Screen Two Fellow Traveller

1990

Action / Drama

2
IMDb Rating 5.5/10 10 213 213

Plot summary

In the Golden Age of Hollywood, two men had it all; one was a top screenwriter, the other a film idol. But when the witch hunts of McCarthyism swept into Tinseltown, it drove one out of the country and the other to suicide.

Director

Philip Saville Photo
Philip Saville

Top cast

Roger Hammond Photo
Roger Hammond as Tudor Hamilton
Doreen Mantle Photo
Doreen Mantle as Landlady
Trevor Cooper Photo
Trevor Cooper as Detective Sergeant
Daniel J. Travanti Photo
Daniel J. Travanti as Jerry Leavy
720p.WEB 1080p.WEB
837.57 MB
1280*714
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
1 hr 31 min
Seeds ...
1.52 GB
1920*1072
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
1 hr 31 min
Seeds 2

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by walterlx

A more complete depiction of the period and the pressures on artists than ever before seen

Seeing adult reactions through the eyes of a child left many unexplained mysteries of the McCarthy era. Friends who grew up in the shadow of the Hollywood blacklist in Los Angeles say that in spite of its flaws, FELLOW TRAVELER provided a perspective they themselves couldn't see at that time.The movie's only weaknesses were its awkward transitions between time periods and the uneven sound track (sometimes too loud, sometimes too soft) which distracted from the narrative flow. The story itself was told in an honest and well-balanced manner giving both the position of those passionate left-wing activists along with the approaches of the people whose direction they followed.As a made-for TV movie, FELLOW TRAVELER was probably not widely viewed. I'd strongly recommend it be sought out as a video rental or in bargain bins for anyone seeking a good dramatic portrayal of that tragic but intense period.
Reviewed by Prismark10 6 / 10

Fellow Traveller

Writer Michael Eaton examines how the McCarthy witch hunts of the 1950s with the subsequent Hollywood blacklist had an impact on British television drama.Asa Kaufman (Ron Silver) is a screenwriter who has gone into exile in Britain rather than name names to a Senate committee in America.While in Britain on a tourist visa. He looks for work and there are jobs available for the fledgling ITV companies making adventure serials such as Robin Hood.All Asa has to do is assume the identity of an existing but over the hill British writer. In exchange for 10% of his fees.This also allows Asa to insert a political subtext in the Robin Hood stories such as being persecuted or being a victim of a witch hunt.Asa is also anguished to learn that his childhood friend Clifford Byrne (Hart Bochner) who was also a film star has killed himself. Clifford was also left wing and being investigated.Both men had also being seeing a psychiatrist in Hollywood Jerry Leavy (Daniel J Travanti) who also claimed to share their left wing beliefs.Fellow Traveller was originally meant to be a television movie for the BBC. It later got a movie release. It is an early example of a BBC film production.There was a time when it was little known just how many blacklisted American writers were working incognito both in Britain and America. There were writers who won Oscars for best screenplay who did not write a single line. The actual writer was a blacklisted writer. Fellow Traveller gives a fascinating glimpse about this.The film does get bogged down when Asa tries to find out more as to what drove his friend to suicide. It leads to an encounter with Leavy who is visiting Britain to speak to the peace movement.
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