The Front

The Front
theatrical release poster
Directed byMartin Ritt
Written byWalter Bernstein
Produced byCharles H. Joffe
Jack Rollins
StarringWoody Allen
Zero Mostel
Michael Murphy
Herschel Bernardi
Andrea Marcovicci
Remak Ramsay
Lloyd Gough
CinematographyMichael Chapman
Edited bySidney Levin
Music byDave Grusin
Distributed byColumbia Pictures
Release date
  • September 17, 1976 (1976-09-17)
Running time
95 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

The Front is a 1976 American comedy drama film set against the Hollywood blacklist in the 1950s, when artists, writers, directors, and others were rendered unemployable, having been accused of subversive political activities in support of Communism or of being Communists themselves. It was written by Walter Bernstein, directed by Martin Ritt, and stars Woody Allen, Zero Mostel and Michael Murphy.

Several people involved in the making of the film—including screenwriter Bernstein, director Ritt, and actors Mostel, Herschel Bernardi, and Lloyd Gough—had been blacklisted. (The name of each in the closing credits is followed by "Blacklisted 19--" and the relevant year.) Bernstein was listed after being named in the Red Channels journal that identified alleged Communists and Communist sympathizers.[1]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Bernstein was invoked but never defined (see the help page).