Tell the Truth and Run: George Seldes and the American Press

A documentary chronicles the never-say-die life of an influential journalist

Comments (0) By Julia Youssefnia Thursday, May 8 2008

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George Seldes believed retirement to be the dirtiest ten-letter word in the English language. The investigative reporter and press critic worked well into his late nineties, taking on everything from the tobacco industry to fascism in the face of death threats and McCarthy-era suppression. Rick Goldsmith’s Academy Award--nominated documentary Tell the Truth and Run: George Seldes and the American Press, narrated by Susan Sarandon, tells Seldes’s story. The film traces his professional life through interviews with the man himself, as well as the leaders he’s inspired, such as Ralph Nader and Jeff Cohen. The reporter started out as a correspondent in post-WW I Italy, where he revealed Mussolini’s violent and oppressive policies while the U.S. press sung the dictator’s praises. Seldes eventually published independently, writing about corruption and the corporate interests of major newspaper publishers. Get inspired to tell the truth, even if it means you have to run, at 8 p.m. There will be a Q&A with Goldsmith following the screening. Aurora Picture Show, 800 Aurora Street. For tickets and information, call 713-666-2504 or visit www.realfilms.org. $10.
Sat., May 10, 8 p.m., 2008