Edward R Murrow
November 6, 2005 | 4 Comments
I finally got out to see Good Night, and Good Luck in Concord. It was just as great as I had hoped. George Clooney co-wrote and directed this film which truly transported me to the 1950’s. The mix of new black and white film with the old news footage was spectacular. This was especially effective since anyone playing McCarthy would have come off over the top, insane, and poorly done. The senator was not believable in real life, how could any actor accomplish such a feat?
Anyway, the movie left me with great respect for Murrows, Friendly, and the early days of true television journalism.
Here are a few Murrow quotes from Wikiquote I think are particularly appropriate today:
“The speed of communications is wondrous to behold. It is also true that speed can multiply the distribution of information that we know to be untrue.”
- On receiving the “Family of Man” Award (1964)
“We hardly need to be reminded that we are living in an age of confusion—a lot of us have traded in our beliefs for bitterness and cynicism or for a heavy package of despair, or even a quivering portion of hysteria. Opinions can be picked up cheap in the market place while such commodities as courage and fortitude and faith are in alarmingly short supply.”
- This I Believe (1951)
“No one man can terrorize a whole nation unless we are all his accomplices.”
- Speech to his staff (1954)
“We are currently wealthy, fat, comfortable and complacent. We have currently a built-in allergy to unpleasant or disturbing information. Our mass media reflect this. But unless we get up off our fat surpluses and recognize that television in the main is being used to distract, delude, amuse and insulate us, then television and those who finance it, those who look at it and those who work at it, may see a totally different picture too late.”
- RTNDA Convention Speech (1958)
“Anyone who isn’t confused really doesn’t understand the situation.”
- Attributed
Tags: cbs, clooney, communism, edward r murrow, fred friendly, george clooney, joseph mccarthy, journalism, mccarthy, murrow, politics, quote, quotes, red scare
Good Night, and Good Luck
October 23, 2005 | 7 Comments
George Clooney was on The Daily Show promoting his new movie, Good Night, and Good Luck. After hearing him talk about it along with the short clip shown, I was hooked.
This is a Warner Independent Pictures film done in black and white with a bunch of real footage mixed in. The cinematography alone interests me, but more importantly, the story revolves around the real life conflict between Edward R. Murrow and Senator Joseph McCarthy in the 1950’s. McCarthy was on a witch hunt for communists and Murrow plus his newsroom staff at CBS stood up to him in an extremely public feud.
Unfortunately, as an independent film it isn’t getting shown on as many screens as I would hope. Right now the closest place to see it is in Boston. Now I’m trying to find an excuse to be in Boston so I can see this. Probably won’t happen and I’ll have to wait for the DVD.
Tags: 1950s, black and white, cbs, clooney, Daily Show, edward r murrow, george clooney, good night and good luck, independent film, joseph mccarthy, mccarthy, murrow, newsroom, press, the daily show, warner independent pictures