Movie – WUSA

WUSA (1970) – A down on his luck “communicator” (Paul Newman) catches on at a New Orleans radio station that is deeply involved in conservative politics.  What starts as just a way to pay the bills draws him deeply into a political conspiracy.

Directed by Stuart Rosenberg              Starring – Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, Anthony Perkins,

American politics and religion have always been deeply intertwined.  The addition of broadcast media has made an even more volatile mix in our time.  All of that makes “WUSA” seem all the more prescient.  What would have seemed a little outrageous in 1970, seems very familiar today.  It remains very, very frightening.

Newman plays Rheinhardt, the ultimate cynical “communicator”.  He’s worked in music, he does whatever will pay the bills.  When I was in the industry we used to call people like this “floaters”.  They never stayed anywhere long.  At the beginning of the movie, Rheinhardt needs a job.  The fact that the editorial position of WUSA disagrees with his personal belief doesn’t stop him from signing on as an announcer.  He says what they want him to say and the advertisers (and the boss) like it. Along the way he meets Geraldine (Woodward), who is at least a part time prostitute and the do gooder from across the hall, Rainey (Perkins).  Neither of them have the strength of personality to really take on Rheinhardt’s cynicism but both slowly work on his thoughts.

While the movie isn’t long (115 minutes), it feels long.  Director Rosenberg had much more experience in television than movies.  It feels like there’s some tightening to the story telling that could have done.  He worked with Newman a couple years before on “Cool Hand Luke” and produced a vastly superior film.  The screenwriter, Robert Stone, adapted his book “A Hall of Mirrors” for the big screen and came up with a script that alternates lurching suddenly forward with long, dawdling stretches that go nowhere.  A really talented and interesting cast (which includes Pat Hingle, Cloris Leachman, Wayne Rogers, Laurence Harvey, and Moses Gunn) gets wasted here.  There’s just not a lot for them to do in this script.  While Newman has said this was the best and most important movie he ever made, it was a flop.

MPAA Rating – Rated PG-13 for mature thematic elements involving violence, drug and alcohol use, sexual content and nudity


(There doesn’t appear to be a WUSA radio station at the moment.  There used to be one in Tampa, Florida.  WUSA is a TV station in Washington, DC)

Why I Liked It – Watching some really fine actors trying to ply their trade.

Why You Will Like It – Take my reason above and add to it some fabulous images of a New Orleans that no longer exists.

Rating – *** Worth A Look (but only barely)