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The Front ()

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In 1953, 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.
Director:
Writer:
Stars:
Awards:
  • Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 1 win & 4 nominations.
  • See more »
Reviews:

Photos and Videos

44 photos | 1 video

Cast verified as complete

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Howard Prince
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Hecky Brown
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Phil Sussman
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Alfred Miller
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Florence Barrett
Remak Ramsay ...
Francis Hennessey
Marvin Lichterman ...
Myer Prince
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Herbert Delaney
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William Phelps
Joshua Shelley ...
Sam
Norman Rose ...
Howard's Attorney
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Committee Counselor
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Committee Chairman (as M. Josef Sommer)
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Danny LaGattuta
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T.V. Interviewer
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Tom Hampton
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Hubert Jackson
I.W. Klein ...
Bank Teller (as I. W. Klein)
John Bentley ...
Bartender
Julie Garfield ...
Margo
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Boss
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Harry Stone (as McIntyre Dixon)
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Tailman (as Rudolph Wilrich)
Burt Britton ...
Bookseller
Albert Ottenheimer ...
School Principal (as Albert M. Ottenheimer)
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Steve Parks
Joey Faye ...
Waiter
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Sandy
John J. Slater ...
T.V. Director
Renee Paris ...
Girl in Hotel Lobby (as Renée Paris)
Gino Gennaro ...
Stage Hand
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Myer's Wife
Andrew Bernstein ...
Alfred's Child
Jacob Bernstein ...
Alfred's Child
Matthew Tobin ...
Man at Party
Marilyn Persky ...
Date of Man at Party
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Young Man at Party
Joe Jamrog ...
FBI Man
Michael Miller ...
FBI Man
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Nurse
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Congressman
Donald Symington ...
Congressman
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Federal Marshal (as Patrick McNamara)
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Penny Duncan ...
Self - Mrs. America 1952 (archiveFootage)
Jean Kerr Minetti ...
Self - Wedding to Joe McCarthy (archiveFootage)
Joseph Bergmann ...
Demonstrator (uncredited)
Bruce Detrick ...
Bellman (uncredited)
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Self - 1952 Number Retirement (uncredited) (archiveFootage)
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Self - 1953 Inauguration Gala (uncredited) (archiveFootage)
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Self - 1953 Inauguration Gala (uncredited) (archiveFootage)
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Eddy Waiter (uncredited)
Stephen Hayes ...
Alfred's Child (uncredited)
Jean Fraser Kerr ...
Self - McCarthy's Bride (uncredited) (archiveFootage)
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Self - 1951 Ticker Tape Parade (uncredited) (archiveFootage)
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Self (uncredited) (archiveFootage)
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Self - 1953 Wedding (uncredited) (archiveFootage)
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Self - 1953 Inauguration Gala (uncredited) (archiveFootage)
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Waitress (uncredited)
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Self - 1953 Inauguration Gala (uncredited) (archiveFootage)
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Protester (uncredited)
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Self (uncredited) (archiveFootage)
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Self (uncredited) (archiveFootage)
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Train Passenger (uncredited)
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Self - Reviewing Landing Craft (uncredited) (archiveFootage)
Frankie Verroca ...
Hotel Bellman (uncredited)

Directed by

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Martin Ritt

Written by

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Walter Bernstein ... (written by)

Produced by

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Robert Greenhut ... associate producer
Charles H. Joffe ... executive producer
Martin Ritt ... producer
Jack Rollins ... executive producer (uncredited)

Music by

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Dave Grusin

Cinematography by

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Michael Chapman ... director of photography

Editing by

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Sidney Levin

Editorial Department

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Hy Friedman ... assistant editor
Bruce Pearson ... color timer (uncredited)

Casting By

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Juliet Taylor

Art Direction by

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Charles Bailey

Set Decoration by

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Robert Drumheller

Costume Design by

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Ruth Morley

Makeup Department

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Robert Jiras ... makeup artist
Philip Leto ... hair stylist (as Phil Leto)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

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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

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Joseph M. Caracciolo ... property master (as Joseph Caracciolo)
Marjorie Kellogg ... assistant art director
Bruno Robotti ... master scenic artist
Philip Gips ... graphic designer (uncredited)

Sound Department

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Wayne Artman ... re-recording mixer
Tom Beckert ... re-recording mixer
Vito L. Ilardi ... boom operator (as Vito Ilardi)
John H. Newman ... sound editor
James Sabat ... sound mixer
James G. Stewart ... re-recording mixer (as Jim Stewart)
Roger Pietschmann ... sound recordist (uncredited)

Visual Effects by

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Albert Whitlock ... matte effect

Camera and Electrical Department

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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

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Peggy Farrell ... wardrobe: ladies
George Newman ... wardrobe: men

Location Management

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Peter Burrell ... location manager
Christopher Cronyn ... location manager (as Chris Cronyn)

Music Department

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Else Blangsted ... music editor

Script and Continuity Department

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B.J. Bjorkman ... script supervisor (as B. J. Bjorkman)

Transportation Department

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James Fanning ... transportation captain

Additional Crew

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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
Stephen Frankfurt ... title designer (uncredited)
Dennis Kear ... stand-in: Woody Allen (uncredited)
Crew verified as complete

Production Companies

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Distributors

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Special Effects

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Other Companies

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Storyline

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Plot Summary

In the early 1950s Howard Prince, who works in a restaurant, helps out a black-listed writer friend by selling a TV station a script under his own name. The money is useful in paying off gambling debts, so he takes on three more such clients. Howard is politically pretty innocent, but involvement with Florence - who quits TV in disgust over things - and friendship with the show's ex-star - now himself blacklisted - make him start to think about what is really going on. Written by Jeremy Perkins {J-26}

Plot Keywords
Taglines What if there were a list? A list that said: Our finest actors weren't allowed to act. Our best writers weren't allowed to write. What would it be like if there were such a list. It would be like America in 1953. See more »
Genres
Parents Guide View content advisory »
Certification

Additional Details

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Also Known As
  • Le prête-nom (France)
  • La tapadera (Spain)
  • El testaferro (Spain, Catalan title)
  • Параванът (Bulgaria, Bulgarian title)
  • Der Strohmann (Austria)
  • See more »
Runtime
  • 95 min
Country
Language
Color
Aspect Ratio
Sound Mix
Filming Locations

Did You Know?

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Trivia Woody Allen once said of this film: "From the beginning, I had enormous reservations about doing a film which I had not written and over which I would have no directorial control. The reason I did The Front (1976) was that the subject was worthwhile. Martin Ritt and Walter Bernstein lived through the blacklist and survived it with dignity, so I didn't mind deferring to their judgment." See more »
Goofs When Howard and Florence kiss in the park, the bi-level George Washington Bridge can be seen in the background. In c. 1953 when this movie takes place, the bridge had only one level. See more »
Movie Connections Featured in The Making of 'the Front' (1976). See more »
Soundtracks Young at Heart See more »
Crazy Credits The beginning of the end credits lists the people involved with the movie who were blacklisted and the year of their blacklist. They are: * Producer/Director Martin Ritt (1951) * Writer Walter Bernstein (1950) * Actor Zero Mostel (1950) * Actor Herschel Bernardi (1953) * Actor Lloyd Gough (1952) * Actor Joshua Shelley (1952) See more »
Quotes [last lines]
Howard Prince: [in the HUAC hearing] Fellas... I don't recognize the right of this committee to ask me these kind of questions. And furthermore, you can all go fuck yourselves.
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