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Christopher Trumbo in front of the Ojai Playhouse, Ojai CA Christopher Trumbo (1940-2011) Dear FOTM Friends and Family: It is with a heavy heart that Focus on the Masters announces the passing of one of our Documented Master Artists. Screenwriter Christopher Trumbo passed away at his Ojai home on January 8, at the age of 70, from complications of kidney cancer. Please click here to read the Los Angeles Times obituary. As many of our supporters may know, Chris's inclusion in our program was unique. As a writer, Chris's film credits were very impressive and involved his working with some of the most iconic figures of a particularly complex era of Hollywood history. The lessons gleaned from Christopher's life and work reach far beyond just our community and into dark chapters of American History. As the son of Blacklisted writer Dalton Trumbo, Christopher was a recognized authority on the 1950's Blacklist Era. He was frequently interviewed and appeared in several documentaries on the subject. Anyone involved with FOTM understands that it takes a lot of courage to be an artist. Many of our artists open their lives up to us through abstract media. Christopher open his own life up to us without abstraction; he opened himself up directly for all the world to see. There have been many stories written about the Blacklist and the McCarthy Era, but few directly and intimately illustrate those families' plights from the inside. Those stories are the tales of the very few families who stayed together while weathering the 13 year political hurricane. From 1947 to 1960, during the most formative years of Christopher's life, the Trumbo family endured extraordinary hardships. Prompted by his wife Nancy Escher, in the late 1990s Chris came up with an idea to help raise money for a University of Southern California effort called The First Amendment/Blacklist Project, a public artwork commissioned to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Blacklist. American artist Jenny Holzer was selected after a 10 year selection process. Holzer's installation commemorated the Hollywood 10 (among the 10, Christopher's father Dalton). Click here to see Blacklist. The fundraiser inspired Chris to re-access and bring to light details that many in Hollywood, and throughout the United States, would have preferred be left in the shadows. Chris assembled letters that were already published in a book, Additional Dialogue; The Letters of Dalton Trumbo 1942-1962 and built the foundation of the play form the actual experiences and events expressed in the letters. From serving 10 months in jail for contempt of Congress, to dealing with creditors, to trying to be paid under an assumed name, Christopher masterfully blended his father's letters with touch of humor underscored by heartbreaking narratives all tied together with fortitude. The first of many celebrities to play Dalton Trumbo was Steve Martin, a family friend. The Los Angeles debut of these readings was a huge success and inspired Chris to refine the play. The result of these efforts, in 2003, was Trumbo: Red, White and Blacklisted which opened in New York to rave reviews. The play toured nationally and in 2008 was adapted into a documentary feature film simply titled Trumbo. In the film, the part of Dalton Trumbo was variously played by a list of Hollywood royalty. The film succeeded in not only paying homage to Dalton Trumbo, one of the great screenwriters of the 20th Century, but also to the Trumbo family and every family who had been directly affected by the Blacklist. Chris's efforts, including this film, helped make an otherwise incomprehensible period in American history accessible to the average person. His work reminds us that history is a great teacher whose lessons must not be forgotten. Over time, many actors jumped at the opportunity bring Chris's play to life. Actors such as Nathan Lane, Richard Dreyfuss, Brian Dennehy, Gore Vidal, Bill Irwin, F. Murray Abraham, Eddie Izzard, Robert Loggia, Christopher Lloyd, Michael Richards, Charles Durning, Paul Newman, Peter Strauss, Joe Mantegna, and Studs Terkel. The cast for the documentary film Trumbo alone includes Donald Sutherland, Michael Douglas, Nathan Lane, Joan Allen, Liam Neeson, Paul Giamatti, Brian Dennehy and David Strathairn, among others. Click here to view the trailer Trumbo . Christopher Trumbo was a generous, loving man who had a quick wit and an extraordinary command of the English language. His decision to become a writer was really a bow to the inevitable and an embrace of the familiar. He lived a life of integrity and bravery. At the time of his death, Christopher had been writing a memoir and history of the Hollywood blacklist. He is survived by his wife, Nancy Escher, sisters Nikola Trumbo and Mitzi Trumbo, nieces Samantha Campbell and Molly Gingras, and nephew Dominic Taylor. Services are pending. Donna Granata Founder, Focus on the Masters   This e-mail was sent from Focus on the Masters Immediate removal with ® Secure. To forward this e-mail to a friend or colleague, . To change your e-mail address or update preferences, .