Review: The Front

Set during the HUAC witch-hunts of the 50s, Michael Murphy plays a TV writer who is blacklisted on suspicion of communist ties. In order to get around this so he can earn a living, he gets bookie/cashier Woody Allen (!) to front for him. It proves to be such a successful scam that Allen (whose character is completely apolitical and borderline illiterate) ends up being a ‘front’ for other blacklisted writers too. But then the FBI starts poking around, and the already nervous Allen starts to sweat. Zero Mostel (in pretty much his final feature film role) plays comedian/actor ‘Hecky’ Brown, who also struggles with being blacklisted. Andrea Marcovicci plays a left-leaning script editor whom Allen strikes up a relationship with, making Allen feel a tad guilty about his deception.

 

Probably the best film of Woody Allen’s career...and he only acts in this one. This 1976 film from director Martin Ritt (Excellent films like “The Spy Who Came in From the Cold”, “Hud” and “Edge of the City”) and writer Walter Bernstein (“Paris Blues”, “The Train”) is probably the best film on the subject of Hollywood blacklisting, though I failed to see any humour in it. I don’t think I even laughed once. Thankfully it works very well on the dramatic front, even if the basic plot seems like a dry run for “Hollywood Ending” (Instead of going blind as in that film, Woody is pretending to be a screenwriter. But the way it plays out is much the same). But then, I actually liked that film, and this one is even better than that.

 

Being a film about the blacklist, made by people who were actually blacklisted (something we find out after the film is over), definitely adds something to it, but Ritt and Bernstein don’t forget to make it entertaining. I normally find films on this subject to be a bit dry and dull, but anyone who isn’t completely moved by the performance given by Zero Mostel (who at one point sports the fattest red tie I’ve ever seen), needs to check their pulse immediately. Perfectly cast as a third-rate Jackie Gleason of sorts, the man truly deserved an Oscar nomination here (Bernstein’s screenplay earned a nomination), as he is truly heartbreaking and absolutely unforgettable. As for Woody, he’s hardly stretching himself (despite the writer character sounding more like Woody), but he has simply never been better on screen in my view. He’s certainly not as nauseatingly mannered as he can be in his own films. Co-star Andrea Marcovicci is OK, but it’s easy to see why she went the way of Kitty Winn, Karen Black, and Susan Anspach, and not Meryl Streep, Jane Fonda, Ellen Burstyn, or Faye Dunaway. Pretty good role for character actor Michael Murphy, too, who generally got (and still gets to this day) much smaller, insignificant roles.

 

Although this is pretty fascinating and moving stuff, I’m not sure it finds the right way to end. Having said that, I don’t have a good alternative, either, but it just didn’t sit perfectly with me. It seemed too flippant and unrealistic. It’s probably a little overrated by some, but it has also seemingly been neglected by just about everyone else, despite Woody Allen being in it. It’s quite a strong and important film (about a frankly silly and embarrassing moment in American history), and absolutely, positively not a comedy, despite the presence of Woody Allen and Zero Mostel (Even Ritt himself didn’t consider it a comedy). Worth seeking out if you can track it down, Zero Mostel will truly break your heart.

 

Rating: B