This month, I selected ten films, documentaries, or television programs dealing with censorship. Many are based on actual people and events that have occurred in the United States.
When you watch some of these films, it’s hard to imagine people allowing lives and careers to be ruined by rumors and innuendo, but it’s still happening today.
The level of censorship experienced by Tom and Dick Smothers in the 1960s may be gone from television and films, but it still exists and has not changed for books. How many of my selections have you watched? The streaming information included below is subject to change without notice.
Inherit the Wind (1960) – This film is an American classic based on the play of the same name. The film was adapted by Nedrick Young who had been blacklisted and was forced to write using the pseudonym, Nathan E. Douglas. The story is a parable that fictionalizes the 1925 “Scopes Monkey Trial” as a way to discuss McCarthyism. Spencer Tracy stars as Henry Drummond, a lawyer defending a teacher for teaching Darwinism instead of Creationism in his classroom. Available to watch for free on Pluto Tv and Tubi or with a subscription to Amazon Prime Video. It can be rented from YouTube, Google Play Movies & TV, Apple TV, or Vudu.
The Front (1976) – Woody Allen stars as a politically apathetic restaurant cashier named Howard Prince in the 1950s. When Prince is approached by a blacklisted writer to submit his work and the work of other blacklisted writers under his name, Prince sees a way to make some cash. After witnessing the destruction of a comedian’s career by McCarthyism, Prince begins to understand that he has to speak up. Available to watch on Amazon Prime Video with a subscription or rent from YouTube, Google Play Movies & TV, Apple TV, or Vudu.
Guilty by Suspicion (1991) – Robert De Niro plays David Merrill, a Hollywood director called to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee. Merrill is based on the experiences of John Berry. He is not a communist, but he refuses to testify to protect his friend and colleague, Bunny Baxter (George Wendt). After Merrill is blacklisted, he has trouble staying employed because the FBI tracks his every move. The film examines the desperation of many Hollywood figures to survive these witch hunts at any cost. Available to watch free on YouTube or rent on Google Play Movies & TV, Apple TV, Vudu, or Amazon Prime Video.
Smothered: The Censorship Struggles of the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (2002) – Maureen Muldaur’s 92-minute documentary tells the story of the censorship struggles faced by Tom and Dick Smothers in the turbulent 1960s. Currently the only place I could find this DVD was on Amazon.com. Your local library might have a copy.
Good Night and Good Luck (2005) – David Strathairn stars as the veteran journalist, Edward R. Murrow in this Academy Award winning film co-written by Grant Heslov and George Clooney and directed by Clooney. Murrow saw early on the abuses of power committed by Senator Joseph McCarthy, and he boldly opposed McCarthy’s tactics. Available to watch on YouTube, Google Play Movies & TV, Apple TV, Vudu, and Amazon Prime Video.
Howl (2010) – James Franco stars as Alan Ginsberg in this film which explores the 1955 Six Gallery debut and the 1957 obscenity trial of 20t century poet, Alan Ginsberg’s famous poem, “Howl.” We see Ginsberg’s life as a child and an adult and the historical events he lived through which influenced his work. Available to watch for free on Puto TV, Peacock TV, Kanopy, Revry, Redbox, Prime Video, or Apple TV.
Cleanflix (2012) – This documentary examines the practice of “sanitizing films during the years between 2001 and 2008. Dozens of Utah DVD retailers were making unauthorized edited versions of popular films carefully removing violence, profanity, and sexual situations. It was a lucrative business until Hollywood found out. What happened next was a six-year battle in the court of public opinion and courts of law. Available to watch on The Roku Channel, Pluto TV and Tubi.
Trumbo (2015) – Bryan Cranston stars as Dalton Trumbo, who was a successful Hollywood screenwriter until the House Un-American Activities Committee headed by Senator Joseph McCarthy called on him to testify about his knowledge of colleagues in Hollywood with communist or radical ties. Trumbo refused to testify before the committee and was sentenced to 12 months in prison. He served 10 months, but when he was released he was blacklisted in Hollywood. During his incarceration and after his release, Trumbo continued to write screenplays using aliases. Available to watch on YouTube for free, or with a subscription to Max, Hulu, or Amazon Premium Video. Can be rented on Google Play Movies and TV, Apple TV, Redbox, or Vudu.
Spotlight (2015) – In 2001, editor Mary Baron of The Boston Globe assigns a team of journalists to investigate rumors of widespread and systemic child sex abuse in the Boston area by a number of Catholic priests. The film is loosely based on the findings of the “Spotlight team.” Available to watch on Max, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video with a subscription or you can rent it on YouTube, Google Play Movies and TV, Apple TV, Redbox, or Vudu.
Fahrenheit 451 (2018) – Michael Jordan stars as Guy Montag in the latest film adaptation of Ray Bradbury’s classic novel (written in 1953) about censorship. Montag is a firefighter, but instead of fighting fires, his unit burns books which are forbidden. After Montag meets a woman who makes him question his job, he becomes part of a secret movement to stop the destruction of books. Can he make a difference? Available to watch on Hulu or Max with a paid subscription. Rent or buy it on Apple TV, Amazon, Google Play, YouTube, or Vudu.
Sources for this article:
Films about Censorship | Portland Public Library | BiblioCommons