Then and Now

Just back from a great flick

Good Night, and Good Luck.

Clooney's movie on Murrow vs McCarthy.
Great pace
Shows that B&W still very effective

Strathairn has Murrow nailed, the mannerisms, the intonation, delivery, gestures.

McCarthy as himself was very effective.

His lecture to the Broadcast Executives was most telling.
Such promise for TV, such a waste with what we get.
Not that there wasn't plenty of trash then, but seems that there is nothing but distractions today.

About a month ago I pulled out an old tape (bought it some years ago, just never got around to playing) :
Point of Order (1964):

"A chilling example how telling a lie often and loudly makes it appear true."

"...compiled from TV footage of the 1954 Army-McCarthy hearings, in which the Army accused Senator McCarthy of improperly pressuring the Army for special privileges for Private David Schine, formerly of McCarthy's investigative staff. McCarthy accused the Army of holding Schine hostage to keep him from searching for Communists in the Army. These hearings resulted in McCarthy's eventual censure for conduct unbecoming a senator."

Made Good Night even better.

Point of order was a bit "messy" in the edits, some continuity flaws in it's assembly. Nevertheless, effective.
Culmination with Joseph Welch's "have you no shame"

Credited cast:
Roy M. Cohn .... Himself (archive footage)
Joseph McCarthy .... Himself (archive footage)
Joseph N. Welch .... Himself (archive footage)

Aside : Welch played the judge in a later good movie ... Anatomy of a Murder (1959)

Now ... to ponder.
If broadcast has failed it's promise, can the Net/Blogisphere/Something step into the breach?
Difference being no "mass" audience.