Good Night, and Good Luck. (2005)

User Rating:

7.7/10   

Director:

George Clooney

Writers (WGA):

George Clooney (written by) &
Grant Heslov (written by)

Release Date:

14 October 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History

Tagline:

We will not walk in fear of one another.

Plot:

Broadcast journalist 'Edward R. Murrow (I)' looks to bring down Senator Joseph McCarthy.

Plot Keywords:

Senator | Journalist | Communism | Wisconsin | 1950s

Awards:

Nominated for 6 Oscars. Another 22 wins & 61 nominations

Cast

Jeff Daniels	...	Sig Mickelson
David Strathairn	...	Edward R. Murrow
Alex Borstein	...	Natalie
Rose Abdoo	...	Millie Lerner
Dianne Reeves	...	Jazz Singer
Peter Martin	...	Pianist
Christoph Luty	...	Bassist
Jeff Hamilton	...	Drummer
Matt Catingub	...	Saxophonist
Tate Donovan	...	Jesse Zousmer
Reed Diamond	...	John Aaron
Matt Ross	...	Eddie Scott
Patricia Clarkson	...	Shirley Wershba
Robert Downey Jr.	...	Joe Wershba
George Clooney	...	Fred Friendly
Thomas McCarthy	...	Palmer Williams (as Tom McCarthy)
Glenn Morshower	...	Colonel Anderson
Don Creech	...	Colonel Jenkins
Grant Heslov	...	Don Hewitt
Robert John Burke	...	Charlie Mack
Ray Wise	...	Don Hollenbeck
Robert Knepper	...	Don Surine
Helen Slayton-Hughes	...	Mary
Frank Langella	...	William Paley
Simon Helberg	...	CBS Page
JD Cullum	...	Stage Manager
Peter Jacobson	...	Jimmy
John Kepley	...	CBS Lawyer #1
David Christian	...	CBS Lawyer #2 (as David Paul Christian)
Joyce Lasley	...	Make-up Girl
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Felix J. Boyle	...	Prominant Chicagoan (uncredited)
Roy M. Cohn	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Ray Donn	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Joseph Dowd	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Robert F. Kennedy	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Liberace	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Joseph McCarthy	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
John L. McClellan	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Katharine Phillips Moser	...	Jesse's Wife (uncredited)
Bruna Raynaud	...	Sig Mickelson's Wife (uncredited)
Alexana Thomas	...	Senator's wife (uncredited)
Rochelle Warner	...	Speech Wife (uncredited)
Joseph N. Welch	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)

Directed by
George Clooney

Writing credits (WGA)
George Clooney		(written by) &
Grant Heslov		(written by)

Produced by
Marc Butan	....	executive producer
Ben Cosgrove	....	executive producer
Mark Cuban	....	executive producer
Jennifer Fox	....	executive producer
Simon Franks	....	co-producer
Samuel Hadida	....	co-executive producer
Victor Hadida	....	co-executive producer
Barbara A. Hall	....	co-producer
Grant Heslov	....	producer
Zygi Kamasa	....	co-producer
Kiyotaka Ninomiya	....	co-producer
Chris Salvaterra	....	executive producer
Jeff Skoll	....	executive producer
Steven Soderbergh	....	executive producer
Todd Wagner	....	executive producer

Cinematography by
Robert Elswit

Film Editing by
Stephen Mirrione

Casting by
Ellen Chenoweth

Production Design by
James D. Bissell		(as Jim Bissell)

Art Direction by
Christa Munro

Set Decoration by
Jan Pascale

Costume Design by
Louise Frogley

Makeup Department
Ron Berkeley	....	key makeup artist
Carolyn Elias	....	hair stylist
Kimberly Felix	....	assistant makeup artist (as Kimberly Felix Burke)
Violet Ortiz	....	hair stylist
Waldo Sanchez	....	hair department head
Waldo Sanchez	....	makeup department head
Kathleen Vercruysse	....	assistant makeup artist
Joy Zapata	....	key hair stylist
Elena Arroy	....	additional makeup artist (uncredited)
Barbara Cantu	....	hair stylist (uncredited)
Carol Collini	....	additional makeup artist (uncredited)
Ginger Damon	....	hair stylist (uncredited)
Edward Morrison	....	personal hair stylist (uncredited)

Production Management
Barbara A. Hall	....	unit production manager
Peter Phillips	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Melissa V. Barnes	....	second assistant director
Richard Gonzales	....	second second assistant director
David J. Webb	....	first assistant director (as David Webb)

Art Department
Alan Alvarado	....	propmaker
Ellis J. Barbacoff	....	assistant property master
Heidi Baumgarten	....	buyer
Jenny Baum	....	on-set dresser (as Jenny D. Baum)
Tony Bonaventura	....	property master
Tony Buccola	....	art production assistant
Gae S. Buckley	....	set designer (as Gae Buckley)
Alan Burg	....	set dresser
Louise Del Araujo	....	lead
Robert Danté Denne	....	paint foreman
Robert E. Denne	....	painter
Duane Fellows	....	painter
Edward A. Giron	....	labor foreman
Deborah Harman	....	set dresser
Karen Higgins	....	construction coordinator (as Karen D. Higgins)
Mats Holmberg	....	propmaker
Steven Kissick	....	general foreman
Charlotte Raybourn	....	art department coordinator
Mark Rodriguez	....	set dresser
Ronald F. Savini Jr.	....	plaster foreman (as Ron Savini)
Susie Thompson	....	set dresser
Brian Tipton	....	propmaker gang boss
Steven Valenzuela	....	gang boss (as Steve R. Valenzuela)
Steven Valenzuela	....	toolman (as Steve R. Valenzuela)
L. David Gordon	....	draper (uncredited)
Emily Lawless	....	painter (uncredited)
Gregory Lynch Jr.	....	carpenter (uncredited)
Richard Robinson	....	propmaker (uncredited)

Sound Department
Lance Brown	....	sound re-recording mixer
Robert Corti	....	audio restorer
Susan Dudeck	....	dialogue editor
Aaron Glascock	....	sound re-recording mixer
Aaron Glascock	....	supervising sound editor
Eric Gotthelf	....	adr mixer
Randall L. Johnson	....	boom operator (as Randy Johson)
Pamela Kahn	....	foley artist
Mary Jo Lang	....	foley mixer
Oscar Mitt	....	assistant sound editor
Alyson Dee Moore	....	foley artist (as Alyson Moore)
Scott Morgan	....	foley recordist
Rocky Quiroz	....	utility sound
John Roesch	....	foley artist
Curt Schulkey	....	sound re-recording mixer
Curt Schulkey	....	supervising sound editor
Carolyn Tapp	....	adr recordist
John Joseph Thomas	....	sound effects editor
Edward Tise	....	production sound mixer

Special Effects by
Ron Bolanowski	....	special effects coordinator
Roy K. Cancino	....	special effects technician (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Ernie Camacho	....	visual effects compositor
Trey Freeman	....	visual effects compositor
Paul Hill	....	visual effects compositor
Joshua Jordan	....	visual effects compositor
John Kearns	....	digital restoration
Kenney Kimble	....	visual effects compositor
David Lebovitz	....	visual effects compositor
LaNelle Mason	....	digital restoration
Eric Myers	....	visual effects compositor
Elizabeth Ostermann	....	digital restoration
Steve Rundell	....	vice president of production: TDI
Brad Sutton	....	digital restoration
Caoilfhionn Sweeney	....	visual effects producer
Wilson Tang	....	digital restoration

Camera and Electrical Department
John Amorelli	....	rigging electrician
Mike Amorelli	....	rigging electrician (as Michael Amorelli)
Colin Anderson	....	camera operator
Douglas Bard	....	rigging electrician
Scott Barnes	....	lighting programmer
Michael Bauman	....	chief lighting technician
Arthur Borquez	....	rigging grip (as Art Morques)
J.A. Byerly	....	rigging gaffer
Mitch Byerly	....	rigging electrician
Walter Byrnes	....	rigging grip
Robert Clancey	....	rigging grip
John T. Connor	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Eric Cross	....	dolly grip
Thomas M. Dangcil	....	electrician (as Tommy Dangcil)
Joe Garcia	....	best boy electric: CBS
William Glasscock	....	fixtures
Ivan Gonzalez	....	grip
Melinda Sue Gordon	....	still photographer
James Heywood	....	rigging grip
Barry Idoine	....	first assistant camera: "a" camera
Michael Kenner	....	key grip
Alexandra Kravetz	....	second assistant camera: "b" camera
Jeff Kunkel	....	dolly grip
Paul Lambiase	....	rigging grip
John Morris	....	best boy grip (as John P. Morris)
Thomas Nead	....	rigging electrician (as Tom Nead)
Eric Nieber	....	best boy grip: CBS
Simone Perusse	....	assistant chief lighting technician
Tom Schurke	....	24 frame video engineer
Tom Schurke	....	24 frame video supervisor
David D. Scott	....	video assist
Hank Sheppherd	....	key rigging grip
Larissa Supplitt	....	second assistant camera: "a" camera
Michael Tolochko	....	electrician
Matthew W. Williams	....	film loader
Ryan Piers Williams	....	camera production assistant
Earl C. Williman	....	rigging best boy electric (as Earl 'The Badger' Williman)
Andrew Wilson	....	rigging grip
Colin Anderson	....	Steadicam operator (uncredited)
P.J. Gaynard	....	rigging electrician (uncredited)
Michael Lyon	....	additional electrician (uncredited)
Damon Marcellino	....	set lighting technician (uncredited)
Mark Mele	....	rigging electrician (uncredited)
Michael Pinkey	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Ryan Shopay	....	set lighting (uncredited)

Casting Department
Lynne Redding	....	voice casting
Rachel Tenner	....	casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Shandra Beri	....	costumer
Lucinda Campbell	....	key costumer
Lynda Foote	....	costume supervisor
Deborah Latham	....	costumer (as Deborah Binkley)
Kanani Wolf	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Matt Absher	....	second assistant editor
Chris Addis	....	dailies digitizing
Joe Cook	....	colorist: dailies
Douglas Crise	....	first assistant editor
Alex Hernandez	....	imaging technician
Loc Hoang	....	imaging technician
Steve Hodge	....	imaging technician
Christopher Kutcka	....	imaging supervisor (as Chris Kutcka)
Stephen Nakamura	....	digital film colorist
Mark Sahagun	....	digital conform
Gregg Schaublin	....	digital intermediate producer
Kevin Schwab	....	imaging technician
Brian Ufberg	....	assistant editor
Marc Wuertemburg	....	post-production: 2929 Entertainment

Music Department
Matt Catingub	....	music arranger
Matt Catingub	....	musician: saxophone
Jeff Hamilton	....	musician: drums
Robert Hurst	....	musician: bass
Kevin Koloff	....	music counsel
Christoph Luty	....	musician: bass
Peter Martin	....	musician: piano
Allen Sviridoff	....	music supervisor
Peter Rotter	....	music contractor (uncredited)

Transportation Department
David Florio	....	driver
Paul Jones	....	driver
William 'Scott' Pierson	....	transportation captain (as William Scott Pierson)
Dusty Saunders	....	transportation coordinator
Paul Saunders	....	driver
Patrick Sullivan	....	driver
Brenda Ryan	....	driver (uncredited)

Other crew
Lonnie Bosak	....	office production assistant
Brinton Bryan	....	key set production assistant
Steve Calalang	....	scanning technician
Tad Driscoll	....	accountant
Tara Duncan	....	assistant: Mr. Heslov
Carey Field	....	set production assistant
Bill Greenfield	....	set production assistant (as Billy Greenfield)
Shea Kammer	....	assistant accountant
Richard Kapenas	....	stock footage restoration
Michelle Lankwarden	....	assistant production coordinator
Angel McConnell	....	assistant: Mr. Clooney
Chris Munday	....	location manager
Diane H. Newman	....	script supervisor (as Diane Hassinger Newman)
Andrew Noren	....	additional film researcher
Lisa Oberhofer	....	liaison: BBC and CBS
Kenn Rabin	....	archival scene researcher
Jill L. Smith	....	production counsel
Bill Smythe	....	projectionist
Andy Tyler	....	assistant location manager
Lorraine Vos	....	assistant accountant
Ari Weiss	....	office production assistant
Joseph Wershba	....	consultant (as Joe Wershba)
Shirley Wershba	....	consultant
Nicole Widmyer	....	production coordinator
Jeff Winn	....	craft service
Christian Zak	....	scanning producer
Marc Gaffen	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Vanessa Grayson	....	utility stand-in (uncredited)

Thanks
Jason Krieger	....	thanks
Milo Radulovich	....	thanks
Joseph Wershba	....	thanks (as Joe Wershba)
Shirley Wershba	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Warner Independent Pictures (WIP)
• 2929 Productions
• Participant Productions
• Davis-Films
• Redbus Pictures
• Tohokushinsha Film
• Section Eight
• Metropolitan (MTA) (uncredited)

Distributors

• 2929 International (2004) (non-USA) (all media) (sales)
• Ascot Elite Entertainment Group (2006) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Becker Group (2006) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Cathay-Keris Films (2006) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Distribution Company (2006) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Intercinema Art Agency (2006) (Russia) (theatrical)
• Kinowelt Filmverleih (2006) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2006) (Germany) (DVD)
• Lionsgate (2006) (UK) (all media)
• Manga Films (2006) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Mediafilm (2006) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Metropolitan Filmexport (2006) (France) (theatrical)
• Odeon (2006) (Greece) (theatrical)
• Palace Pictures (2006) (Czech Republic) (theatrical)
• Pandasia Entertainment (2006) (Taiwan) (theatrical)
• Paradiso Entertainment (2006) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Paradiso Home Entertainment (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Paris Filmes (2006) (Brazil) (theatrical)
• Paris Filmes (2006) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Pinema (2005) (Turkey) (theatrical)
• Pony Canyon (2006) (Japan) (DVD)
• Prorom Media-Trade (2005) (Romania) (theatrical)
• Redbus Film Distribution (2006) (UK) (theatrical)
• Scanbox Entertainment (2006) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Scanbox Entertainment (2006) (Finland) (DVD)
• Scanbox Sweden (2006) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2006) (Canada) (DVD)
• Stadtkino Verleih (2005) (Austria) (theatrical)
• TVA International (2006) (Canada) (DVD)
• Tohokushinsha Film (2006) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Videovision Entertainment (2006) (South Africa) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Independent Pictures (WIP) (2005) (USA) (theatrical)

Special Effects

• Technicolor Creative Services (visual effects)

Other Companies

• Aargil Video  archival film transfers
• BBC Motion Gallery  archive footage
• Barkin / Smith  production counsel
• CBS Studio Center  special thanks
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera cranes and dollies
• Cineric  archival sound transfers
• Concord Jazz  soundtrack
• EC Prop Rentals  props set dressing (as EC Props)
• Falco Ink.  publicity
• History For Hire  vintage television and studio equipment
• Landov  archival footage
• NBC News Archives  archival footage
• Original Filmvideo Library  archival footage
• Panavision  camera and lenses
• Pivotal Post  Avid editing equipment provided by
• Pivotal Post  HD services
• Pivotal Post  editorial facilities
• Rogers & Cowan  publicity
• Scarlet Letters  main and end titles
• Sessions Payroll Management  extras payroll services
• Silver Screen Caterers  catering
• Sonoton Musik-Verlag  music
• TM Motion Picture Rentals  additional lighting equipment (as TM Motion Picture Equipment Rentals)
• Technicolor Digital Intermediates  digital intermediate
• Technicolor  archival film scanning
• Technicolor  color
• Technicolor  prints
• Trackwise at Full House Productions  archival sound transfers
• Warner Bros. Sound  sound re-recording services provided by (as Warner Bros. Post Production Sound)
• West Coast Theatrical  additional lighting equipment (as Branham-West Coast Theatrical)

Also Known As:

Good Night, and Good Luck (France)
Buenas noches, y buena suerte. (Argentina) (Spain) [es]
Boa Noite e Boa Sorte (Brazil) [pt]
Boa Noite, e Boa Sorte (Portugal) (original subtitled version) [pt]
Bonsoir, et bonne chance (Canada: French title) [fr]
Good Night, and Good Luck - Der Fall McCarthy (Germany) (TV title) [de]
Good Night, and Good Luck. (Germany) [de]
Good Night, and Good Luck. (Finland) [fi]
Good Night, and Good Luck. (Italy) [it]
Hyvää yötä ja onnea (Finland) (TV title) [fi]
Iyi geceler, iyi sanslar (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Kalinyhta, kai kali tyhi (Greece) [el]

MPAA:

Rated PG for mild thematic elements and brief language.

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA | UK | France | Japan

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

UK:PG | Ireland:PG | Finland:S | Australia:PG | Canada:G (British Columbia/Ontario/Quebec) | Canada:PG (Alberta/Manitoba/Nova Scotia) | Brazil:14 | Iceland:L | Argentina:Atp | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | Portugal:M/12 | USA:PG (certificate #41985) | Singapore:PG | Hungary:14 | Spain:13 | Germany:o.Al. | South Korea:12 | Malaysia:18PL (DVD) | Malaysia:(Banned) (theatrical) | Sweden:Btl

Filming Locations:

CBS Television City - 7800 Beverly Blvd., Fairfax, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Warner Independent Pictures (WIP)

Trivia:

The entire set was built on one floor. The elevator interior was built on a turntable, so it could be rotated to a new "floor" during unbroken shots. (In one scene, the CBS Records office is represented by a false wall that was then raised out of shot while the door was closed.)

Goofs:

Anachronisms: There is a plastic water bottle on the desk in the newsroom when Friendly, Wershba, and Murrow are standing around and talking.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Sig Mickelson: In 1935, Ed Murrow began his career with CBS. When World War II broke out, it was his voice that brought the Battle of Britain home to us, through his "This Is London" radio series. He started with us all, many of us here tonight, when television was in its infancy...

Movie Connections:

Featured in 2006 Independent Spirit Awards (2006) (TV)

Soundtrack:

TV is the Thing This Year

When Things Were Black and White

I've had the "Edward R. Murrow" Collection from CBS for years and have enjoyed watching it's biography of Murrow, the complete Milo Radulovich, McCarthy and Annie Lee Moss shows many times. I'm sure George Clooney must have these as well as he used the actual footage extensively in his fine drama "Good Night and Good Luck". As a previous poster said, by concentrating on what was actually presented, Clooney is able to focus on the ethical issues that were the real substance of the broadcasts, rather than the tragicomic personalities involved. He wants us to see that the same issues are in our lives today, (Clooney has had his own battles with would-be modern McCarthys like Bill O'Reilly), but he isn't going to force the issue. He's doing exactly what Murrow and Friendly did with the McCarthy broadcast: using the actual record to tell the story.

There are minor, but significant embellishments, mostly an impressive cast of actors who can tell us more with one look than an entire speech. Leading the way is David Straithairn as Murrow. Except for possessing a higher pitched voice than the original, he's got his man down cold. I would pick Frank Langella as William Paley, here presented as a man with ideals but who is rooted in the realities of business, the sort of guy who has to make the tough decisions the idealists like Murrow don't have to or want to deal with. Then there is Ray Wise as the vulnerable Don Hollenbeck, who was one of the co-creators of "You Are There", a program this film somewhat resembles. He wound up being "there" when he didn't really want to be.

What really enhances the show is the black and white photography, (actually, according to the notes, it was "The film was shot on color film on a grayscale set, then color-corrected in post" – whatever that means). Not only does it heighten the drama, (magazine photographers, in the days when they had a choice, said "black and white for drama, color for excitement"), but the tremendous resolution seems to bring out each furrow and poor on each person's face, allowing the viewer to see into their souls.