Winchell (1998)

The true story of the influential and controversial columnist, Walter Winchell.

Director:

Paul Mazursky

Writers:

Herman Klurfeld (book), Scott Abbott (teleplay)

Stars:

Stanley Tucci, Glenne Headly, Paul Giamatti

Won 1 Golden Globe. Another 6 wins & 15 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Stanley Tucci	...	Walter Winchell
Glenne Headly	...	Dallas Wayne
Paul Giamatti	...	Herman Kurfeld
Christopher Plummer	...	Franklin D. Roosevelt
Xander Berkeley	...	Gavreau
Kevin Tighe	...	William Randolph Hearst
Frank Medrano	...	Melvin Diamond
Vic Polizos	...	Sam Hague
John F. O'Donohue	...	Harry the Doorman (as John O'Donohue)
Michael Greene	...	Bellamy
Rod McCary	...	Emcee
Victoria Gabrielle Platt	...	Josephine Baker
Jonathan Aaron	...	Rabbi (as Rabbi Jonathan Aaron)
Pat Asanti	...	Vaudeville Magician
Sean Michael Allen	...	Mirror Reporter (as Sean Barnes)

Storyline

Biopic of the controversial muckraking journalist Walter Winchell. After spending 12 years in vaudeville, Winchell began writing a column in the New York Mirror. Part gossip, part half-truths, the reporting focused on well-known or prominent individuals and their dalliances. Winchell grew in popularity, particularly when he started his weekly Sunday night radio show. His reporting became more political in the late 1930s when he railed against Hitler. His star began to fall in the 1950s when Josephine Baker was refused service at the Stork Club and Winchell allegedly refused to do anything about it. The end came with his support of Sen. Joseph McCarthy and his own rabid anti-communism. Following McCarthy's style, Winchell accused anyone who stood in his way of being a communist. Soon, he found himself facing lawsuits, a failed attempt at a television show and eventually, the cancellation of his radio show.

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Plot Keywords:

columnist | radio | writing | career | 1950s | 

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Taglines:

Radio's godfather of gossip.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and a scene of strong sexuality

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 November 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

O Poder da Notícia

Filming Locations:

Mount St. Mary's College, Doheny Mansion - 10 Chester Pl, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

HBO Films,Fried Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The character of Dallas Wayne is a fictionalized version of real-life Winchell confidante and speakeasy owner Texas Guinan.

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Goofs

When Winchell does a Las Vegas nightclub act in 1958, a sign can be seen advertising a show starring Seigfried and Roy - who didn't become headliners until years after Winchell's death.

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Quotes

Walter Winchell: Hitler hates me. He hates me!
Newstand Operator: Yeah, well, Joe Stalin hasn't sent me a Christmas card either.

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Crazy Credits

Richard Kent Green was Stanley Tucci's stand-in for both the Central Park scenes in New York and the photo shoot for the poster.

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Connections

Featured in The 56th Annual Golden Globe Awards (1999)

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Soundtracks

Stardust
Written by Hoagy Carmichael and Mitchell Parish
Performed by Glenn Miller
Courtesy of Rainwood Records
By Arrangement with Warner Special Products

User Reviews

Could have been so much more

Stanley Tucci is an amazing actor, and in this film we were only treated to a mere glimpse of his ability. The best performance, I think, was by Paul Giamatti as his long-suffering ghost writer. This film was engaging, and at times it was very much so. However, it tries to convey too much history and too much time in its hour and fifty minutes. I don't know, some movies manage to tell the story of someone's entire life and make it seem like a life is actually passing by. This one, however, seemed fragmented. They began to lose me with each large jump in the timeline. It was like a synopsis of his life--it left me wanting more because it only seemed to scratch the surface of the many events in his life (for example, when he went to Brazil during WWII).