Watch Waldo Salt: A Screenwriter's Journey

Waldo Salt: A Screenwriter's Journey is a 1990 American biographical documentary film directed by Robert Hillmann, which follows the personal and professional life of Waldo Salt, a prominent Hollywood screenwriter of the 1950s and 1960s. The film features interviews with Salt's friends, family, and colleagues, including Dustin Hoffman, Jon Voight, and Robert Redford, as well as Salt himself in archived footage.

Born in Chicago in 1914, Salt had a difficult childhood that was marked by his parents' divorce and his mother's mental illness. He developed a love for literature and writing at an early age, and after graduating from Stanford University, he moved to New York City to pursue a career in journalism. He soon became involved in left-wing political and social causes, and eventually joined the Communist Party.

In the late 1940s, Salt moved to Hollywood to work as a screenwriter, but his affiliation with the Communist Party would soon land him in hot water with the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), which was investigating alleged Communist influence in the entertainment industry. Along with other writers and filmmakers, Salt was blacklisted by the Hollywood studios and was unable to work in the industry for several years.

During his years in exile, Salt continued to write under pseudonyms and worked on the stage and in television. He also struggled with alcoholism and depression. In the mid-1950s, Salt was finally able to break his blacklist and return to Hollywood, where he wrote some of the most acclaimed films of the era, including Midnight Cowboy, which won him an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay in 1970.

The documentary offers insight into Salt's creative process, as well as his personal and political beliefs. It also presents a portrait of Hollywood during the tumultuous period of the blacklist, and shows how Salt and other writers were affected by the social and political climate of the time. Throughout the film, Salt is seen as a dedicated and committed artist who was willing to put his career and his personal safety at risk in the pursuit of his ideals.

Peter Coyote narrates the film, and he does a fantastic job of bringing Salt's story to life. The interviews with Salt's friends and colleagues are insightful and moving, and their recollections of Salt offer a vivid portrait of a man who was both talented and flawed. The archival footage of Salt himself is also fascinating, as it shows him in a variety of settings, from interviews to speeches to casual conversations.

In addition to its biographical content, Waldo Salt: A Screenwriter's Journey is also a valuable historical document. It sheds light on a dark period in American history, and shows how political repression can undermine creativity and freedom of expression. It is a powerful reminder of the importance of standing up for one's beliefs, even in the face of opposition.

Overall, Waldo Salt: A Screenwriter's Journey is a well-crafted and engaging documentary that offers a fascinating look at one of Hollywood's most talented and complex figures, as well as the social and political context in which he worked. It is a must-see for fans of Salt's work, as well as anyone interested in the history of Hollywood and the struggles of artists in times of political repression.