Communist Accent on Youth (1961)

Synopsis

Created in 1961 by Pepperdine College, "Crisis for Americans: Communist Accent on Youth" was one of a four-part, Hollywood-produced film series. This episode describes the philosophies of socialist communism and how they contrast with those of a free republic. All the films in the series utilized newsreel footage and scripted narration, and each film sought to expose the threat of Soviet-based communism to capitalism and free societies around the globe. In turn, the films describe how communism preys on susceptible youth (Communist Accent on Youth, 1961), spreads through violent aggression (Communist Imperialism, 1962), and cloaks itself behind the discourse of “peaceful coexistence” (Communism and Coexistence, 1963). The fourth film, The Questions and the Answers (1965), argues for the necessity of congressional investigations that root out communist activities within the United States. Straddling the period of the Cuban Missile Crisis, these films offer an excellent example of the anti-communist discourse typical of this critical moment in Cold War history. William J. Teague, Vice President of Pepperdine College, spearheaded the Crisis for Americans film series, and appeared in three of the four films. Doyle T. Swain, Pepperdine’s director of business relations, was, like Teague, a staunch opponent of communism, and served as consultant on the films. Through the films, Pepperdine officials hoped to emphasize the important role of education in combating communist ideology…

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Details

Running time

32 minutes

Collection

Ephemeral Films

Subjects on the Internet Archive

• Stock Footage