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, 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."