The Front (1976)

Director:

Martin Ritt

Writer:

Walter Bernstein (written by)

Release Date:

17 September 1976 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

America's Most Unlikely Hero.

Plot:

A cashier poses as a writer for blacklisted talents to submit their work through, but the injustice around him pushes him to take a stand.

Plot Keywords:

1950s | Cashier | Friend | Friendship | Blacklist

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win & 3 nominations

Cast

Woody Allen	...	Howard Prince
Zero Mostel	...	Hecky Brown
Herschel Bernardi	...	Phil Sussman
Michael Murphy	...	Alfred Miller
Andrea Marcovicci	...	Florence Barrett
Remak Ramsay	...	Hennessey
Marvin Lichterman	...	Myer Prince
Lloyd Gough	...	Delaney
David Margulies	...	Phelps
Joshua Shelley	...	Sam
Norman Rose	...	Howard's Attorney
Charles Kimbrough	...	Committee Counselor
Josef Sommer	...	Committee Chairman (as M. Josef Sommer)
Danny Aiello	...	Danny LaGattuta
Georgann Johnson	...	T. V. Interviewer
Scott McKay	...	Hampton
David Clarke	...	Hubert Jackson
I.W. Klein	...	Bank Teller
John Eric Bentley	...	Bartender (as John Bentley)
Julie Garfield	...	Margo
Murray Moston	...	Boss
MacIntyre Dixon	...	Harry Stone (as McIntyre Dixon)
Rudolph Willrich	...	Tailman (as Rudolph Wilrich)
Burt Britton	...	Bookseller
Albert Ottenheimer	...	School Principal (as Albert M. Ottenheimer)
William Bogert	...	Parks
Joey Faye	...	Waiter
Marilyn Sokol	...	Sandy
John J. Slater	...	T. V. Director
Renee Paris	...	Girl In Hotel Lobby (as Renée Paris)
Gino Gennaro	...	Stage Hand
Joan Porter	...	Myer's Wife
Andrew Bernstein	...	Alfred's Child
Jacob Bernstein	...	Alfred's Child
Matthew Tobin	...	Man At Party
Marilyn Persky	...	His Date
Sam McMurray	...	Young Man At Party
Joe Jamrog	...	F B I Man
Michael B. Miller	...	F B I Man (as Michael Miller)
Lucy Lee Flippin	...	Nurse
Jack Davidson	...	Congressman
Donald Symington	...	Congressman
Pat McNamara	...	Federal Marshal (as Patrick McNamara)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Mamie Eisenhower	...	Herself (archive footage)
Ethel Rosenberg	...	Herself (archive footage)
Joseph Bergmann	...	Demonstrator (uncredited)
Carson Grant	...	Eddy Waiter (uncredited)
Stephen Hayes	...	Alfred's child (uncredited)
Lauren Simon	...	Train Passenger (uncredited)

Directed by
Martin Ritt

Writing credits
Walter Bernstein		(written by)

Produced by
Robert Greenhut	....	associate producer
Charles H. Joffe	....	executive producer
Martin Ritt	....	producer
Jack Rollins	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Dave Grusin

Cinematography by
Michael Chapman		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Sidney Levin

Casting by
Juliet Taylor

Art Direction by
Charles Bailey

Set Decoration by
Robert Drumheller

Costume Design by
Ruth Morley

Makeup Department
Robert Jiras	....	makeup artist
Philip Leto	....	hair stylist (as Phil Leto)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Robert P. Cohen	....	dga trainee
Howard Himmelstein	....	dga trainee
Peter R. Scoppa	....	assistant director (as Peter Scoppa)
Ralph S. Singleton	....	second assistant director (as Ralph Singleton)

Art Department
Joseph M. Caracciolo	....	property master (as Joseph Caracciolo)
Marjorie Kellogg	....	assistant art director
Bruno Robotti	....	master scenic artist

Sound Department
Wayne Artman	....	sound re-recording mixer
Tom Beckert	....	sound re-recording mixer
Vito L. Ilardi	....	boom operator (as Vito Ilardi)
John H. Newman	....	sound editor
James Sabat	....	sound mixer
James G. Stewart	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Jim Stewart)
Roger Pietschmann	....	sound recordist (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Albert Whitlock	....	matte effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Bill Johnson	....	second assistant camera
Richard Quinlan	....	gaffer
Tibor Sands	....	first assistant camera
Fred Schuler	....	camera operator
Robert Ward	....	key grip
Josh Weiner	....	still photographer

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Peggy Farrell	....	wardrober: ladies
George Newman	....	wardrober: men

Editorial Department
Hy Friedman	....	assistant editor
Bruce Pearson	....	color timer (uncredited)

Music Department
Else Blangsted	....	music editor

Transportation Department
James Fanning	....	transportation captain

Other crew
B.J. Bjorkman	....	script supervisor
Peter Burrell	....	location manager
Christopher Cronyn	....	location manager (as Chris Cronyn)
Patricia Crown	....	production assistant
Golda David	....	assistant to producer
David Garfield	....	production assistant
Sam Goldrich	....	production auditor (as Samuel Goldrich)
Lois Kramer Hartwick	....	production office coordinator (as Lois Kramer)
Scott MacDonough	....	unit publicist (as Scott Mac Donough)
Susan McMahon	....	payroll
Beth Rudin	....	production assistant
Dennis Kear	....	stand-in: Woody Allen (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation
• Devon/Persky-Bright (as The Devon Company)
• Persky-Bright Productions
• Rollins-Joffe Productions

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1976) (USA) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1982) (USA) (TV)
• Warner-Columbia Film (1977) (France) (theatrical)
• Warner-Columbia Film (1977) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Warner-Columbia (1977) (Austria) (theatrical)
• LK-TEL Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• LK-TEL (????) (Argentina) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Cinema Research  titles
• Elliot, Unger and Elliot  video services
• Metrocolor  prints by
• T. B. C. Productions - II  production services by

Also Known As:

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Finland:K-12 | West Germany:12 | Singapore:PG | Iceland:L | Sweden:11 | USA:PG (Approved No. 24495) | UK:12 (DVD rating) | Ireland:12 (DVD rating) | Spain:T

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

This is the last on-screen film project for Zero Mostel.

Goofs:

Continuity: Investigator Hennessey, as his name is spelled in the credits, is shown sitting at his desk on which there is a nameplate which reads Francis K. Hennessy.

Quotes:

Howard Prince:That's the trouble with you leftos. You have this thing about money.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in I Am Woody (2003)

Soundtrack:

Young at Heart

A film that looks HUAC straight in the eye and doesn't flinch

The Front tells the story of an average Joe Loser whose friend, a blacklisted television writer asks for his identity so he can continue working. Thus begins not only an acceptable scam, but a personal odyssey for this man, played by Woody Allen. He begins to be become a `front' for other blacklisted writers as well, presenting their material as his own. His evolution is such that while he began to do this mainly for his own profit, he ends up taking a stand on behalf of the blacklisted artists he knows and along the way, finding his own relevance in life.

While starring Woody Allen, the film was directed by Martin Ritt, a blacklisted artist himself. Additionally, it featured a blacklisted writer and several blacklisted actors, including Zero Mostel. There are definite comedic moments in the film, but they are generally limited to a line or the facial expression of a character, therefore I consider this to be a largely dramatic film. (Albeit light drama). Making a comedy about HUAC (House Un-American Activities Committee) and the Hollywood Blacklist is like offering a comedy about the Salem Witch Trails. Both events involved the destruction of the lives of the victims due to the paranoia and hysteria of their contemporary societies and neither subject is comic fodder.

Of the films centering on HUAC that I have seen, The Front is by far the most representative and most meaningful I have seen to date. The Front is a very important chronicle of a dark period in 20th century history and deserves the many accolades it has received.

--Shelly