Guilty by Suspicion

Guilty by Suspicion is a 1991 American drama film about the Hollywood blacklist, McCarthyism, and the activities of the House Un-American Activities Committee. Written and directed by Irwin Winkler, it starred Robert De Niro, Annette Bening, and George Wendt.

The film was entered into the 1991 Cannes Film Festival.

Plot summary
David Merrill (De Niro), a director in 1950s Hollywood, returns from abroad to find that a rising tide of McCarthyism and the Red Scare has led to his not being allowed to work in films. He will only be allowed to direct once he implicates colleagues as Communist agents. He must decide whether to turn informant, or to stick to principle at the cost of his life's work.

Cast

 * Robert De Niro as David Merrill
 * Annette Bening as Ruth Merrill
 * George Wendt as Bunny Baxter
 * Patricia Wettig as Dorothy Nolan
 * Sam Wanamaker as Felix Graff
 * Luke Edwards as Paulie Merrill
 * Chris Cooper as Larry Nolan
 * Ben Piazza as Darryl Zanuck
 * Martin Scorsese as Joe Lesser
 * Barry Primus as Bert Alan
 * Gailard Sartain as Chairman Wood
 * Robin Gammell as Congressman Tavenner
 * Brad Sullivan as Congressman Velde
 * Tom Sizemore as Ray Karlin
 * Stuart Margolin as Abe Barron
 * Roxann Biggs as Felicia Barron
 * Barry Tubb as Jerry Cooper

Reception
The film opened to good reviews and earned praise for Robert De Niro's performance. Roger Ebert gave the film three-and-a-half out of four stars and wrote that the film "teaches a lesson we are always in danger of forgetting: that the greatest service we can do our country is to be true to our conscience."