A Special Report: Pop Culture Vs. Communism
Part of the reason it is easy to ridicule the period is the silliness from Hollywood, which you can see here.
Part of the reason it is easy to ridicule the period is the silliness from Hollywood and independent producers on the subject of Communists in America and what they were doing. Remember, they didn't know the extent of the espionage being done, so more often than not the Communists were portrayed as little more than gangsters. Hearings never went into what it was like to live under the Soviet Union, but narrowed down to who was a Communist and who wasn't. Here are some examples of what at best now can be called camp, and the exceptions that gave more detail. Studs Terkel, the Pulitzer Prize winning author once told me that he hated the Communist Party USA and the Soviet Union because they had deformed our left into being cheerleaders for Stalin, so we hadn't had a true American left based on this nation’s issues since the early 1900's. Food for thought.
Elizabeth Taylor marries- a Communist!
Here is one of the rare exceptions that got it right. RED NIGHTMARE. Not only was it accurate about what happened when the Soviets took over a country, but also predicted how the Soviet Union would fall. Not by us bombing it, but from the people themselves. About 25 minutes.
The atomic age meets bikers - 2 1/2 minute long trailer.
I LED THREE LIVES turns communists into bad phone solicitors. About 25 minutes.
A song called HEY CASTRO!
Celebrities often got into the act with these 1 minute long Public Service Announcements:
JOHNNY CASH
TONY BENNETT
GROUCHO MARX
BORIS KARLOFF
BOB HOPE
Local areas produced their own programming too:
TARGET... AUSTIN, TEXAS
The song RADIOACTIVE MAMA
Even Wall Street got into the fever, here is a shocker of an ad for a beauty product
Here is I LED 3 LIVES written by Gene Roddenberry (as Robert Wesley). About 25 minutes.
A very charming, and outrageous film:
Subscribe and do become a paid subscriber as I not only cover hidden cold war secrets, but I also began our series on Korea and our strained relationships to this day. The Cold War never really ended in Korea.
BEHIND THE PAYWALL: Panic in Year Zero! (1962)
Panic in Year Zero! (1962) is an American science fiction thriller / survival drama directed by and starring Ray Milland. The film follows a family on a routine camping trip who suddenly witness the outbreak of nuclear war, forcing them into a desperate fight for survival as society collapses around them.
As panic spreads and civilization breaks down, the family must navigate a world filled with chaos, violence, and scarcity. The film explores moral dilemmas and the rapid shift from ordinary life to survival instincts, highlighting how quickly order can disappear in the face of catastrophe. Its grounded approach and focus on family dynamics give it a raw and realistic tone compared to many other science fiction films of its time.
Originally released in 1962, the film became a notable entry in early Cold War era cinema, reflecting anxieties about nuclear conflict. Over time, it developed a cult following for its stark portrayal of post‑apocalyptic survival and its darker, more serious themes.
No comments:
Post a Comment