"Lei è mai stato membro del Partito comunista?" Alla domanda di J. Parnell Thomas, senatore e presidente della Commissione per le attività antiamericane, Dalton Trumbo - lo sceneggiatore più pagato e ammirato di Hollywood - non risponde. Alle sue spalle, per sostenerlo, ci sono Humprey Bogart, Lauren Bacali, Gene Kelly, John Garfield e John Huston. È il 1947, e negli Stati Uniti l'ondata di paranoia anticomunista investe anche gli studios: centinaia di registi, attori e scrittori sono chiamati a deporre. Solo dieci di loro, gli Hollywood Ten, saranno inquisiti e imprigionati per essersi rifiutati di parlare, di tradire compagni e amici. Da allora Trumbo sarà costretto a lavorare per il mercato nero, senza poter firmare le sceneggiature di capolavori come Vacanze romane e La più grande corrida. È solo nel 1960 che Kirk Douglas, produttore e protagonista dello Spartacus di Stanley Kubrick, vuole scrivere il suo nome chiaro e tondo nei titoli di testa del film. "In ogni città e provincia liste di dissidenti sono già compilate" è lo battuta più celebre di Laurence Olivier nelle vesti del generale Crasso. "Trumbo è, senza dubbio, un prodigio della volontà. Ha sempre tenuto duro: è sopravvissuto, ha prevalso, ha persino trionfato. Si potrebbe persino prenderlo come esempio di un certo tipo di valori - tenacia, indipendenza, perseveranza - che oggigiorno sono diventati parecchio rari." ( )

A very good book solidly written and overflowing with quotes and first-hand information. It didn't rise to a 4 or 5 star book simply because it rarely surprised me or gave me more than the basics. While I got a lot of details and particulars about events and many secondary sources and people, I didn't feel I got to know Trumbo or his wife nearly as much as I expected. ( )

The period of time of the blacklist in Hollywood is an embarrassing time for our history. But, with all history, it has its roots in period realities, fears, and social significance. Just after WWII, the devastation of that conflict brought into light many of the normal concerns and fears that such a cataclysmic event can produce. Political preferences were just as likely to be called into question and perspectives analyzed. Communism was no exception. Many jumped onto the "bandwagon" of the Communists with its seeming intent to ensure equal distribution. At the same time, fears that large military endeavors can occur, stoked the fears of Americans to a world seemingly in disarray. Having grown-up very poor, Trumbo had a talent for writing and recognition of social issues. As -- what I would call -- a "free-thinker" of the time, Communism probably seemed like a worthy consideration. Labor and management -- the people and government, the have's and have not's -- to someone wanting more for others, it seemed a legitimate choice. Dalton Trumbo managed to work-through and prosper during the blacklist period without sacrificing his personal convictions. He didn't talk. He didn't name names. Dalton Trumbo was a fighter and worker and seemed to earn it everyday. It's a testament to the character of the individual. A family man who loved his wife and children, Dalton Trumbo remained Dalton Trumbo despite the ignorance and severity of the blacklist period. ( )

I received this audiobook free to review here. The narration was painfully poor to listen to, which made it hard for me to become interested in the content. While I am a history buff, this account of one writer’s struggle with censorship did not win my focus. Honestly, if the narration had been more professional, I might have become more engaged. ( )

Regalo de Jaime