Cradle Will Rock (1999)

A true story of politics and art in the 1930s U.S., focusing on a leftist musical drama and attempts to stop its production.

Director:

Tim Robbins

Writer:

Tim Robbins

Stars:

Hank Azaria, Rubén Blades, Joan Cusack

5 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Hank Azaria	...	Marc Blitzstein
Rubén Blades	...	Diego Rivera
Joan Cusack	...	Hazel Huffman
John Cusack	...	Nelson Rockefeller
Cary Elwes	...	John Houseman
Philip Baker Hall	...	Gray Mathers
Cherry Jones	...	Hallie Flanagan
Angus Macfadyen	...	Orson Welles
Bill Murray	...	Tommy Crickshaw
Vanessa Redgrave	...	Countess Constance La Grange
Susan Sarandon	...	Margherita Sarfatti
Jamey Sheridan	...	John Adair
John Turturro	...	Aldo Silvano
Emily Watson	...	Olive Stanton
Bob Balaban	...	Harry Hopkins

Storyline

In 1930s New York Orson Welles tries to stage a musical on a steel strike under the Federal Theater Program despite pressure from an establishment fearful of industrial unrest and red activity. Meanwhile Nelson Rockefeller gets the foyer of his company headquarters decorated and an Italian countess sells paintings for Mussolini.

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Plot Keywords:

reference to franklin d. roosevelt | frida kahlo character | diego rivera character | bertolt brecht character | marion davies character | 

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Taglines:

On 12.10.99, make history.

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some language and sexuality

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Italian

Release Date:

21 January 2000 (USA)

Also Known As:

Abajo el telón

Filming Locations:

USA

Box Office

Budget:

$32,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$93,998, 12 December 1999, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$2,899,970, 23 April 2000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cradle Productions Inc., Havoc, Touchstone Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

132 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Tim Robbins considered playing Orson Welles. Rainn Wilson was also considered and auditioned.

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Goofs

The opening scene takes place in "Fall 1936", but the newsreel says Italian forces are "poised to invade" Ethiopia. The invasion actually took place in October 1935.

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Quotes

Congressman Starnes: You are quoting from this Marlowe. Is he a Communist?
Hallie Flanagan: I am very sorry. I was quoting from Christopher Marlowe.
Congressman Starnes: Tell us who Marlowe is, so we can get the proper reference, because that is all we want to do.
Hallie Flanagan: Put in the record that he was the greatest dramatist in the period immediately preceding Shakespeare.

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Crazy Credits

This film was edited on old fashioned machines.

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Connections

Featured in At the Movies: Man on the Moon/Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo/Cradle Will Rock/The Cider House Rules (1999)

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Soundtracks

Nickel under the foot
Written by Marc Blitzstein
Performed by PJ Harvey (as Polly Jean Harvey) with Bob Ellis

User Reviews

Robbins/Sarandon Manifesto

This is a romantic look at 1930's liberalism, with a ham-handed script that pits the evil fascists against the enlightened intellectuals.

It tries to be a little of everything, and doesn't quite pull it off. It alternates from a comedy, to poignant vignettes of depression era poverty, to a musical, to farce, to political drama. I just felt Robbins couldn't make up his mind as what this film was supposed to be. I am guessing that most of it wound up on the cutting room floor, and maybe a longer film would have allowed some of these themes to develop more completely.

It has one of the largest casts I've ever seen. It seems everyone in Hollywood wanted to get in on this one.

The biggest problem I had with the film was that if you weren't one of the warmly-portrayed socialists, then you were either a simple minded right wing alarmist, or a big businessman in bed with the fascists.

One thing is clear - Robbins and Sarandon yearn for the days when being part of the far, far left was fashionable.