The Trials of Alger Hiss

Top 2 Billed Cast

Whittaker Chambers
Whittaker Chambers

Himself (archive footage)

Alger Hiss
Alger Hiss

Himself (archive footage)

Loading Trailer Videos...
  • HomePage

  • Overview

    Documentary by lifelong friend that supports the innocence of Alger Hiss (convicted in January 1950 on two counts of espionage-related perjury)

  • Release Date

    1980-03-09

  • Average

    2.7

  • Rating:

    1.4 starts
  • Tagline

    A story so bizarre it might have been written by a master of international intrigue. But it wasn't. It really happened.

  • Genres

  • Languages:

  • Keywords

Similar Movies

Dogtown and Z-Boys
70%

Dogtown and Z-Boys(en)

2002-05-10

This award-winning, thrilling story is about a group of discarded kids who revolutionized skateboarding and shaped the attitude and culture of modern day extreme sports. Featuring old skool skating footage, exclusive interviews and a blistering rock soundtrack, DOGTOWN AND Z-BOYS captures the rise of the Zephyr skateboarding team from Venice's Dogtown, a tough "locals only" beach with a legacy of outlaw surfing.

Frères de la forêt, des résistants face à l'URSS
90%

Frères de la forêt, des résistants face à l'URSS(fr)

2025-01-21

Between 1944 and 1953, 170,000 Estonians, Latvians, and Lithuanians put up fierce resistance to the Soviet invasion, hiding deep in the vast Baltic forests. Driven by a dream of freedom, they defied a ruthless empire with few resources but unwavering determination. Through previously unseen archives and the poignant accounts of the last survivors, this documentary reveals their clandestine struggle, their heroic sacrifices, and their legacy, timeless symbols of a desperate fight to escape the Soviet stranglehold and preserve the flame of independence.

No End in Sight
77%

No End in Sight(en)

2007-07-27

Chronological look at the fiasco in Iraq, especially decisions made in the spring of 2003 - and the backgrounds of those making decisions - immediately following the overthrow of Saddam: no occupation plan, an inadequate team to run the country, insufficient troops to keep order, and three edicts from the White House announced by Bremmer when he took over.

Up the Yangtze
73%

Up the Yangtze(zh)

2007-09-30

At the edge of the Yangtze River, not far from the Three Gorges Dam, young men and women take up employment on a cruise ship, where they confront rising waters and a radically changing China.

The Birth of Korea 2: Freedom Fighter
0%

The Birth of Korea 2: Freedom Fighter(ko)

2025-09-10

How did South Korea, after liberation in 1945 defend liberal democracy against leftist and communist forces? The door to that secret is now revealed.

The Body of Emmett Till
0%

The Body of Emmett Till(en)

2016-07-17

Emmett Till was brutally killed in the summer of 1955. At his funeral, his mother forced the world to reckon with the brutality of American racism. This short documentary was commissioned by "Time" magazine for their series "100 Photos" about the most influential photographs of all time.

Cirque du Soleil: Quidam
75%

Cirque du Soleil: Quidam(en)

1999-12-26

A young girl has already seen everything there is to see and her world has lost all meaning. Her anger shatters her world and she finds herself in the universe of QUIDAM, where she is joined by a playful companion, as well as another mysterious character who attempts to seduce her with the marvelous, the unsettling and the terrifying.

The Shaman's Apprentice
0%

The Shaman's Apprentice(en)

2001-05-27

Scientist Mark Plotkin races against time to save the ancient healing knowledge of Indian tribes from extinction.

Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired
63%

Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired(en)

2008-01-18

Examines the public scandal and private tragedy which led to legendary director Roman Polanski's sudden flight from the United States.

Bukowski: Born Into This
67%

Bukowski: Born Into This(en)

2003-01-18

Director John Dullaghan’s biographical documentary about infamous poet Charles Bukowski, Bukowski: Born Into This, is as much a touching portrait of the author as it is an exposé of his sordid lifestyle. Interspersed between ample vintage footage of Bukowski’s poetry readings are interviews with the poet’s fans including such legendary figures such as Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Joyce Fante (wife of John), Bono, and Harry Dean Stanton. Filmed in grainy black and white by Bukowski’s friend, Taylor Hackford, due to lack of funding, the old films edited into this movie paint Bukowski’s life of boozing and brawling romantically, securing Bukowski’s legendary status.

American Swing
51%

American Swing(en)

2009-10-17

Chronicles the rise and fall of 1970s New York City nightclub Plato's Retreat.

The Fifties in Luxembourg
55%

The Fifties in Luxembourg(lb)

2013-10-23

The nostalgic retrospective of the time from a very candid perspective, over five chapters.

This Man Escaped the Iron Curtain by Zip Line
70%

This Man Escaped the Iron Curtain by Zip Line(en)

2018-06-08

In 1986, Daniel Pohl was stuck in communist Czechoslovakia, looking for a way to escape life under totalitarian rule. His exit strategy was unusual, to say the least. After realizing that he could not rely on traditional forms of transport, Daniel chose to zip line his way to freedom. After teaming up with a physicist, the two devised a plan using a series of DIY pulleys. Thankfully, his journey proved to be mission possible as he successfully crossed the Iron Curtain, making a safe escape into Austria.

Ulricehamn, the town by Åsunden
0%

Ulricehamn, the town by Åsunden(sv)

1960-01-16

A film about how people lived and worked in the Swedish town Ulricehamn in the late 1950s.

The Real Cancun
39%

The Real Cancun(en)

2003-04-23

Sixteen American college students drink, flirt, fight and canoodle during their Spring Break vacation in Cancun, Mexico.

Night and Fog
82%

Night and Fog(fr)

1956-05-22

Filmmaker Alain Resnais documents the atrocities behind the walls of Hitler's concentration camps.

Marilyn Monroe
100%

Marilyn Monroe(en)

1986-01-01

Born Norma Jean Baker, actress Marilyn Monroe would become one of the most iconic and desirable women in the world. From her humble beginnings, to her USO performances, to her now-famous pin-up photographs and award-winning acting roles, Marilyn made her mark as the most beautiful blonde bombshell of her day. However, behind her beauty, Marilyn suffered a tragic private life.

Wasn't That a Time
0%

Wasn't That a Time(en)

1962-01-14

A look into those convicted by the House Un-American Activities Committee

Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
90%

Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989(sv)

2024-10-04

Archival film maestro Göran Hugo Olsson has assembled—from a vast catalogue of footage in the vaults of Sweden’s national television service SVT—accounts of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as witnessed and represented by Swedish journalists. Stories of the beginning of the Israeli state interwoven with the Palestinian struggle for independence. News coverage with Yasser Arafat and interviews with Israeli foreign minister Abba Eban during a visit to Sweden unseen since first broadcast. From the tenth anniversary of Israel’s founding to the First Intifada, perspectives and encounters with statesmen, civilians, revolutionaries, and intellectuals tell the story from myriad angles of an evolving media landscape, revivifying a history of the ongoing conflict.

Dark Side of the Moon
70%

Dark Side of the Moon(fr)

2002-10-16

A French documentary or, one might say more accurately, a mockumentary, by director William Karel which originally aired on Arte in 2002 with the title Opération Lune. The basic premise for the film is the theory that the television footage from the Apollo 11 Moon landing was faked and actually recorded in a studio by the CIA with help from director Stanley Kubrick.

Recommendations Movies

Night Will Fall
76%

Night Will Fall(en)

2014-06-07

When Allied forces liberated the Nazi concentration camps in 1944-45, their terrible discoveries were recorded by army and newsreel cameramen, revealing for the first time the full horror of what had happened. Making use of British, Soviet and American footage, the Ministry of Information’s Sidney Bernstein (later founder of Granada Television) aimed to create a documentary that would provide lasting, undeniable evidence of the Nazis’ unspeakable crimes. He commissioned a wealth of British talent, including editor Stewart McAllister, writer and future cabinet minister Richard Crossman – and, as treatment advisor, his friend Alfred Hitchcock. Yet, despite initial support from the British and US Governments, the film was shelved, and only now, 70 years on, has it been restored and completed by Imperial War Museums under its original title "German Concentration Camps Factual Survey".

Room 237
61%

Room 237(en)

2012-10-26

A subjective documentary that explores various theories about hidden meanings in Stanley Kubrick's classic film The Shining. Five very different points of view are illuminated through voice over, film clips, animation and dramatic reenactments.

Fuck
64%

Fuck(en)

2006-11-10

A documentary on the expletive's origin, why it offends some people so deeply, and what can be gained from its use.

Sidney
74%

Sidney(en)

2022-09-10

This revealing documentary honors the legendary Sidney Poitier—iconic actor, filmmaker, and civil rights activist. Featuring interviews with Denzel Washington, Spike Lee, Halle Berry, and more.

Zeitgeist: Moving Forward
71%

Zeitgeist: Moving Forward(en)

2011-01-15

A presentation of a case for a needed transition out of the current socioeconomic monetary paradigm which governs the entire world society. This subject matter will transcend the issues of cultural relativism and traditional ideology and move to relate the core, empirical 'life ground' attributes of human and social survival, extrapolating those immutable natural laws into a new sustainable social paradigm called a 'Resource-Based Economy'.

JFK Revisited: Through the Looking Glass
70%

JFK Revisited: Through the Looking Glass(en)

2021-11-12

Thirty years after the release of his film JFK (1991), filmmaker Oliver Stone reviews recently declassified evidence related to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, which took place in Dallas on November 22, 1963.

The Class of ‘92
71%

The Class of ‘92(en)

2013-12-01

A detailing of the rise to prominence and global sporting superstardom of six supremely talented young Manchester United football players (David Beckham, Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Phil and Gary Neville). The film covers the period 1992-1999, culminating in Manchester United's European Cup triumph.

Birth of the Living Dead
67%

Birth of the Living Dead(en)

2013-10-18

A behind the scenes look into George Romero's groundbreaking horror classic Night of the Living Dead.

That's Entertainment!
74%

That's Entertainment!(en)

1974-06-21

Various MGM stars from yesterday present their favorite musical moments from the studio's 50 year history.

Casting By
69%

Casting By(en)

2012-11-01

This essential new documentary pays tribute to the legacy of the late, legendary casting director Marion Dougherty and shines a light on one of the most overlooked and least understood crafts in filmmaking.

My Mom Jayne
80%

My Mom Jayne(en)

2025-06-20

Through deeply personal interviews with her siblings and an examination of the photographs, letters, and belongings left behind, Mariska assembles a new portrait of her mother Jayne Mansfield, an extraordinary and complex woman.

Hitchcock/Truffaut
72%

Hitchcock/Truffaut(en)

2015-09-05

Filmmakers discuss the legacy of Alfred Hitchcock and the book “Hitchcock/Truffaut” (“Le cinéma selon Hitchcock”), written by François Truffaut and published in 1966.

Love, Marilyn
66%

Love, Marilyn(en)

2013-05-30

Using the book 'Fragments', which collects Marilyn Monroe's poems, notes and letters, and with participation from the Arthur Miller and Truman Capote estates who have contributed more material, each of the actresses will embody the legend at various stages in her life.

Directed by John Ford
69%

Directed by John Ford(en)

1971-09-06

A documentary about the life and films of director John Ford.

The U.S. vs. John Lennon
67%

The U.S. vs. John Lennon(en)

2006-09-15

A documentary on the life of John Lennon, with a focus on the time in his life when he transformed from a musician into an antiwar activist.

Halloween: 25 Years of Terror
69%

Halloween: 25 Years of Terror(en)

2006-07-26

Follow the evolution of the 'Halloween' movies over the past twenty-five years. It examines why the films are so popular and revisits many of the original locations used in the films - seeing the effects on the local community. For the first time, cast, crew, critics and fans join together in the ultimate 'Halloween' retrospective.

John Candy: I Like Me
79%

John Candy: I Like Me(en)

2025-09-04

Those who knew iconic funnyman John Candy best share his story, in their own words, through never-before-seen archival footage, imagery, and interviews.

As I Was Moving Ahead, Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty
76%

As I Was Moving Ahead, Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty(en)

2000-11-05

A compilation of over 30 years of private home movie footage shot by Lithuanian-American avant-garde director Jonas Mekas, assembled by Mekas "purely by chance", without concern for chronological order.

In Search of the Last Action Heroes
70%

In Search of the Last Action Heroes(en)

2019-09-01

The most comprehensive retrospective of the '80s action film genre ever made.

Heart of a Dog
65%

Heart of a Dog(en)

2015-10-21

Lyrical and powerfully personal essay film that reflects on the deaths of her husband Lou Reed, her mother, her beloved dog, and such diverse subjects as family memories, surveillance, and Buddhist teachings.