A film about a Hollywood screenwriter blacklisted by the movie industry after 1940s witch hunts for American Communists will be screened and discussed on Nov. 3 at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
A film about a Hollywood screenwriter blacklisted by the movie industry after 1940s witch hunts for American Communists will be screened and discussed on Nov. 3 at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Will Battersby, a producer of the film “Trumbo” (Samuel Goldwyn Films, 2008), will screen and discuss the work at 6 p.m. in the Hanes Art Center auditorium.
On Nov. 4, Battersby will give two talks at UNC. He will discuss the movie development and producing process and highlight an upcoming film in a brown-bag lunch talk at noon in Room 3413 of the Frank Porter Graham Student Union. The discussion will continue at 6 p.m., with a question-and-answer session to follow, in room 116 of Murphey Hall.
“Trumbo,” a documentary about screenwriter Dalton Trumbo, features footage of interviews and a series of dramatic monologues of his letters performed by stars including Joan Allen, Michael Douglas, Paul Giamatti, Josh Lucas, Liam Neeson and Donald Sutherland.
In 1947, Trumbo and nine other screenwriters were called before the House UnAmerican Activities Committee to speak about alleged communist propaganda and influence in the movie industry. Trumbo, a Communist Party member, and the others refused to identify industry colleagues suspected of ties to the party, resulting in contempt of Congress charges.
Trumbo spent 11 months in prison, but the effects of the experience were more long-lasting. Producers influenced by the committee refused to hire the Hollywood Ten, as the screenwriters were known. Trumbo hid behind names of others or wrote under pseudonyms, so that two Oscars for his work went to others or nonexistent writers.
Finally, in 1960, actor Kirk Douglas and director Otto Preminger insisted that Trumbo be credited for his screenplays for “Spartacus” and “Exodus.” Trumbo died in 1976 at age 70.
Battersby is a partner at Reno Productions, a film, TV and theater production company based in New York. Production will begin in January on his next film, “White Lies,” starring Amanda Peet. His UNC visit is sponsored by the writing for the screen and stage program in UNC’s College of Arts and Sciences.
College of Arts and Sciences contact: Kim Spurr, (919) 962-4093, spurrk@email.unc.edu
News Services contact: L.J. Toler, (919) 962-8589