty of Treason (1950)

Director:

Felix E. Feist

Writers:

Emmet Lavery (screenplay)
Emmet Lavery (story)

Release Date:

20 February 1950 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History

Plot:

The story of Cardinal Josef Mindzhenty, a Roman Catholic cardinal from Hungary who spoke out against...

Plot Keywords:

Hungary | Investigative Reporter | Based On History | Forbidden Tune | Political Execution

Cast

Charles Bickford	...	Joszef Cardinal Mindszenty
Bonita Granville	...	Stephanie Varna
Paul Kelly	...	Tom Kelly
Richard Derr	...	Soviet Col. Aleksandr Melnikov
Roland Winters	...	Soviet Comissar Belov
Berry Kroeger	...	Hungarian State Police Col. Timar
John Banner	...	Dr. Szandor Deste
Alfred Linder	...	Janos, the waiter
Thomas Browne Henry	...	Hungarian Secret Police Col. Gabriel Peter [i.e. Peter Gabor]
Nestor Paiva	...	Hungarian Vice Premier Matyas Rakosi
Morgan Farley	...	Doctor
Lisa Howard	...	Soviet Official at School (as Lisa K. Howard)
Elisabeth Risdon	...	Mother Mindszenty
Gene Roth	...	Russian Soldier in Kelly's Bathroom
Kenneth MacDonald	...	Major Arresting Mindszenty

Also Known As:

As We See Russia (USA) (working title)
Treason (UK)

Runtime:

86 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Canada:PG (Ontario) | Belgium:Tous | Sweden:(Banned)

Filming Locations:

California Studios - 5530 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Freedom Productions Inc.

TRUTH REVEALED: GOOD PROPAGANDA FROM HOLLYWOOD

This movie was a perfect example of good propaganda. With a blunt instrument, it assaults the viewer with the stark facts of the Soviet domination of Hungary. This is a movie that shows an appreciation of what was happening behind the "iron curtain", before it was known by that name . The most amazing truth revealed is that over 50 years later, the Catholic Church still preaches the same principles. It is eerie to put today's characters into the roles cast in the movie, but that is what the movie is about: that the Russians replaced the Nazis as the world's greatest oppressors. I also noted that the character who was accused of plagiarism considered it an honor, as long as the words he stole were worth stealing. This character had the most resemblance to a real person, and I suspect that the screenwriter put a little more of himself into that character. He may have felt that he was "plagiarizing" a lot of the popular sentiment behind this movie, using cliche phrases and such. Still, viewed as a historical piece of American culture, this movie tells the story of good vs. evil in the most realistic and straightforward way that I've ever seen in a Hollywood film. This is when Hollywood CARED about freedom and human rights, and knew that we were on the right side in that fight. Nowadays, Hollywood portrays Catholics as evil more often than not, and the USA as the tyrannical occupying oppressor, either directly or peripherally. There are so many levels to this movie, even if the acting wasn't the greatest. This is a classic cultural movie in that it expresses true political activism of it's day, even dabbling in feminism. I highly recommend this movie as an antidote for today's culture of Anti-Americanism, and Anti-Catholicism. If this movie were remade today, I would imagine that the Russian commander would find religion, and marry the Hungarian girl, while the Soviet Empire crumbled around them. That would be a romantic story with a happy ending, and be faithful to history, as this movie was. Too bad that today's Hollywood wouldn't touch that story with a 10 foot pole! This movie could have been more subtle, but it is powerful as historical propaganda. The message makes up for the lack in other areas, and there are even spots of greatness in the acting, writing, and shooting of this movie. Overall, it's an average period piece, but after knowing what we know now, it carries much more weight than it did originally.

Chris Leavitt, Lynbrook, NY