"What do you want, Rocco?" "What we all want." "To not die young, poor..." "...or alone." "Manny, these guys they..." "I don't give 'em what they're after, they'll kill me." "Hold it, Rocco." "We don't fight these guys, sure, maybe you get that Shit." "Cut!" "Damn it." "Props." "Sorry, sorry everyone" "Goin' again, Eddie." "Sorry, Sam." "Sorry, everybody." "Of course, the one day the author's among us." ""Among us."" "Sure as hell ain't one of us." "What's my brilliant line, Trumbo?" "Oh, got it right here." "Hold it now Rocco." ""If we don't fight these guys, sure, maybe you get that long, happy life we all want."" "So what've you got me fighting for then?" ""Peace on Earth, good will toward men."" "You can't do that, this is America." "All right." "How about sex and money?" "There you go, two things we all love." "None of your little sermons on citizenship." "All right, run again." "Mayer lined up the A Team, Sam Wood to shoot," "Dalton Trumbo for rewrites, so, fingers crossed..." "I had no crew!" "I couldn't work -- -- you wouldn't work, God forbid you cross a picket line." "For set builders." "What do set builders have to do with writing?" "What writers write, builders build." "What they build, you shoot." "Now, you make all the money you possibly can, so do I, why shouldn't they?" "And why can't we help them" "Listen to you, the Swimming Pool Soviet." "Oh for God's sakes." "You won Sam." "The strike is over." "And you just might try being a gracious winner." "It's never over with you people -- strike, after strike, after strike!" "Y'know what?" "I'm going on strike -- against people WHO GO ON STRIKE!" "And I won't cross your picket line, either." "Awe give me that Trumbo." "Sam, Sam, Sam, we've got to talk about those scenes tomorrow, disaster, who the hell wrote that crap?" "But first, may I have this dance...?" "Having fun?" "Eternally." "Miss Hopper." "Dateline:" "Hollywood." "The offices of top columnist, Hedda Hopper." "Greetings from our film capital, where all is sun and fun." "Or is it?" "You see the famous faces here?" "Danny Kaye, Humphrey Bogart, his dishy bride, Lauren Bacall, all of whom have declared solidarity with film crews picketing for higher wages." "In walk-outs that quickly turned violent." "Because these strikes were in fact the work of dangerous radicals." "Here we see actor Edward G. Robinson star of Double Indemnity." "And this is writer Dalton Trumbo who is, like many of those strikers -- and their supporters" " a registered Communist." "Who exactly is behind these walk-outs... and why?" "Our elected leaders will find out." "Congressman J. Parnell Thomas and his House Un-American Activities Committee." "Communism is not some faraway threat; its most dangerous agents are here, controlling the airwaves and movie screens, taking over its employees and their unions." "They need to be identified as the enemies they are." "Communists!" "Their goal -- world domination!" "The front line of a new kind of war." "A Cold War!" "A conspiracy to corrupt democratic values and bring about the overthrow of this nation." "Mitzi fell asleep." "Hey, that you in the newsreel...?" "Yes, it was-- Traitor " "Oh, my God." "I'm all right, I'm all right." "No harm done, everybody okay?" "Dad, are you a Communist?" "I am." "Is it against the law?" "It is not." "That lady with the big hat said you're a "dangerous radical." Are you?" "Radical, maybe." "Dangerous, only to men who fling Cokes." "I love our country and it's a good government." "But anything good can be better, don't you think?" "Is Mom a Communist?" "No." "Am I?" "Now, why don't we give you the official test." "Mom makes your favorite lunch..." "Ham and cheese." "Ham and cheese." "...and at school you see someone with no lunch at all -- what do you do?" "Share." "You don't tell them to just go get a job?" "No." "You offer them a loan at six percent?" "Oh, that's very clever" "Dad." "Ahh, then just ignore them." "No." "Well, well." "You little Commie." "Trumbo, as usual, you only make sense to you." "Let 'em call you a Communist, me a Democrat -- both legitimate parties, yours is just meaner and duller but there's nothing illegal about any of it." "Yet." "Hunter, tell your friend to dial down the paranoia and have a drink." "I don't think he's being paranoid enough." "Not you, too." "You're out of ice now." "I have taken the liberty of drawing up a pamphlet." "Subject: "Congress Unaware of Little Thing" "Called First Amendment." They're aware of it they just don't give a shit." "All they care about is this nice, new war of theirs -- these guys love war -- and this is a great one, vague and it's scary, and it's expensive." "Anybody for it's a hero, anybody against it is a traitor." "Exactly, thank you." "And if you think this is about movies you're an idiot." "Which is why I'm going to go have a chat with the other side." "You don't mean the Alliance, do you?" "I do." "Are you out of your mind -- ?" "Eddie, they're all actors, writers, directors, just like us " "They're Nazis, they're just too cheap to buy the uniforms " "They invited Congress out here -- And are they all Sam Woods and Hedda Hoppers?" "Please, let's not demonize people we don't really know." "I say we go for it." "You know who you're gonna be talkin' to there, don't ya?" "Ladies and gentlemen, Mr John Wayne." "I wanna say one thing about a place I love." "No, not Hollywood I like Hollywood..." "...but I love America!" "And when we talk about America I'm talking about freedom!" "The kinda freedom we just fought a world war to save!" "You wanna be a Communist, go be a Communist..." "but some friends of mine in Washington think you got some questions to answer!" "I never knew he was this good." "Still wanna be a Commie?" "'Cause he's not acting, that's him." "Be a Commie!" "In Russia!" "But off ya go 'n' enjoy the Bolshoi Ballet!" "Excuse me sir would you like to read about the first amendment?" "Sir a little education about your rights." "Sir." "A little light reading." "Travels well." "Well, thank you sir." "Do svidaniya." "This is a nightmare." "If it were, I'd be in bed." "Dalton?" "Oh, Hedda, Good evening to you." "Eddie, darling." "Hedda." "New hat?" "Daily, dear, daily." "Been to the movies lately Dalton?" "Duke!" "Now, wasn't he magnificent?" "Just sayin' what needs sayin'." "Hiya, Eddie." "Duke." "I hear you 'n' your pals got a "pamphlet."" "Any takers?" "Not yet..." "Would you like one sir?" "We're Communists." "He's a writer." "Ya won't get any takers." "Not here anyway." "Oh, why's that?" "All it says is that, Congress has no right to investigate how we vote, where we pray, what we think, say or how we make movies." "Hello, I'm Dalton Trumbo." "Congress has the right to go after anything they think is a threat." "Well that's where we disagree." "That's the point -- we both have the right to be wrong." "You wanna talk about rights, first show me whose side you're on." "Russia's no friend, not anymore." "You better wake up." "'Cause it's a new day." "A new day." "And?" "Maybe it's not for your kind." "My kind, what kind is that?" "The kind that has no idea why we just won a war." "Just curious." "That's the second time you've mentioned that." "I was a war correspondent in Okinawa -- " " Hedda's son was stationed in the Philippines -- " " Eddie was in Europe with the Office of War Information   where did you serve again?" "You tryin' to say something?" "No, Duke, he wasn't -- Stay out of it, Eddie " "If you're gonna talk about World War Two as if you personally won it, let's be clear where you were stationed -- on a film set, shooting blanks, wearing makeup and if you're going to hit me, I'd like to take off my glasses." "Duke, let's get outta here..." "Thank you, Dalton." "My next column just wrote itself." "It's a good thing you didn't want to demonize anybody or that could've been awkward." "Manny wouldn't say amorous." "Two packs please." "Thank you." "Good God." "She's everywhere." "Your next deal's gonna make you the highest-paid writer in Hollywood, which'll make you the highest-paid writer in the world." "You earned it." "You don't just write happy endings, you actually believe them." "That's what the people pay to see, that's why you belong here at MGM, right, L.B.?" "Look, I hate to make the wooing too easy for you but:" "Where do I sign?" "Just one thing." "If you're going to work for me I never, ever want to see anything like this again." "You won't." "I promise." "Good." "Just stop reading Hedda Hopper." "So what'd L.B. say then?" "Jesus, don't, I haven't eaten since." "My job's not hard enough?" "Your job's not hard at all." "You think getting Mayer to sign you after those headlines was easy?" "You have a record-breaking, three- year contract" " to make shit up." "You're welcome." "C'mon, Mom!" "She really can!" "Ask her!" "Cleo?" "Is this true?" "Watch this." "Trumbo, no..." "Of course you realize this means war." "I... had a very unusual mother." "Translation: "Stage Mother." The misspent youth of a child acrobat." "My God, how long were you in show business?" "Till I was 15." "But it was more "show-forced-labor." Mr. Dalton Trumbo?" "Yes." "See you in Washington." "Enjoy your picnic." "Let's go boys." "Nineteen subpoenas have been issued to those we believe have knowledge of the ongoing Communist threat in Hollywood." "Uh, what kind of threat is that?" "A conspiracy to corrupt democratic values and bring about the overthrow of this nation." "Using... movies." "Any movie in particular or...?" "Movies are the most powerful form of influence ever created and they are infested with hidden traitors..." "The House Un-American Activities Committee has been formed to investigate alleged Communists working in Hollywood." "The newsreel cameras and an army of newspaper men are on hand." "Mr. Reagan, has it been reported to you that certain members of the screen actors guild were Communists?" "There has been a small group more or less following the tactics that we associate with the Communist party." "And would you refer to them as a disrupting influence?" "I would say that at times they have attempted to be a disrupting influence Do you believe that the motion picture industry is doing everything it can to rid itself of subversive, Un-American influences?" "No!" "The Communists are everywhere!" "They report directly to Moscow!" "On numerous occasions Communist agitators have tried hard to steer us into the red river." "We've got a little too much weight for that." "Will you name a few of these agitators?" "Irving Bischel, Edward Dmytryk, Frank Tuttle." "If I had my way about it they'd all be sent back to Russia or some other unpleasant place." "We get our chance to testify in three days What we're about to do won't make us too popular." "Okay, we get slandered, and then what?" "You answer every question they ask, in your own way." "So don't tell 'em shit." "Beautifully put." "Well, you know what they call that?" "Yes, In all likelihood we'll be cited for Contempt of Congress." "There will be a trial." "What am I missing here, all I'm hearing is jail." "Not necessarily." " in a lower court, yes, we'll likely lose but on appeal it'll work." "The Supreme Court is a five to four liberal majority." "They think this" "Committee's unconstitutional, they want it killed." "Sounds great." "And I'm out." "Look, I can't afford this stuff you guys are talkin' about ... Supreme Court, legal fees." "You know Dorothy's not gonna," "I mean things already aren't great, but ya know if I dump all my savings into that, she's gone with the kids." "I'll cover you." "Expenses, travel, legal fees, everything..." "You don't even like me." "I like you fine, you don't like me." "No, you know what it is, I don't trust you." "I'd say "go on," but I'm afraid you will." "Look." "I know what I am, okay?" "I want this country to be different..." "Top to bottom." "And if I get what I want?" "Nobody gets their own lake." "Well that would be a very dull life Yeah, for you." "But not for the guys who built this..." "I mean, if I'm wrong here, tell me, but ever since I've known you, you talk like a radical, but you live like a rich guy" " That is true." "Well, I don't know that you're I don't think that you're willing to lose all of this just to do the right thing." "Well, I despise martyrdom and I won't fight for a lost cause, so you're right, I'm not willing to lose it all, certainly not them " " But I am willing to risk it all." "That's where the radical and the rich guy make the perfect combination." "The radical may fight with the purity of Jesus..." "but the rich guy wins with the cunning of" "Satan." "Oh shit." "What?" "Just please shut up." "Please, I'll do whatever you want, just please don't say shit like that anymore." "I can't guarantee that." "In Washington, 10 of the original 19 subpoenaed began their testimony before the House Un-American Activities Committee." "Mr. Trumbo, raise your right hand." "Do you solemnly swear that the testimony you are about to give is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help you God?" "I Do." "Sit Down please." "Mr. Trumbo, I shall ask a series of various questions, all of which can be answered yes or no." "Well, I shall answer yes or no if I please to answer." "I shall answer in my own words." "Many questions can be answered yes or no only by a moron or a slave." "That's enough." "Are you refusing to answer the questions?" "Mr. Chairman, I will refuse to answer none of your questions." "Are you now or have you ever been a member of the Communist party?" "May I introduce..." "No." "...into evidence" "No." "You are out of order ...my work No, no, no, no, no!" "...of screenplays by which you are making this determination" "The Chair will rule." "Now just a minute." "Your screenplays are too long." "I've heard that before." "Are you now or have you ever been a member of the Communist Party?" "Am I accused of a crime?" "You're not asking the questions!" "If so, I believe I have the right to be confronted with any evidence that supports this question?" "Are you refusing to answer..." "I should very much like to see what you have." "Oh, you would?" "You will see very soon." "The witness is excused." "You believe this Committee has the right to compel testimony, indict opinion -- Typical Communist tactics!" " criminalize thought -- but that right does not exist and the moment it does, God help us all." "State your name please." "Arlen Hird, screenwriter." "Do you understand sir that if you refuse to answer my questions I can hold you in contempt of congress?" "I didn't refuse yet did I?" "Are you now or have you ever been a member of the Communist party?" "I'd like to answer you Congressman, but I need to consult with my physician." "Your physician?" "I don't unders -- To find out if he can surgically remove my conscience." "This is a hostile witness." "Typical Communist tactics!" "Arlen, Arlen what is it?" "It's Cancer." "Jesus." "How long've you known?" "Three months." "Months?" "Are you receiving treatment?" "I don't like the options." "It's lung cancer." "Bad if ya operate, bad if ya don't." "Is there anything I can do for you?" "No!" "No." "It's cancer, Jesus." "If you wanna do something make sure this plan works." "I'm out of options." "We were so young, we thought we knew everything..." "We did." "No not me." "I didn't realize how much I loved it all, till I reached a certain age and the roles started drying up." "I remember thinking, what do you do when you love something and it stops loving you back, what do you do...?" "You fight." "No, no, no." "You love it more." "Till it surrenders." "Hedda, you never left MGM." "Or my heart." "How's your boy?" "Fine, fine." "Still in the Navy?" "Yes, he's first lieutenant." "You raised a real hero." "Which is why I'd like to tell him we're doing as much for this country as he is." "It's complicated." "Trumbo, the others, all have contracts..." "Well." "You helped build this business, as did I, we're not gonna watch these piss ants defile it -- I'm running a studio here, Hedda." "You think" "I love every person on my payroll?" "Grow up." "Then how about I make crystal clear to my thirty-five million readers exactly who runs" "Hollywood and won't fire these traitors?" "How about I name names, real names?" "Jacob Varner, Jack Warner Schmuel Gelbfisz, Sam Goldwyn and of course yours Lazar Meir You watch what you say to me " "Forty years ago, you're starving in some shtetl, the greatest country on Earth takes you in, gives you wealth, power but the second we need you, you do nothing!" "And that's exactly what my readers expect from a business run by kikes." "Get out." "You know, L.B." "I am fond of you." "Some of my happiest years were spent on this lot." "Not in your office, of course, you were always trying to fuck me on the couch, me trying to maintain my virtue." "Barely." "But... times change." "Now I'd happily fuck you." "All studios unanimously agree to discharge the Hollywood Ten." "Without compensation." "Effective immediately." "No studio will ever employ a member of the Communist Party or anyone refusing to cooperate in our struggle against this terrible new menace." "He's been loved by film fans for almost twenty years." "But have you noticed?" "He hasn't been on-screen much lately." "Bad box office?" "No." "Bad politics." "Bad news indeed." "For Mr. Edward G. Robinson." "Thank you so much for coming the Hollywood Ten are going to court for all of us." "It'll be long, expensive." "So please, give as much as you can to the defense fund." "Thank you for coming." "Goodnight my dear." "Goodnight." "Well, this little gathering didn't quite have the zip and zing of yesteryear, did it?" "Where are all the liberals all of a sudden?" "At their lawyers'." "Or psychiatrists'." "Likely both." "Anyway..." "...for the defense fund." "Have you been working?" "Eh." "It's a bit slow." "You sold one." "The Van Gogh." "I got a good price." "Eddie, I..." "Dear God, look at this" "Eddie, I can't let you do..." "I'll be fine kid take it" "No, it's too much It's just too much" "Take it Eddie I" "Everything that you have What he's trying to say is that he loves you." "I love him, too, the warty son of a bitch." "I got a great offer on the Monet, if you want to bribe the jury." "In the matter of the United States versus" "Dalton Trumbo..." "...we find the defendant guilty of contempt of Congress." "Mr. Trumbo, Mr Trumbo" "Mr. Trumbo, Mr Trumbo Mr. Trumbo, are you in contempt of Congress?" "I have total contempt of this Congress, I just thought a jury'd see why." "The Supreme Court will drop kick this verdict into speeding traffic and end the most shameful chapter in Congressional history now that's it boys we have nothing we're done, we're done" "How're you doing for money?" "Broke as a bankrupt's bastard." "Why?" "You owe me thirty-thousand dollars." "The appeal's gonna be twice that." "Well, I'd better get to work." "Doing what?" "No talent to do anything else." "Hollywood fights back." "This is Gregory Peck." "A state of near hysteria for the so-called" "Communist in this country threatens the other citizens." "So the Un-American Committee bears it tragic fruit." "This is Lucille Ball All of us agree that the constitution of the" "United States must be defended." "The way to do this is not by shutting up the men you disagree with." "You must fight for his right to think and be heard." "All civil liberties go hand in hand." "And when one goes the others are weakened." "The collapse of one pillar in a house would endanger the whole structure." "We'll send you home in a couple days." "Well it sounds like you're gonna live." "Yeah, they got me just well enough to go to prison." "How do you feel?" "Breathin'." "With one lung." "Which is half as good as two." "Look, Arlen, I heard about Dorothy." "Yeah, she took off." "Her timing was always amazing." "I'm sorry." "No, why, no I mean." "How could she leave all this?" "How's, how's it going out there?" "Everyone envies you." "Well, why wouldn't they." "Got the best room in the joint." "You should know, you paid for it." "Congratulations Thank you fellas." "Who needs studios?" "I am strictly independent, got cans of film, wads of Wall Street dough and my favorite boss -- me!" "(all CHUCKLE, CLINK, sip, then to Trumbo)" "And you, you crazy son of a bitch, are gonna write all my movies, once this Washington crap clears up." "And how'll that happen?" "I'm not political." "Thank Jesus." "But if they called me in, accused me?" "I'd just say, yep, did it, sorry, didn't mean it." "So Congress then asks, "Are you now or have you ever been a Democrat...?" "I am... and God, I just feel awful about it..." But then they want the names of other Democrats." "Bill..." "Earl..." "Nate..." "Tom." "Then I say go to hell." "Really." "How many banks fund enemies of the state?" "Your money's gone." "Unless you give the names of your friends here." "They'll never work again." "But it's the only way you ever will." "We all know each other..." "We're families We're friends" "What would you do, Buddy?" "Only you!" "Piss on the best day of a guy's life!" "Only you!" "Good morning, Nikola." "I thought you weren't allowed to write anymore." "Uh, no." "Just not allowed to put my name on it ...or get paid." "How's that work?" "Not very well." "It's funny, it's breezy and romantic." "Who wrote it?" "You did, old boy." "You stick your name on my labor, hand it in to your studio and we're in business Look, it's just dumb luck I wasn't subpoenaed and blacklisted myself." "The hearings're gonna start up again soon, I'm gonna get called and canned..." "Then quick, lad, let's sell this little beauty and split the take, fifty-fifty." "Ridiculous." "I'll take ten percent." "You'll take twenty." "No, thirty." "And that's my final offer." "You are the worst businessman, ever." "I hate the title." "Me too." "Really, what's wrong with it?" "The Princess and the Peasant..." "Please Trumbo, it sounds like a puppet show." "Well then change it." "I did." "Really, you think this title's better?" "Roman Holiday?" "I like it." "Who invited you?" "I did, she's my favorite Trumbo." "...I'm introducing legislation so in the event of national emergency, all Communists will be sent to internment camps..." "And the president supports this?" "He'd better." "Excuse me, gentleman." "As I've said, Bob, these are legitimate, salaried employees from my home state " "What you didn't tell me is, every one of them is a relative." "Which is completely legal." "Except none of them pay taxes." "Don't say anything else without a lawyer." "...no..." "Mrs. Trumbo?" "Mrs. Trumbo?" "Ma'am, I gotta get paid." "I'm so sorry." "I got men with families." "But my husband hasn't been able to get any work." "We owe everyone." "Ma'am, please." "I'm so..." "We're rich!" "Well Jeffery." "You sure lead exciting lives." "Well, I thank you." "Appreciate it." "Thank you Betty." "We did it Cleo, we sold Roman Holiday, Paramount, our beloved Ian is just... what, what's the matter?" "Justice Rutledge died." "No, Justice Murphy, last " "And Rutledge." "Last night." "The two most liberal judges on the Supreme Court back to back." "This is just..." "He lets it hang in the air." "A long, ten-man silence." "Well." "I'll be god damned if I know what to say." "One upside, anyway." "Without a liberal majority in the court our appeal's gonna be denied." "Meaning we all be prepared to go to prison." "I wouldn't change anything." "Going back." "Not one thing." "Let's ask each other in a year." "You can do me a favor, hold on to this while" "I'm gone." "Thank you." "Your mother needs to laugh at least once a day." "Deal?" "O.K." "Where is that little pumpkin seed?" "Thank you." "Raise your hands." "Open your mouth." "Wider." "Turn your head to the right." "To the left." "Tilt your head back." "Spread your legs." "Grab your sack and skin it back." "Turn around." "Spread your cheeks." "Squat." "Cough." "Turn around." "Move out." "Next." "So warden says I gotta do right." "Boy wanna better job?" "I put him in charge o' the whole goddamn supply room." "'Cause I know somethin' the warden don't." "Truck's unloaded." "Driver needs a signature." "Actually, he needs it right here." "You know, if uh if you need any help, I used to run shipping, at a bakery." "I heard you was a writer." "That, too." "And a Commie." "Fuck is wrong with you people?" "This is a great country." "Agreed." "You type?" "Stop." "Well, now if only I could read it." ""Protocol as to return of goods:" "There shall be triplicate copies of form 14-A filed with" "Supply, Shipping and office of the warden." You think you gonna teach me the alphabet and I'm gonna shake your hand all grateful 'n' say, "Thankee Missuh Trumbo, you done changed mah life, suh, I never fuhgit you." I got twenty years for killin' a white man" "tried to rob my bar, I did it and I'd do it again." "You look down on me and I will fuck you up like you never been fucked up in your whole bullshit Beverly Hills life." "I'm here trying to build my time and make parole, you wanna help make that happen?" "Welcome to fuckin' Supply, comrade." "Dear Cleo." "I don't count the days or hours." "I count the seconds." "Sometimes I think I'll die of boredom." "Other times, fear." "Not of this place." "So far its challenges are all surmountable." "Augmented by days of lovely boredom, so flat and calm in the wake of all that churning, ugly, luckless battle." "No, my fear is for what will happen when I get out." "To our family and our country." "Not all the news is worrisome." "Some reminds me that what the imagination can't conjure, reality delivers with a shrug." "And reality has delivered, in all its beatific wonder, to the federal penal system, J. Parnell Thomas." "Convicted of tax evasion." "Well, look at us, a couple of jailbirds." "Except you actually committed a crime." "Yet in all this, I know I'm the luckiest unlucky man ever to live..." "because you and the children warm, feed, clothe, pacify and rejuvenate me, by never leaving my heart." "Love, Prisoner Number 7551." "We're not gonna take that hell from the Japs with bullets, bombs or fists." "We're gonna take it with blood." "So whoever spills more loses." "And we don't lose..." "Do we?" "You lose." "You know John Wayne?" "I do." "What's he like?" "You'd love each other." "O.K. wait." "Mom you better come quick." "Are you now or have you ever been a member of the Communist party?" "Not now, sir nor have I ever been a member of that party." "I have always been a liberal Democrat." "But in your home over the years there have been political meetings attended by those that we now know to be Communists." "Yes, sir, yes, that has now been made clear to me." "There were tremendous activities and and fund raisers that went on in my house during the war." "I did not know then all of their true affiliations or the work they were up to." "It never entered my mind that any of these people were Communists." "I was duped and used." "I was lied to." "But who used you?" "Well, umm." "These sinister forces who probably ran these organizations." "Tell us the individuals that you have reference to." "Mr Robinson?" "Well, you had Albert Maltz, uh, I knew Frank Tuttle, and that other fellow that uh that top fellow who they say is the, uh, commissar out there..." "Arlen Hird?" "Yes Arlen Hird." "I didn't know Dmytryk at all." "Commissar now." "Ian McLellan Hunter." "And Dalton..." "...Trumbo." "Thank you Mr Robinson Thank you Sir." "Mr Chairman, I have no further questions." "Snitch like that in here, you're fuckin' dead." "Eddie oughta go back to work, he did what he had to." "He did what he was forced to." "Well, the point is, he did it." "Brave men and boys are fighting this battle against Communism, they're sacrificing in ways we can't even imagine, and you talk about some asshole's" ""movie career"?" "I'd see Eddie Robinson and everyone like him dead if it'd bring one boy back from Korea." "Just one." "So what're you saying?" "Guys like Eddie cooperate and get nothin'?" "That isn't right." "Careful, Duke." "Or what, Hedda?" "If I'm not careful." "What?" "I had no idea you were such a softie." "That's me all right." "All cuddles." "I'm proud of ya, Eddie." "Wasn't easy, I know, but ya did good." "Thanks, Duke." "I'm gonna call the studios, the offers'll pour in." "Sure." "Thanks." "One of the greatest peacetime spy dramas in the nation's history reaches its climax as Julius and Ethel Rosenberg are sentenced to death for revealing atomic secrets to Soviet Russia" "The junior senator from Wisconsin, Joseph McCarthy, is wrapping up his investigation into alleged Communists he believes are infiltrating our government, our military and our schools." "...the enemy has been able to get the traitors and dupes to do his work within our government." "...one Communist on the faculty of one university is one Communist too many." "A man is either loyal or he's disloyal." "Thank ya Billy." "Dad!" "Dad!" "I'm being attacked by giants!" "What have you, beautiful creatures done with my little ones?" "Hi Dad." "Christopher, Mitzi." "Nikola, look at you" "She got real tall." "Is that lipstick?" "Da-aaad." "I missed you so much." "All of you." "Let's go inside." "I want to hear everything about what you..." "Oh, I'm terribly sorry" "Oh, Buddy." "Well." "How are you?" "I got nothin' to say to you." "It looks like prison's given us the plague." "Yeah, well, that Buddy Ross was always an asshole." "Yeah" "He's in trouble too." "Three movies, three flops." "Oh, really Look at him." "He's tryin' to sell his soul but can't find it." "Just hope he stays afloat long enough to get the shit sued out of him." "Oh, really?" "By whom?" "By me and you and all of us." "We use their capitalist system against them, in civil court we go after their money for what they did to us we make 'em swear under oath -- " " No, no, no, Christ, haven't you spent enough time in court?" "I know I have." "Jesus Christ." "Well what else are we supposed to do?" "We do the one thing everyone says we can't." "Look." "You're a great writer..." "...we make shit." "I don't see it." "Mr. King, I'm a screenwriter." "If I couldn't write shit, I'd starve." "Trumbo we can't afford you." "Well, how much did you pay for the script of that?" "Bad Men of Tombstone?" "Twelve-hundred bucks." "All right." "I'll write you a movie for twelve hundred, then." "And you don't want your name on it." "No, you don't want my name on it." "You got that right..." "...especially if you're still... y'know... up to stuff." "Are ya?" "Perpetually." "Jesus." "You got any ideas?" "Well, I just got out of prison, what about crime?" "The story of a gangster, his rise and fall?" "I've seen that a few times." "Because it always makes money." "All right, when do I get my goods?" "Three days." "A hundred page screen play in three days?" "Are you tryin' to fuck me?" "'cause if you fuck me I will fuck you -- Mr. King, I've heard this speech." "It was better in jail." "Are you kiddin' me with this?" "Hymie!" "Get out here!" "Hymie!" "Pay the man!" "He's a genius." "Beautiful." "Now look, we got this one, killer in a swamp?" "Best character's the swamp." "Women in prison, dames fighting in their underwear -- it's perfect except it stinks." "What else?" "Pirates." "Can't afford the ocean." "Fix 'em all." "You want more we got more." "So, what do you think of the new neighborhood?" "I like it." "It's nice." "Yeah dad." "It's going to be good being in town." "Look at that!" "Brought you some lemonade." "Thank you." "Hard work, you holding up okay?" "Pretty good." "We forgot the towels." "Oh shoot!" "Wait for me." "Wait for me." "Shh, shh." "Well, there are many angry and ignorant people in the world." "They seem to be breeding in record numbers." "All we can do, as a family is stick together and remain vigilant." "The legend is that if you're given to lying, you put your hand in there, it'll be bitten off." "Ooh, what a horrid idea." "Let's see you do it." "Let's see you do it." "Sure." "It's a huge hit, great reviews -- " " I haven't worked in nine months." "You?" "There aren't quite enough zeroes in a King" "Brothers salary to survive -- -- but they need scripts like an army needs toilet paper." "Quality, minimum; quantity, maximum." "You'd think that when the artistic ambitions of a movie are non-existent, the work would be tossed off in a week but consistently pleasing two former pinball salesmen turns out to be a high hurdle indeed." "And I've become a stranger in my own house." "Every work week is seven days, every day is eighteen hours, every minute I'm further behind." "They need five of you." "O.K. The only question is, can these pinkos write?" "Sit, the Kings looking over the table of writers like used goods at a garage sale:" "Well, the dapper gentleman in the gray suit is Ian McLellan Hunter." "Guy wrote Roman Holiday." "Guy just got subpoenaed." "Guy just got nominated for an Academy Award." "Everyone at that table's been nominated." "There's Alba Bessie and Adrian Scott." "Arlen Hird and Ring Lardner Jr Albert Moltz" "It'll, it'll be like this..." "I'll find the writer and work with him." "He'll deliver the script to me." "If it's good, I'll give it to you, if it needs work, I'll fix it." "No one gets paid until you're happy." "And these writers they're... all... all, uh..." "Blacklisted, Jesus, you're such a chicken-shit." "Y'know, we're at war with the Communists." "No, we're not." "It's a new kind of war." "Yeah, doesn't exist, very new." "What about the Rosenbergs?" "What about the Rosenbergs?" "They stole the atom bomb." "They didn't steal it off a fuckin' camera truck." "So look." "We bought a gorilla suit." "And we gotta use it." "So you had five jobs, now we got 'em and you got none?" "I'm now free to go get five more jobs and five more writers." "Then you each get five more jobs, five more writers and so on" "To keep that going, we'd need to write every script in the business." "Ah, Arlen what a devious lad." "So who wants to write a gorilla movie?" "Who doesn't?" "We now work at midnight, in thick fog, among strangers." "Not..." "literally." "We're running a family business." "We'll be adding new phone lines." "And, when answering, never say "Trumbo residence," I'll be writing for various producers under different names." "Whoever they ask for you come find me or take a message." "Hello." "Is John Abbott there?" "No, sir, may I take a message?" "The door must be answered at all hours." "Got a pickup for..." "Sally Stubblefield?" "Can I get your mom to sign?" "Thank you." "Dictation, short hand and typing will be learned." "Those of legal age will have one of the most important jobs imaginable." "Courier." "Scripts must be delivered to producers with out raising suspicion." "Any questions, concerns?" "Yes, Nikola?" "Is there a schedule?" "A what." "I need to know when I can do homework." "I'm part of a fund raising committee for Negro" "Voting Rights, plus -- every other Friday we have meetings for student council." "We'll figure something out sweetheart." "Won't we." "...and protests continued as the Supreme Court may soon take up the issue of racial segregation..." "Negroes in Southern towns and cities have taken to the streets in large numbers." "...while throughout the nation, heated debate over integration..." "A few mistakes, not many." "This concludes our program scheduled for today." "Which one is "Graham Topper"?" "Nympho nun." "Ah." "Great job." ""Elwood Carr"?" "Murder at the circus?" "Needs work." "I knew the clown did it." "It's always the clown." "So, you." "You are the alien and the farm girl." "Yeah." "You wrote the alien talking about "the rights of workers," the "pathology of capitalism"?" "The "complacency of the Bourgeoisie"?" "I don't even know what that IS and I fucking hate it." "Well the idea was to..." "I paid you to write a script about a guy with a giant bug head schtupping a girl in a hayloft, and you write shit that'll get me subpoenaed." "And Stinks!" "Fix it." "Oh, fuck Frank King." "I said, until he's happy, I rewrite." "So you're gonna stay up all night with that crap, to what, get it to his high literary and political standards?" "It shouldn't be to anyone's political standards." "The alien and the farm girl, for Christ's sakes." "What the hell were you thinking...?" "I was thinking." "It's why I'm a writer." "To say things that matter." "Remember that?" "I was a reporter, nominated for a Pulitzer, I fought in Spain!" "And I know Ernest Hemingway!" "I actually, I know him!" "Bullshit!" "And he knows me!" "If I walk into a bar in Paris, he'd -- maybe not my name but I'll get a wave" "You won the National fucking Book Award." "What're we doing?" "O.K., so the alien... the alien impregnates the farm girl?" "Right." "Why?" "Because he wants to inseminate her and propagate a new species on Earth, so they can take over..." "Because she reminds him of the girl he left behind." "But he's got a bug head." "His girlfriend's probably got a bug head back home." "You don't get hung up on the looks of someone, he's falling in love with her." "Yeah, O.K." "You're over-thinking." "Are you all right?" "Yeah." "Going to do this later." "No." "Go." "Please." "All right." "I mean, do you ever miss writing something, forget great, just good?" "I mean you must have ideas... still... right?" "A few." "There's one that won't go away." "Cleo and I are in Mexico at a bullfight, years ago." "Bull dies and... thousands of people just cheering." "Three didn't." "Cleo, me, and this young boy down front, crying." "I always wondered why." "You write it, you'll know." "But, please promise me, not for Frank fucking" "King." "Please." "To present the writing awards here is an actor who also reads." "Mr. Kirk Douglas." "Niki!" "Hurry!" "Who's doing it?" "Kirk Douglas!" "I'm coming, I'm coming." "...the envelope?" "And the Oscar goes to Roman Holiday!" "By Ian McLellan Hunter!" "Dad, that is fantastic!" "So, do we get to be happy now?" "I don't want it." "Well, I don't want it." "Your name's on it." "You wrote it." "They gave it to you." "And it's done me wonders." "Here's the gorilla script." "Hey Dad." "Oh." "Phone for you." "For which name?" "No." "You." "Some guy named Buddy Ross." "So, is the rumor true?" "You wrote Roman Holiday?" "What can I do for you, Buddy?" "My movies've all bombed, dug me into a hole." "I finally got something going." "Classy." "Three big stars." "The script..." "What script, there's no script, I got eleven writers who fucked me, now the actors're gonna pull out 'n' if they do, I lose everything." "When do you shoot?" "Ten days." "Is there anything?" "There'd be no credit, obviously." "I can't pay you till we start shooting." "I wouldn't blame you if you spit in my face." "But we did good stuff, back then, we really did." "Please?" "I owe the King brothers a rewrite, and I can't do both, there it is." "I need you to take over." "So you can help out that great guy, Buddy" "Ross." "So we can keep tearing down the blacklist." "Oh, Jesus, here we go..." "This is going to be a very big movie, if Buddy gets a good script   which you're gonna give him   which I'm going to sell him." "For money 'cause that's why we did all of this right, was for the money?" "Why can you not see this?" "If we get one big movie, we can get all the big movies and the whole rotten thing could collapse from the sheer irony that every unemployable writer is employed." "Jesus Christ, do you have to say everything like it's going to be chiseled into a rock?" "...I am not gonna help you help Buddy Ross!" "You are against every..." "No, I..." "We should be suing the cockroaches into the ground, along with every studio, congressman, producer -- -- as is Cleo, who manages to keep the glasses aloft -- Brilliant -- !" " keep losing, give all your money to lawyers " "I'd rather lose for the right reasons -- WHY?" "It's still LOSING!" "You lose." "I lose -- !" " we ALL lose -- !" " and the whole goddamn country stays scared and dead!" "You really think you can go on living like this forever?" "Well I'm not going to have to." "Arlen, we can do this." "We can beat them, we can win!" "I don't care if I win " "Bullshit!" "Everybody wants to win " "No, you wanna win, I wanna change things." "I want to win so that I can change things" " No, you don't, you want to win so that you can get an Oscar with your name on it this time and so you can get more money that you burn through writing shit for idiots." "Why do I have to explain everything to you like you're a fucking child?" "You don't, you really don't have to." "Piss off!" "You know you do what you do and that's fine for you." "But don't pretend that you getting your career back is part of some great crusade for mankind, O.K.?" "I'm doing this for everyone." "Arlen..." "Happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Nikola, happy birthday to you." "Make a wish." "I got it." "Sweet sixteen." "Get together with your sister." "Chris get in there." "Ah, thank you." "Are you sure we shouldn't go knock?" "I'm sure." "He can't take five minutes -- ?" "No." "Two minutes." "Nikki." "One minute." "Chris would you please get the good plates." "Dad?" "Go away." "We're having birthday cake." "When you hear me working, you don't knock!" "But it's my birthday." "You don't knock!" "Ever!" "So the house is on fire, you don't want to know?" "I work in a BATHTUB!" "Surrounded by WATER!" "So I'm fairly certain that even if the whole" "God damn country was on fire -- ...that I could still function as this family's personal SLAVE and all I ask is not to be interrupted for every little slice of FUCKING BIRTHDAY CAKE-- !" "What?" "It's ridiculous." "Now I've lost my place." "For Christ's sakes." "...sure, maybe you get that long, happy life we all want... but your eyes never really close again... 'cause you spend that life scared of every noise in the dark." "We both do." "I can't let you do this, Rocco..." "I'll just have to convince you I'm right." "After all, kid, what're friends for?" "Don't defend him, okay?" "He knows he's wrong, he hasn't even apologized" "I think you surprised him." "He's not used to seeing another adult in the house." "He has to be right, all the time." "How do you stand it?" "Well, it's challenging some times... especially lately..." "Hey, why don't you come downstairs with me?" "I want to show you something." "Do you see my gloves?" "Do you imagine that's his head?" "No." "But you can." "Nikki." "Tell your dad that..." "Oh, hello, I'm looking for Arlen Hird?" "Mr. Trumbo, this is Andrew." "Good God, look at you!" "I'm certain your father has told you some awful things about me." "But I want to assure you they're all true." "Is he home?" "I'm sorry, I thought you knew." "Andrew, Joshua." "My Dad left something for you." "A record... money he owed you, some other people." "I'm sorry, I wish we could pay you back." "Andrew... no." "I owed him." "The debts are all mine." "Thank you." "Well." "Hello, Eddie." "This is a bit of a surprise..." "What can I do for you?" "Arlen died." "I heard, I was on location." "This is the money you gave us." "For the defense fund." "It's everything we owe you." "Arlen included." "No, now that was a gift " "We'd like it off our books." "What is this supposed to be, some kind of message?" "What you and Arlen and the Great Hollywood" "Ten all think of me?" "Fine, fine." "But first, you're gonna listen." "After you went to jail, I didn't work for a year." "No offers, not even an audition." "People'd see me, cross the street, people I loved, people I made rich." "I sat in front of that Committee... why?" "I didn't do anything, none of us did anything, we were all stupid babies, with no business in any of it!" "I just wanted my life back." "They had every name -- yours, Arlen's, everybody's," "I didn't give them anything they didn't already have, I ended it, is all, I just..." "I ended it." "Eddie, you don't end something like this by giving them what they have no right to ask for." "You're gonna tell me how I shoulda handled it?" "Like you handled Congress?" "Are saying that you are proud of what you did?" "Proud?" "Who the hell gets to be proud?" "You!" "You do." "You." "With your fake names and fronts, you've got all the work you want, I gotta go out in the world, every day, this is my work." "I've got nobody else to be, I did what I had to -- You did what you wanted, Eddie." "And you did it for more!" "More movies, more money, more dead bullshit on your walls!" "What I did, I did." "But do you ever wonder how many years you hacked off Arlen's life to show the world what a rebel genius you are." "You live with that." "Drinking alone?" "Preferably." "And what are you up to these days?" "You know, Hedda, another one of these and" "I just might tell you." "Then I'm buying." "Usual, same again." "Come on, I hear the rumors." "Show me you're still in the game, fighting the good fight." "Rub my face in it." "Whisper a movie you've written in secret." "Maybe I've even heard of it." "Maybe you have." "Sorry, sorry, sorry, I'm filming, it's crazy..." "Buddy." "Do you know Dalton Trumbo?" "Yes, I believe we have worked together." "At MGM." "A million years ago." "Nice to see you again" "Buddy." "I hear your new script's in trouble." "Maybe you should hire Dalton, he used to be pretty good... and price-wise he'd be bargain basement." "Not that you'd ever do it." "Not after Buddy named names." "Oh, you didn't know?" "Word was, he'd hired someone he shouldn't have." "So he got subpoenaed, he had to testify." "Closed session, no press." "Makes it easier." "So he named you, of course." "Now he's been cleared." "Gets to go make his movie." "In a way, thanks to you." "Drink Buddy?" "You look as if you need one." "Can you believe it?" "Democrats." "Voting for segregation." "Southern Dixiecrats." "They started a petition for total integration." "There it is." "I already have over a thousand signatures." "I'd be happy to make it a thousand and one." "This is the new draft that needs to be delivered to Hymie King in Agoura." "Wait, Agoura, I thought the Kings were in" "Hollywood." "No, these are the rewrites, that are to be shot tonight, Hymie needs them on set, right away." "Agoura's forty miles." "Yes, I'm sure Chris knows that by now." "Well, he can't -- " " I'm sorry?" "He has a date." "He's taking her to a movie." "Well, all right, then Nikola, you'll deliver the draft." "I have a protest." "Since when do protests have hard start times" " ?" "I'll take it " "Nicola." "Will do it." "I said, I can't -- Young lady, you will   this is important   so is this " "This is important to me -- the date's important to Chris -- so figure something else out " "Move on, he needs those now." "She hasn't been gone that long, it's not that late." "This is a blatant attempt to manipulate worry." "Do you know when I realized that I had to leave Hal?" "Hal, Hal who?" "My first husband, Hal." "Jesus Take The Wheel..." "It was my wedding night." "My first wedding night." "With Hal." "If we're going to travel back in time to that unholy coupling, I have a medical obligation to drink." "I saw this was not a man I could have children with." "He'd bully me, them and we'd end up like every miserable family since forever." "But you, I knew you would never be like that." "Whatever happened out there, all that'd matter, really matter, was us." "All that matters is us -- No, not anymore, you have no idea what you could lose -- Oh, please, my career, the first amendment, our country?" "Am I missing anything?" "Us, you're losing us." "Since prison, you don't talk or ask, you just snap and bark " " I keep waiting for you to start pounding the dinner table with a gavel" " So in addition to being a pariah out in the world, I also have the supreme joy of battling insurrection   battling, "insurrection"   in my own home, where these ten fingers" "literally, clothe and feed and shelter us " "This isn't just happening to you." "We all hurt!" "Niki, me, your friends -- Friends, what friends?" "Who the hell has the luxury of "friends"?" "I've got allies and enemies, there's no room for anything else!" "We know." "Good, then this discussion ends." "This isn't a discussion, it's a fight." "I will not let our children be raised by a bully." "I didn't want to fight in front of my friends   but I'm not going home." "" " I didn't come here to fight " "You know your mother is a quiet person." "Normally." "The effect of which is that she can actually make me hear myself." "It's extraordinary and lately, it's not a sound I like much." "Mostly because what I hear is just how, how afraid I am." "Afraid that I'm scarring you, all of you..." "and what if it's all for nothing?" "What then?" "Well, so I fight." "It's all I know how to do anymore, just..." "rage... at anyone who gets in my way." "But you have never been in my way, Nikola, not once..." "It's crazy how mad you make me, since all I ever wanted was to be just like you..." "Well, I'm afraid to say that you've succeeded." "We know." "Okay?" "It's a small town and the gossip's always true." "Fire Dalton Trumbo and the rest of 'em or you got pickets, headlines and boycotts." "We will put you right out of business." "We...?" "The Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals." "Me, Ronald Reagan, Hedda Hopper, guilds, studio heads, John Wayne." "I love John Wayne." "I'll introduce you." "You guys could do a movie together." "Aw, gee, that'd be swell, except I don't think you and me are gonna be pals." "Frank, you gonna stop me hiring union?" "I'll go downtown, grab a bunch of winos and hookers." "It doesn't matter!" "I make garbage!" "Wanna call me a pinko in the papers?" "Do it!" "None of the people who go to fuckin' movies can read!" "I'm in this for the money and the pussy and they're both falling' off the trees." "Take it away from me." "Go ahead." "I won't "sue" you." "But this will be the last fuckin' thing you see before I beat you to death with it." "Tiffany." "Right here." "Fuck do you want?" "New script." "Oh yeah?" "Yes, it's a family picture, something I've been mulling." "Story about a young Mexican boy and his pet bull." "Sounds a little fruity, what's it called?" "The Brave One." "By Robert Rich." "Oh, one problem though." "Expensive?" "Worse." "It's good." "Who told you?" "What else did they say?" "You, too." "Thank you, Frank." "What?" "The Brave One has been nominated for an Academy Award." "Really?" "Yes, really." "That's crazy." "Like Roman Holiday." "No, Hymie, this is nothing like Roman Holiday." "Roman Holiday had a guy with a name and a body they could give the award to." "There is no Robert Rich." "Who gets the thing if it wins?" "Well, maybe it won't." "I mean, it's not that good." "No offense." "None taken." "And now I'd like to say two of the most beautiful words in the motion picture industry." "Deborah Kerr." "The nominations of best motion picture story are." "Robert Rich for The Brave One." "Leo Katcher for The Eddy Duchin Story." "Jean-Paul Sartre for The Proud and the Beautiful." "And Cesare Zavattini for Umberto D." "The envelope please." "The Brave One!" "Robert Rich!" "Mr. Jessie Lasky Jr., vice president of the" "Screen Writers branch of the Writers Guild, will accept the award for Mr. Rich." "On behalf of Robert Rich and his beautiful story, thank you very much." "So weird." "We can't find Mr. Rich anywhere, he apparently doesn't -- Who the hell is Robert Rich?" "I gotta go." "It had better not be who they say." "Mr. Trumbo, are you Robert Rich?" "Did you write The Brave One?" "Well, you see, its' my policy not to claim credit for any one movie." "That way, it's possible that I had something to do with all of them." "Except the stinkers, which were all written by my enemies." "What's your position on the blacklist?" "Well, on it." "Along with thousands of others." "Are you using this Robert Rich controversy to try and end it?" "You see, the Brave One is a nice little picture." "And, if rumors of my involvement can help sell tickets, then good." "And if the strange circumstances of its authorship raised a few questions, well even better." "Trumbo?" "Yes." "Phone for you" "Well who is it?" "Some crazy guy says he's Kirk Douglas." "Really?" "Well thank you Nikola." "Niki?" "Kirk." "Kirk." "Dalton." "My apologies." "We've had more than our share of crank calls lately." "I can't imagine." "Please have a seat." "May I get you a drink?" "No, no thank you." "All right." "So." "I'm doing a new picture." "And I just got the script." "Must be seven hours of entertainment there." "And not a single page is entertaining." "But there's a good story in there, somewhere." "About one man..." "...who tried to take on the whole world." "Well, you've got me so far." "He was a slave who led a revolt against the" "Roman Empire..." "And what's the title?" "Spartacus." "...no, no, no I can't tell you what I'm working on now except to say, the blacklist is alive and well and so is the black market." "Well, yes, you can quote me on that." "Seeing my name in the papers drives certain people out of their minds..." "Kirk, I'd like you to meet a friend of mine," "Bob Stripling..." "...House Un-American Activities Committee." "Douglas?" "Mr. Stripling." "Drink." "No, thank you." "You said it was important..." "Only if you hired Dalton Trumbo." "Who I hire is my business." "No, Mr. Douglas." "It's ours." "Why?" "Because we have to keep this country safe." "And how're you doing that?" "Well why don't I show you by putting you on the stand?" "Hedda, is your friend trying to scare me?" "He's just trying to show you the way things are." "Maybe I don't like the way things are." "Kirk we've known each other a long time." "Since when did you become such a bastard?" "I was always a bastard." "You just never noticed." "Yes." "I wish to see the man who wrote this." "Please come in." "I am Otto Preminger." "The director." "Forgive me, I just finished work a few hours ago." "A copy of which I've read." "But I just had that delivered this morning." "I am Otto Preminger." "The director." "Please." "Oh yes, my youngest believes I can end the suffering of all broken birds." "As can I. With a broiler." "Are your duties completed for Mr. Kirk Douglas?" "No, but I do have two weeks off for Christmas..." "During which time you will work with me." "Will I." "If you are as intelligent as your writing..." "and as greedy as your reputation." "It is an adaptation of the novel Exodus." "You've read it?" "No." "A colossal best-seller." "Very nearly a perfect piece of shit." "But -- -- there's a good story in there, somewhere." "I have no idea." "But I have Paul Newman." "We have spoken." "He is a little reticent but I believe at the right price." "So you're doing it?" "I think it's the only way to get him to leave." "Poor Mr. Preminger... thinks he's the cat and you're the mouse..." "Oh, look at that." "Absolutely perfect." "What is this, Santa?" "Oh, just a little something for Mrs. Claus." "I'll open it later." "You know Christmas is over?" "Well?" "Did you read my new scenes?" "Dreadful." "Keep up this level of work, and I will see to it your name is on my movie." "To take the blame." "There you go." "Oh hello, hi Sammy." "Do you know Kirk Douglas gave me his bird?" "It's a distraction." "No, not at all." "I named him Sam Jackson." "He wrote Spartacus." "Well?" "Better." "Thank God." "But." "It simply..." "lacks genius." "Otto." "If every scene is brilliant, your movie is going to be utterly monotonous." "I tell you what." "You write every scene brilliantly." "And I will direct unevenly." "What is it dear?" "Thank you." "Hello Kirk." "Merry Christmas." "Thank you Ritchie." "Otto." "How are you?" "I'm very well." "I, uh, didn't mean to interrupt " "No, no, not at all." "Otto would you mind if we had a little chat?" "It won't be a second." "I sort of feel like I walked in on my wife." "Do you love him?" "Oh, it's far more lurid than that." "He's paying me for my services." "So am I." "And you'll get them again, January second, as promised." "I just need you a few days on some the new scenes." "Of course, but not until the second..." "I wouldn't ask but I've never had a director who's a bigger pain in my ass than Stanley Kubrick." "Worst part is, he's right." "Well, I wouldn't refuse, but..." "Well, I really..." "This should remain between us." "Of course." "Well, Preminger has declared that... well, what he said was, "You keep up this level of work and I'll see to it your name is on my movie." Really." "Those were his exact words." "Be in touch." "Very well." "Merry Christmas." "I suppose he wants you back?" "No, no." "He just stopped by to talk about, ah, a screen credit." "On Spartacus?" "Well, I really shouldn't have said anything." "You understand." "Five minutes, back in five minutes everybody." "Kirk, Hedda Hopper just told me the American Legion is going to boycott us unless you get rid of Trumbo." "Ed, he's not done with the script, his name'll never be on the thing, what's anybody boycotting?" "Kirk, just, just, just a second please." "Please just give me five seconds." "Please listen." "Twenty-million Americans are saying loud and clear they will never buy a ticket to our movie unless you fire one writer." "Here's fifty." "Pick one." "Mind if I stick my nose in?" "Please." "He knows." "He sees Kirk Douglas coming in and out of here." "And Otto Preminger and his Rolls." "He's an idiot, but he's not stupid." "Has he called the FBI?" "Congress?" "No." "Because everything they can do, they've already done." "That Oscar belongs to you." "Get it." "My God, you're nothing like me." "You're worse." "For the record, you're Robert Rich." "I am." "I've been through the whole list Ed, they're all hacks." "And you wrote The Brave One." "I did." "Ed, let me call you back." "Why come forward now?" "Well, as someone who's been thoroughly investigated by the House Un-American Activities Committee, I started wondering why hasn't anyone taken a good, long look at them?" "And their work in the movie industry?" "You see, they were convened to uncover enemy agents, expose Communist conspiracies and write anti-sedition laws." "Well, here we are, thousands of hours and millions of dollars later: agents uncovered" " zero; conspiracies exposed -- zero;" "laws written -- zero." "You see, all they do is deny people the right to work and they can't even get that right." "Academy Awards -- -- two." "And how does that feel?" "To have so undermined the blacklist it's almost a joke?" "A joke." "I know the blacklist that produced Robert Rich, I've seen its horror, cruelty and hideous waste of life as I've marched in the long line of its anonymous." "And I can not invent one more witticism about Robert Rich or the Oscar he can't claim... because that small, worthless, golden statue is covered with the blood of my friends." "I'll get it." "Hello." "Oh, hello Otto." "I've read your latest draft." "What do you think?" "My answer is on the front page of today's" "New York Times." "You hated it that much." "Merry Christmas, Mr. Trumbo." "Ed, have a seat." "But why doesn't he kill him?" "Kill him!" "Kill him!" "Kill him you imbecile!" "Great, great." "Morty, have them put up the scene with Varinia and Crassus." "Thank you." "Listen, Kirk." "One Second." "Warren, I'd like you to put out a press release, the screen one second Warren." "What do you remember when you think about" "Spartacus?" "He was a man who began all alone." "Like an animal." "Yet on the day he died, thousands and thousands would have gladly died in his place." "What was he?" "Was he a god?" "He wasn't a god, he was a simple man, a slave." "I loved him." "Warren, the press release will say the screenplay for Spartacus was written by Dalton Trumbo." "Thank you." "Kirk, If you won't get rid of Trumbo, I will." "And right after I quit, you can re-shoot all my scenes." "See, Ed, for better or worse..." "I am Spartacus." "There's a picture coming out." "It's called" "Spartacus." "It's starring Kirk Douglas." "And it is written by Dalton Trumbo." "If there's some other writer's name on it, don't believe it." "We're onto them!" "Yes." "Now listen Ed, we'll picket every theater that movie is in unless you pull the prints, tonight, and get that traitor's name off it." "Hedda, you can't put me in this position, that's expensive and pointless." "Then kiss your movie, your studio and your miserable ass goodbye!" "Hollywood turns out in force to hail UI's new film spectacle, Spartacus on the premier of the twelve million dollar picture in the film colony." "The protesters also showed up to remind everyone of the political controversy surrounding the making of this film." "Cleo?" "What is it?" "It's over, isn't it." "Yes." "And we made it..." "Yes." "President Kennedy enjoyed a rare evening off, attending the new Kirk Douglas film, Spartacus." "Mr. President, Mr. President, it's a very controversial film, what did you think?" "It's a, ah, fine picture and I think it's going to be a big hit." "The implication of Kennedy's approval of this film are wide-ranging." "The novel was written by a former Communist." "The screenplay was adapted by a former Communist." "And this signifies the blacklist may be over as Kirk Douglas and Otto Preminger have openly hired and credited blacklisted writers." "This is a clear repudiation of the decades long fight by anti-Communists to punish..." "...this next award is for the member who has advanced the literature of motion pictures." "Occasionally there appears among us a person whose virtues are so manifest, who so subordinates his own ego to the concerns of others, who lives in such harmony with all the standards of the community that he is revered and loved by everyone." "Such a man, Dalton Trumbo is not." "It gives me great pleasure to present The" "Writers' Guild of America Laurel Award to Dalton Trumbo." "Thank you, thank you very much." "Thank you, thank you very much ladies and gentlemen." "Often, when I stand before the film community, there is an elephant in the room -- me." "And I, I thought I might address that." "The blacklist was a time of evil." "And no one who survived it came through untouched by evil." "Caught in a situation that had passed beyond the control of mere individuals, each person reacted as his nature his needs his convictions and his particular circumstances compelled him to." "It was a time of fear and no one was exempt." "Scores of people lost their homes." "Their families disintegrated, they lost." "And some, some even lost their lives." "But when you look back upon that dark time as I think you should every now and then." "It will do you no good to search for heroes or villains." "There weren't any." "There were only victims, victims because each of us felt compelled to say or do things that we otherwise would not." "To deliver or receive wounds we truly did not wish to exchange." "I look out to my family sitting there and" "I realize what I've put them through and it's unfair." "My wife who somehow kept it all together amazes me." "And so what I say here tonight is not intended to be hurtful to anyone." "It is intended to heal a hurt." "To repair the wounds which for years have been inflicted upon each other and most egregiously upon ourselves." "Thank you." "Thank you kindly." "There ain't nothin'" "I can do or nothin' I can say" "That folks don't criticize me but I'm going to do Just as I want to anyway And don't care just what people say If I should take a notion, to jump into the ocean" "Ain't nobody's business if I do" "If you receive the Oscar, what do you intend to do with it?" "I had a, I had a daughter, thirteen years old." "I've been blacklisted since she was three." "She's known the title of every motion picture" "I've written in this study and she's kept that title secret." "A soldier." "When her, when her friends say to her as children do" ""my father does so and so, what does your father do"" "this, this confronted her with a very real problem" "It confronts her with the problem and has since she was three who her father really is and what her father really does." "I uh, think, I will give this Oscar if I get it to that girl" "I, I think I will tell her well here is one secret you no longer need to be burdened with." "I'll tell her we have our names back again."