The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-12-18
WORLD fBe
MOVIES
Subtle "NeU Deal"
DeHldqOgg

atre, Broadway at 43rd Street,
New York City.
Reviewed by
SAMUEL BRODY
THE President vanishes, but not
1 completely, for he pops forth
in the final sequences to put the
finishing touches to the most skill
full example of New Deal dema-
gogy via the screen that has thus
far presented itself to my attention.
Gabriel Over the White House"
to which this film is sequel, was
pallid and Intellectual compared to
it, and if you remember that RIBBON
you'll know I'm saying plenty!
Imagine a film made by the 100
per cent Wall Street-owned firm of
Paramount, which presents the
bankers, steel magnates, munition
makers, newspaper chain owners,
ETC., as a pack Of vultures who con-
sciously plan a war to bolster up
their falling proflts Imagine a
Wall Street film company called
Paramount producing a film in
which the fascist "Grey Shirts" are
presented as gangs Of maddened
hoodlums who brutally attack radi-
Gals on the streets and raid the
studios of artists painting anti-war
placsrds.
But there is method a-plenty in
this apparent madness, comrades -.
Our President Stanley Roosevelt.
of courseD is the sworn enemy of
all these capitalist pirates. They
want war, but he doesn't. His only
concern is to save the American
people from the horrors Of another
war, and to accomplish this end
he frames his own kidnapping "A
hours before Congress is to declare
war. The sensation that is created
by his sudden vanishing" results
in completely sidetracking the issue
of war in the minds of the people
into a frenzy of nationwide search.
Stanley arranges to have himself
found" at the height Of this frenzy,
regains his old composure and steps
in front of a nicrophone just in
time to deliver a speech which wins
America to his determined stand
against war. IT have faith in the
American people" he concludes.
That 1.-THE President Vanishes"
appears at this time is by no means
an accident. 1t is organically a
part of the intensive war prepara-
tons which find expression current
ly in the fake munitions investiga-
ton and in Roosevelt's take the
profits out of war" smoke-screen.
I SAY most unequivocally that '"The
! President Vanishes" is part of
the general propaganda machine set
in accelerated motion by the Roose-
welt Administration to prepare the
masses for war. This film, like its
twin, Gabriel Over the White
House." was released with the full
sanction of Roosevelt) This may
sound a bit paradoxical to some
who have seen it. "How," they will
object, "can you call film war
propaganda which exposes the fl
nancial and industrial pirates of
American capitalism as the real
makers of war? How can you SO
label a film in which the aims Of
these sharks are defeated and
peace, not war, triumphs in the
end?"
asnwer that this brand of smoke
is in perfect harmony with the con-
sistently sustained line Of dema-
gogic camoufiage from the moment
the phrase about driving out the
money changers" first doomed
through millions of radio loud
speakers until the latest take the
profit out of war" blah was let
loose. Need I compare the phrases
and the facts in this brief review?
Life itself has already shown us
how the "money-changers" have
been driven out; how the forgot
ten man" has been remembered;
what old capitalist deceit and trick
cry is contained in the New Deal"
1t is these lies that THE President
Vanishes" extends into a new
realm: that OF the feverish prepa-
rations for war now going on.
There are stubborn facts" which
the ruling-class is forced to take
into consideration in order that
their propaganda might have the
desired effect on the masses. The
fact that war is staged to safe
guard and further the interests Of
small group of capitalists, for in
stance, is a fact which has by now
so thoroughly saturated the con-
seriousness of the masses that in
The President Vanishes" this truth
is conceded in order that the fraud
of the films lesson might be car
ried to higher level.
The President Of the United
States and his cabinet are our sole
guarantee against wars waged for
profit. Their only concern is to
safeguard the interests of the "peo-
pie" etc. The unacceptable conclu-
sion reached by the spectator is
that should war be declared with
the full concurrence and consent
of the President, then certainly that
would NOT be a war for profit be-
hind which stand the bankers and
industrialists, but an honorable
war, necessary war deserving the
support of "all the people" That
is also the essential significance of
the take the profit out of war"
sham. Call it subtle propaganda.
Call it obvious propaganda Call it
what you will. It's there in the
capitalist press, radio, movies, etc.
It's dangerous and should be fought