"The Front" (With Melanie Anagnos)

About this episode

The episode discusses the film 'The Front' and its themes related to blacklisted writers in the 1950s, featuring guest Melanie Anagnos.

This time out, we're discussing The Front , written by Walter Bernstein and directed by Martin Ritt, about an unambitious man asked to work as a "front" for several blacklisted writers in the 1950s. The film stars Woody Allen, Zero Mostel, Michael Murphy, Herschel Bernardi, and Andrea Marcovicci. Our guest this episode is Melanie Anagnos , author of the crime novel Nightswimming , set in 1979 Paterson. Discussed: the greatness of Zero Mostel, the parallel universe where Woody Allen became a character actor, what we can learn from blacklist narratives today, and more. The Front is available to rent digitally from most major platforms; there's also a region-free Bluray with some interesting-looking special features.

People in this episode

Host: Framed & Bound

Guest: Melanie Anagnos

Topics covered

• blacklist narratives
• film discussion
• 1950s cinema
• character actors
• Zero Mostel

Keywords

• The Front
• blacklist
• Woody Allen
• Zero Mostel
• 1950s film
• Nightswimming
• Martin Ritt

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: The Front, Nightswimming

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