- published: 04 Jul 2013
- views: 1546177
The Front is a 1976 film drama about the Hollywood blacklist during the age of live television. It is written by Walter Bernstein, directed by Martin Ritt and stars Woody Allen and Zero Mostel.
Because of the blacklist, a number of artists, writers, directors and others were rendered unemployable, having been accused of subversive political activities in support of Communism or of actually being Communists themselves.
Several people involved in the making of the film — screenwriter Bernstein, director Ritt, and actors Mostel, Herschel Bernardi, and Lloyd Gough — had themselves 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 FBI-published Red Channels journal that identified alleged Communists and Communist sympathizers.
In the early 1950s, in New York City, restaurant cashier and small-time bookie Howard Prince (Woody Allen) has a friend who writes for television. Because the friend, Alfred Miller (Michael Murphy) has been blacklisted, he asks Howard to sign his name to the TV scripts.
(Hey Madlib, what's the word for the day?)
I got to get all this stress off my chest
One of my closest niggas told me he had to get a vest
Some niggas might be rolling up to his wifes[?]
Talking about they going to rob him, put his manhood to the test
(Why brothers got to act so scandalous?)
(Mad at us) 'cos we ain't no janitors
Always looking at me smiling, popping off the lip
Asking how much I clock, talking about my grip
Talking about how they saw me in a magazine, "you're looking clean"
(What's up with hooking up my team?) - Man, I ain't got no label
When I ain't around, my name-o is up in your mouth
Your whole story is fishy like you went down South
Acting like you've been around me before I was paying dues
You'll never know what I've been through until you've been in these shoes (true)
Everybody want to act like they know
Everybody want to act, think[?], front
Triple egos
Snakes all around my back, trying to see where I at
Suckers acting like they know me,
Met them last night and now they're talking about that they my homies
Yo it, always get frustrating when a nigga starts hating
And then be out like Walter Payton
Only see them when they need something
But never ever see them when you need something
That's how it's been so I don't play the fool nigga
You should too[?], go back to school
Prepare to get used, like honeys on booze, fools
You choose whether you want to lose
But when I ain't around, my name-o is up in your mouth
Your whole story is fishy like you went down South
Acting like you've been around me before I was paying dues
You'll never know what I've been through until you've been in these shoes (true)