Dialogue: Post-screening discussion with Jonathan Rosenbaum and Jane Ruby.
"One of the most scathing indictments of American culture ever produced by a Hollywood filmmaker." - The Criterion Collection
"An uncompromising portrait of human nature at its worst... so far ahead of its time in its depiction of a media circus." - TV Guide Magazine
Kirk Douglas delivers one of his greatest performances as a disgraced reporter who seizes on a deadly rescue operation to revive his career. Billy Wilder's blistering satire of journalism, ambition, and public spectacle remains a chillingly prescient portrait of media ethics and manipulation. Dialogue: Post-screening discussion with Jonathan Rosenbaum and Jane Ruby.
Awards & Nominations
Nominee - Best Story and Screenplay, 1952 Academy Awards
Related Event MEDIUM COOL
- Sun., Oct. 4, 2:00 p.m.
- Mon., Oct. 5, 8:00 p.m.
Democracy at Risk Double Feature
October 4–5, 2026
On the eve of the 2026 midterm elections, the Gene Siskel Film Center and the League of Women Voters of Chicago present two enduring American classics that ask timeless questions about journalism, democracy, and the uneasy relationship between truth and spectacle.
The Film Center is ADA accessible. This presentation will be projected without open captions. The theater is hearing-loop equipped. For accessibility requests, please email filmcenter@saic.edu