The Front (1976)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

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 | McCarthyism | Bookmaker | Communist Menace

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 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 Bentley	...	Bartender
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:
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 J. Burrell	....	location manager (as Peter Burrell)
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) (broadcast premiere)
• LK-TEL Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Warner-Columbia Film (1977) (Sweden) (theatrical)

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:

Der Strohmann (Austria) (West Germany) [de]
A jónevü senki (Hungary) [hu]
Aldrig i livet (Sweden) [sv]
El testaferro (Venezuela) [es]
Figurant (Poland) [pl]
Il prestanome (Italy) [it]
La tapadera (Spain) [es]
Le prête-nom (France) [fr]
Musta lista (Finland) [fi]
O Testa de Ferro (Portugal) [pt]
Stråmanden (Denmark) [da]
Svartelesten (Norway) [no]
Testa-de-ferro Por Acaso (Brazil) [pt]
Vitrina, I... (Greece) [el]

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

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

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:

Florence Barrett: A writer looks for trouble.
Howard Prince: No, wrong. A lunatic looks for trouble.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Simpsons: The Front (#4.19)" (1993)

Soundtrack:

Daisy Bell

Classic drama, rife with paranoia

I don't profess to know anything more about 'the McCarthy era' than any other non-American that wasn't around in the fifties, but this film serves as both a great slice of entertainment; and something of a history lesson. The film is said to be a comedy, although it would seem to be played out more for the drama side as aside from Woody Allen's usual neurotic quips; there aren't actually any jokes in the film. That certainly doesn't harm it, however, as Martin Ritt's film has more than enough in reserve, as the story is interesting enough on it's own; and themes of 'the witch-hunt', as well as the idea of being guilty until proved innocent shine through. The story follows Howard Prince (Woody Allen) a cashier who, when asked by his friend who is on the 'blacklist', poses as a TV writer so the blacklisted writer can still work. The film takes place in the time when paranoia over communism was rife in America, and anyone that is suspected of associating with communists was no longer allowed to work. The scam goes on, but the more Prince is dragged into it, the harder it is for him to get out.

Like I say, I didn't know much about the era before going into the film; but I'm sure it's an important part of American history; if only for the fact that it's inspired a lot of great films, including the great original version of 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers'. I've been a big fan of Woody Allen ever since I first saw one of his films, and his performance here takes in all the best elements of his persona. The character; a talentless man garnering praise for someone else's work, suits Allen's personality like a glove, as the paranoid actor gets to show us how neurotic he can be. Support comes by way of the likes of Zero Mostel, Michael Murphy and Andrea Marcovicci; and all give nice supporting performances. Director Michael Ritt ensures that the themes of the story are always rife, as the film presents a great sense of foreboding, and scenes such as the one that see an innocent writer told that he can't be got off the hook because he hasn't done anything help to ensure this. On the whole, The Front is a great classic film, and sees Allen in one of his best roles.