Trumbo
Writer: Christopher Trumbo
Director: Peter Askin
In the spring of 2003, a new theatre piece based on the letters of legendary screenwriter and novelist Dalton Trumbo was performed at the Westside Theatre, New York, with the assistance of People For The American Way.
The play was performed on Monday night’s beginning on 31st March, with a different actor taking on the role of Dalton Trumbo for each performance. Eddie joined Ed Harris, Richard Dreyfuss, Tim Robbins, Chris Cooper and Alec Baldwin when he took to the stage for his performance on May 5th.
Dalton Trumbo, screenwriter (The Brave One, Exodus, Kitty Foyle, Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo, Spartacus, Roman Holiday, Papillon) and novelist (Johnny Got His Gun), refused, along with the rest of the “Hollywood Ten”, to answer Congress’ questions regarding his political affiliations during his appearance before the House Un-American Activities Committee.
For this, Trumbo was fired from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and imprisoned for a year in 1950. After his release, Trumbo, blacklisted and “broke as a bankrupt’s bastard,” was unable to find work in the United States. His letters, brilliant, biting, and hilarious, tell the story of a family’s survival and one stubborn artist’s crusade to break the blacklist. Trumbo is a story of an American who took on Congress, Hollywood and a fearful nation…and won.
