Oppenheimer

Oppenheimer 2023

8.07

The story of J. Robert Oppenheimer's role in the development of the atomic bomb during World War II.

2023

Chaplin

Chaplin 1992

7.43

An aged Charlie Chaplin narrates his life to his autobiography's editor, including his rise to wealth and comedic fame from poverty, his turbulent personal life and his run-ins with the FBI.

1992

The Way We Were

The Way We Were 1973

6.93

Two desperate people have a wonderful romance, but their political views and convictions drive them apart.

1973

Trumbo

Trumbo 2015

7.17

The career of screenwriter Dalton Trumbo is halted by a witch hunt in the late 1940s when he defies the anti-communist HUAC committee and is blacklisted.

2015

Good Night, and Good Luck.

Good Night, and Good Luck. 2005

7.08

The story of journalist Edward R. Murrow's stand against Senator Joseph McCarthy's anti-communist witch-hunts in the early 1950s.

2005

The Front

The Front 1976

7.00

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.

1976

Punishment Park

Punishment Park 1971

7.31

In this fictional documentary, U.S. prisons are at capacity, and President Nixon declares a state of emergency. All new prisoners, most of whom are connected to the antiwar movement, are now given the choice of jail time or spending three days in Punishment Park, where they will be hunted for sport by federal authorities. The prisoners invariably choose the latter option, but learn that, between the desert heat and the brutal police officers, their chances of survival are slim.

1971

Trumbo

Trumbo 2007

6.70

Through a focus on the life of Dalton Trumbo (1905-1976), this film examines the effects on individuals and families of a congressional pursuit of Hollywood Communists after World War II. Trumbo was one of several writers, directors, and actors who invoked the First Amendment in refusing to answer questions under oath. They were blacklisted and imprisoned. We follow Trumbo to prison, to exile in Mexico with his family, to poverty, to the public shunning of his children, to his writing under others' names, and to an eventual but incomplete vindication. Actors read his letters; his children and friends remember and comment. Archive photos, newsreels and interviews add texture. Written by

2007

Scandalize My Name: Stories from the Blacklist

Scandalize My Name: Stories from the Blacklist 1998

7.70

A look at the confluence of the Red Scare, McCarthyism, and blacklists with the post-war activism by African Americans seeking more and better roles on radio, television, and stage. It begins in Harlem, measures the impact of Paul Robeson and the campaign to bring him down, looks at the role of HUAC, J. Edgar Hoover and of journalists such as Ed Sullivan, and ends with a tribute to Canada Lee. Throughout are interviews with men and women who were there, including Dick Campbell of the Rose McLendon Players and Fredrick O'Neal of the American Negro Theatre. In the 1940s and 1950s, anti-Communism was one more tool to maintain Jim Crow and to keep down African-Americans.

1998

Girls in Prison

Girls in Prison 1994

4.50

Framed for the murder of a record company president in 1952 Hollywood, young, aspiring singer Aggie O'Hanlon is sentenced to life in prison and tries to adjust to her life life behind bars in a hellish womens prison where she is befriended by other "lifer" inmates who help her out when Aggie finds herself marked for murder by an unknown source who thinks she knows more about the murder than she does.

1994

The Untameable Kirk Douglas

The Untameable Kirk Douglas 2017

6.20

The story of actor Kirk Douglas, the man and the legend, one of the last stars of the Golden Age of Hollywood. An epic journey through the 20th century and the entire history of Hollywood. A testimony of the huge scope of his life and the scale of the myth. The untameable Kirk Douglas, the ragman's son.

2017

The Trials of Alger Hiss

The Trials of Alger Hiss 1980

3.50

Documentary by lifelong friend that supports the innocence of Alger Hiss (convicted in January 1950 on two counts of espionage-related perjury)

1980

Fear on Trial

Fear on Trial 1975

9.00

The story of John Henry Faulk, a radio/TV personality of the 1950s, who was blacklisted during the McCarthy era. Faulk sued the organization that was behind the blacklisting, and the resultant trial, and Faulk's victory, helped to put an end to the blacklisting period.

1975

FBI contre Hollywood

FBI contre Hollywood 2001

5.00

Based on information from FBI cases, this documentary investigates the dark years of American cinema and attempts to discover the mechanisms leading to one of the most diabolical periods in US history.

2001

Arthur Miller: A Man of His Century

Arthur Miller: A Man of His Century 2015

7.50

An unparalleled portrait of Arthur Miller (1915-2005), a major writer who left an indelible mark on the world. Miller's life is intimately connected with the great themes that marked the 20th century. Glamour, fame, social criticism and Marilyn Monroe.

2015

Paul Robeson: 20th Century Renaissance Man, Entertainer & Activist

Paul Robeson: 20th Century Renaissance Man, Entertainer & Activist 1994

1

Paul Robeson was a celebrated African-American Actor, Athlete, Singer, Writer, and Civil Rights Activist. Robeson's many achievements are chronicled in this program, ranging from playing with the NFL to graduating from Columbia Law School, performing on Broadway and in Hollywood films to founding the American Crusade against Lynching as well as Council on African Affairs. Robeson was one of the most talented performers of his time and a dedicated humanitarian who ultimately sacrificed fame and fortune for what he believed in. His association with Leftist Politics during the era of the Cold War, and frequent denouncing of American political parties led to his eventual blacklisting with other prominent writers and artists during the McCarthy Era. His talents in all areas are remarkable, and his dedication to attaining a peaceful coexistence between all the people of the world is truly admirable.

1994

Wandering Zero

Wandering Zero 2024

1

A man hires another man to kill him but changes his mind at the very last moment.

2024

American Inquisition

American Inquisition 1983

1

An examination of the effect of McCarthyism on two ordinary Americans. Interviews with Paul McCarty and his family describe the loss of his job in a Paducah, Kentucky power plant in 1953 when his loyalty was questioned; he lost job after job for over twenty years. Interview with Luella Mundel, the object of false accusations based on her unconventional views and actions. Interviews with colleagues, friends, and a historian recreate the dramatic trial which devastated Mundel personally.

1983

Fellow Travelers

Fellow Travelers 2023

8.33

A chronicle of a decades-long volatile romance between two men — from their first meeting during the height of the 1950s Lavender Scare to the AIDS crises of the 1980s.

2023