there be so very few film where just the title tell you all you need to know about the film . such a film be i be a communist for the fbi . another example would be i marry a monster from out space . the really interesting thing about this film be how in heaven name do this get nominate for an oscar in the documentary category . it be not a documentary in any sense of the word and it not even in that hybrid category of docudrama . it just a rather exploitive film about the work of an fbi undercover agent name matt cvetic who infiltrate the communist party in pittsburgh and get active in try to take over the steelworker union for the communist and report on say activity to his handler in the fbi . a documentary of that work might have be interesting and but what we get be a film to fit those paranoid time . i find it fascinate that when cvetic finally break his cover it be to the house un american activity committee rather than the trial in new york of the communist party leader . there be a moment in the film where head communist james millican tell his follower to start spread the word that the house un american activity committee be compose of a bunch of right wing yahoos look to get their name in front of the camera . now what could have give him that idea . anyway just connect the dot and no doubt the word their come from j. edgar hoover try to give some credence to huac by have an effective undercover come out there rather than at an actual trial . little thing there call cross examination . warner brother who produce i be a communist for the fbi later produce big jim mclain which star john wayne about a huac investigator in hawaii . huac do grab on to credit for the work do by the honolulu pd in break up a communist spy ring there among the dockworker . but at least in john wayne film nobody claim it be a documentary . frank lovejoy be in the title role a cvetic and his fbi handler be richard webb and philip carey . dorothy hart play a pittsburgh school teacher who say that there be 30 or so like here in that school system indoctrinate the young among whom be ron hagerthy and lovejoy son . she have a change of heart about the communist and lovejoy have to save her from a homicidal fate plan by his superior . ironically hart leave the movie and go to work for all place and the united nation which a we know have be accuse often of be a communist nest in the usa . over half a century later and we really have very few objective work on film or in print about the communist party of the usa . they be in fact a very active bunch in the labor movement . the real hero in stop them be labor organizer like walter reuther in the uaw or david dubinsky in the ilgwu . but since they be people of the left they just do not have the follow on the right to be suitable propaganda material . anyway i be a communist for the fbi be an exploitive work base on a real life character and a testament to those paranoid time .