I was a communist for the fbi 1951 film completed

Communist leaders arrested in new york and pittsburgh, united states of america usa. Vault home i was a communist for the fbi motion picture i was a communist for the fbi motion picture part 1 of 2. I was a communist for the fbi film 1951 senscritique. Red scare filmography cinema studies library guides at. I was a communist for the fbi film by douglas 1951. It was also a radio show starring dana andrews with 78 episodes that ran from april 23, 1952. The film recounts how cvetic used his job as a pittsburgh steelworker to contact various american communist cell leaders, and how he exposed their insidious. Another film, walk east on beacon 1952, features the fbis. His story was later made into the movie i was a communist for the fbi 1951. The series was syndicated by ziv, and was broadcast from 1952 to 1954 by stations that bought it including wormutualnew york. One of the most exciting scenes in film history and true is when this fbi informant gets the okay to announce at thehouse hearing that he has been an fbi plant in the communist party for nine years and the reaction on his sons face who though him a traitor.

Although the story was fictionalized, the movie was nominated for an academy award for best documentary in 1952. Was a communist for the fbi 1951 and big jim mclain 1952 were. Dec 21, 2017 the fbi thought it was communist propaganda. Distributors boycotted it, newspapers and radio stations rejected advertisements for it, and the projectionists union refused to run it. I was a communist for the fbi is a 1951 film noir by gordon douglas featuring frank lovejoy, dorothy hart, philip carey, and james millican.

The federal bureau of investigation are the good guys, for a nice change. Rankin, the long serving, bombastic, and racist congressman from mississippi stated one of the most dangerous plots ever instigated for the overthrow of this government has its headquarters in hollywood the greatest hotbed of subversive activities in the united states. I was a communist for the fbi is a 1951 american noir crime film directed by gordon douglas starring frank lovejoy, dorothy hart, philip. Based on the book by the same name by matt cvetic, an undercover operative who joined the communist party to spy from within this series capitalized on the new red scare of the early 1950s. Then, in 1951, warner brothers released the film version, with frank lovejoy portraying the man who it is suggested singlehandedly brought the communist party to its knees. It is 1951 and mccarthy has started the war on the new enemy, the communists. Having learned that cvetic frank lovejoy has his family convinced hes a communist, he calls crowley richard webb so well be sure hes really fbi, then meets caviarchomping red blandon james millican and v. The movie market of the time called for a lot of war pictures, and lovejoy has a number of them to his credit, including breakthrough 1951, force of arms 1951, retreat, hell.

Fbi file on communist infiltration motion picture industry. With frank lovejoy, dorothy hart, philip carey, james millican. I was a communist for the fbi 5208 exit on the left, old. I was a communist for the fbi is a 1951 american film noir crime film directed by gordon douglas starring frank lovejoy, dorothy hart, philip carey and james.

The entirety of this document is not available online, but excerpts are see below. Ironically, just as cold war rhetoric was chilling hollywood, this film was used to go to the supreme court and win first amendment rights for the first time for motion picturesin 1952. Strangely, the latter film was nominated for an academy award for best documentary. The film was directed by gordon douglas and written by crane wilbur. By the early 1950s, the fbi began taking a more proactive approach to dealing with soviet intelligence. The hollywood blacklist university of pennsylvania. An unnamed fbi agent who watched the film as part of a larger fbi program aimed at detecting and neutralizing commie influences in. Dec 20, 2017 the weird story of the fbi and its a wonderful life.

The film, concerning a strike by mexicanamerican mine workers, was denounced as communist propaganda when it was completed in 1953. Thats what i thought, and was happy to find that its a pretty good film of its type, in which fine actor frank lovejoy infiltrates a communist cell on behalf of j edgar. Cvetics memoirs were better dramatized by a 1951 radio series of the same title, starring dana andrews. Pittsburgh celebrated the films april premiere with a matthew cvetic day, complete with parade. I was a communist for the fbi 1951 directed by gordon. Gig youngand the redbaiting drama i was a communist for the fbi, with frank lovejoy as an undercover agent who infiltrates the communist party. I was a communist for the fbi 1951 rotten tomatoes. The film was produced by bryan foy who was head of warners b picture unit until 1942 it was also a radio show starring dana andrews with 78 episodes that ran from april 23, 1952 until october 14, 1953. The film was produced by bryan foy who was head of warners b picture unit until 1942. Brief critical essays about other anticommunist films including red planet mars 1952, i was a communist for the fbi 1951, and invasion usa 1951 to name a few, and their influence and comparison with the i led three lives series. It was also a radio show starring dana andrews with 78 episodes that ran from apr 23, 1952 until oct 14, 1953. I was a communist for the fbi dvdr 1951 warner archive. Although this is a foreign film produced in italy and written by federico fellini, it found itself caught up in a communist smear campaign initiated by various catholic organizations in the u.

Full text of fbi file on communist infiltration motion. Frank lovejoy star of i was a communist for the fbi. Huac charged that communists had established a significant. Pittsburgh celebrated the film s april premiere with a matthew cvetic day, complete with parade. According to variety, a sequel is said to be in the. Find similar and related movies for i was a communist for the fbi 1951 gordon douglas on allmovie. Anticommunist hysteria was at a peak during as taping began, and by the end of 1952, i was a communist for the f. The 1952 syndicated series starred dana andrews as reallife undercover agent matt cvetic, whose book of the same title provided the inspiration for the radio series and a hollywood film. The film received was nominated for an academy award in the category for best documentary. He also specialized in tough and cynical characters like cvetic in i was a communist for the f. The closing of the program was great, as andrews said, i was a communist for the fbi.

Gus payne makes the point that cvetics personal life and attributes have no bearing on the validity of what he reported to his fbi handlers cvetic drank. The weird story of the fbi and its a wonderful life. The fbi investigated the communist partys infiltration of the motion picture industry from 1942 to 1958. Its a wonderful life 1946 is 11th in afis list of the 100 best american movies ever made. Dec 24, 2006 i love its a wonderful life, but in 1947, the fbi considered this movie communist propaganda.

I was a communist for the fbi motion picture part 1 of 2. Since the script infers that among the reds subversive plans was the civil rights movement, i was a communist for the fbi is an embarrassing experience when seen today. Aired 1952 1954 i was a communist for the fbi rode the coattails of the red scare, aired even though the fbi refused to cooperate with its production. On the big screen in 1951, the film version of i was a communist for the fbi was a problematic film, everything that makes it problematic today contributed to its success with audiences in 1951 and therefore the film remains a provocative document of a troubled time. I was a communist for the fbi 520604 card game in the. This dramatic film was nominated for an academy award as the best documentary of the year. Nationwide in 1954, only around a dozen theaters exhibited it. I was a communist for the fbi was adapted as a motion picture in 1951. Aug 27, 2014 communist leaders arrested in new york and pittsburgh, united states of america usa.

As a propaganda film, it works even better, giving one the impression that the communists had infiltrated many aspects of society and were more powerful than they. I was a communist for the fbi film 1951 movieplayer. After the outpouring of response to the saturday evening post serialization, the lionization of cvetics efforts by the rightwing politicians of the era, and the release of 1951s film, i was a communist for the f. I was a communist for the fbi is a 1951 american film noir crime film directed by gordon douglas starring frank lovejoy, dorothy hart, philip carey and james millican. Well, thats at least what the film tries to tell you. The fbi memorandum concerning frank capras film its a wonderful life is actually part of the massive,533page fbi file no. In i was a communist for the fbi he plays matt cvetic, a slovenian last name which makes it all the more likely that cvetic would turn into a communist. Although the propagadnda is blunt, its easy to overlook how enormously popular i was a communist for the fbi was in its day. That included zeroing in on the cpusain part, by approaching communist officials who had. Independent productions corpora tion ipc and independent productions corporation distribu m 70 tu 2. A factbased story about a man who posed as an american communist for years as part of a secret plan to infiltrate their organization. Ten motion picture personalities, who were subpoenaed before the house unamerican activities committee in 1947, were convicted of contempt of congress for refusal to answer whether or not they belonged to the communist party.

I love its a wonderful life, but in 1947, the fbi considered this movie communist propaganda. As just a movie, i was a communist for the fbi is quite good in that it moves quickly and has an element of real suspense, particularly the train track sequence, which is excellent. Other articles where i was a communist for the fbi is discussed. Rankin, the long serving, bombastic, and racist congressman from mississippi stated one of the most dangerous plots ever instigated for the overthrow of this government has its headquarters in hollywood. Cvetic was an fbi undercover agent that joined the communist party as a spy. Another consequence of the investigations was a series of anticommunist films. Regista, attori, sceneggiatori, musicisti e tutto il cast tecnico. Fbi considered its a wonderful life communist propaganda. The film was based on a series of stories written by matt cvetic. I was a communist for the fbi is a 1951 american noir crime film directed by gordon douglas starring frank lovejoy, dorothy hart, philip carey and james millican. I was a communist for the fbi university of pennsylvania. That day was 1951 and i was a communist for the fbi spoon fed the anticommunist prejudice of its era so hard and fast that youd be forgiven now for thinking that it was a parody but its not the slimy backstabbing communists in gordon douglas film may not. Gus payne makes the point that cvetics personal life and attributes have no bearing on the validity of what he reported to his fbi handlers cvetic drank, loved publicity, and smacked women around.

Ms leader of american communist party israel amter seated, having been arrested by fbi. I was a communist for the fbi 1951 05051951 us crime 1h 23m user score. A notable feature of the movie is cvetics report of antiblack attitudes among many of the party leadership. Federal bureau of investigation fbi file on the communist infiltration of the motion picture industry, or compic for short. Mgm re sponded first with a reissue of ninotchka 1939 in november 1947, and then with the red danube 1949, conspirator 1950, and a muchpraised documentary, the hoaxters 1952. While the suspicion of the film was typical for the fbi during that era, a movie as popular as its a wonderful life. Fbi files on the production show that they followed the production, release and reaction to the film quite closely. Matt cvetic, an fbi undercover informant who secretly infiltrated the communist party, captivated readers with reports in the saturday evening post in 1950. Sep 11, 2016 i was a communist for the fbi is a 1951 american noir crime film directed by gordon douglas starring frank lovejoy, dorothy hart, philip carey and james millican. The show was a well done and well financed endeavor, and worth preservation for that reason alone. The red menace 1949, i married a communist 1950, i was a communist for the fbi 1951, walk east on beacon 1952, my son john 1952, big jim mcclain 1952, and trial 1955.