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Guilty by Suspicion
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Wikipedia article
'Guilty by Suspicion' is a 1991 American drama film about the Hollywood blacklist, McCarthyism, and the activities of the House Un-American Activities Committee. Written and directed by Irwin Winkler, it stars Robert De Niro, Annette Bening, and George Wendt. The character of David Merrill was inspired by the experiences of John Berry during the Hollywood blacklist era.
The film was entered into the 1991 Cannes Film Festival.
Plot summary
David Merrill, a director in 1950s Hollywood, returns from abroad to find that a rising tide of McCarthyism and the Red Scare has led to him not being allowed to work in films. He will only be allowed to direct once he implicates colleagues as Communist agents. He must decide whether to turn informant, or to stick to principle at the cost of his life's work.
Cast
* Robert De Niro as David Merrill
* Annette Bening as Ruth Merrill
* George Wendt as Bunny Baxter
* Patricia Wettig as Dorothy Nolan
* Sam Wanamaker as Felix Graff
* Luke Edwards as Paulie Merrill
* Chris Cooper as Larry Nolan
* Ben Piazza as Darryl F. Zanuck
* Martin Scorsese as Joe Lesser
* Barry Primus as Bert Alan
* Gailard Sartain as Chairman Wood
* Robin Gammell as Congressman Clyde Howard Tavenner
* Brad Sullivan as Congressman Harold H. Velde
* Tom Sizemore as Ray Karlin
* Stuart Margolin as Abe Barron
* Roxann Biggs as Felicia Barron
* Barry Tubb as Jerry Cooper
* Adam Baldwin as FBI Agent #1
Reception
The film opened to positive reviews and earned praise for Robert De Niro's performance. Roger Ebert gave the film three and a half out of four stars and wrote that the film "teaches a lesson we are always in danger of forgetting: that the greatest service we can do our country is to be true to our conscience."
On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a rating of 67% from 18 reviews.
References
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