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Wednesday, December 24, 2014

AFTER THE BOMB: GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK: The Screenplay and History Behind the Landmark Movie. Newport Press, New York, 2006 (208 pages).


If you are studying George Clooney’s 2005 film this book is essential reading!

The best and most informative article in the collection has to be the Q & A section in which George Clooney & Grant Heslov are questioned by the writer Rod Feld (pp. 77-98). You discover the essence of their art through a transparent discussion of their manipulation of context & style.

The best equivalent interview online is to be found here. It features an important discussion with George Clooney &  David Straithern who plays Murrow:

George Clooney On the Life & Career of Edward R. Murrow: Goodnight and Good Luck. Clooney addresses RTNDA in 2005: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3eaRo61ZH4 (49:31)

Also highly valuable in this book are the articles ‘Murrow vs. McCarthy: See It Now', by Joseph Wershba & ‘Journalism and McCarthyism’ by Rich Kaplan which clearly establish the historical, political and cultural context of the film.


The script of the film which appears in the book is dated March 2, 2005 PRODUCTION DRAFT. Online you can find an earlier Production Draft 20 October 2004 here: http://www.dailyscript.com/scripts/Good_Night_and_Good_Luck.pdf

If you have the time check this related Cold War doco out: Point of Order (1964): Documentary film of the 1954 Army-McCarthy hearings by Emile de Antonio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EhOdSSI8n4