John Doe: Citizen Politician
John Doe: Citizen Politician is a short film from 1939 released on 16mm. It is held in the Prelinger Archives collection.
From Educational Film Catalogue (1939):
"Dramatizes a small city election, illustrates indifference of average citizen to public affairs and emphasizes that if the government is not run by the people the government will run them. Refers to imaginary city and issue of a new wall needed on a canal bank. Rock company using area for dumping debris bribes politicians who, by cunning propaganda and well planned publicity swing the uninformed public to their side. Death of a child is tragic means of startling voters into recognizing individual political responsibilities."
"The following comments are by members of a committee of high-school teachers: 'Excellent film for establishing an awareness and a realizaton of the effects of the indifference of the citizen to his government, and what can be done through an aroused citizenry' ; 'Presents something we need to teach in school the fact that if the people do not run the government, the government will run the people'; 'A splendid picture that shows the lethargic attitude of the people on matters that affect them, and how difficult it is to get them unified'; It is a step in a very good direction. . . It certainly shows the way people react to present-day problems. . . This film has been used in our junior high schools and even in an elementary eighth grade studying Civics. . . The subject is however definitely allocated in our system to the senior high school for the twelfth year, because the central theme for that year in Social Studies is 'American problems.' I have never received an adverse comment on this film from teachers who have used it, and I have received many favorable ones." M. L. Israel, Director Visual Education, Los Angeles County Guide
John Doe, a citizen of Willowbrook, circulates a petition to repair the canal walls in his city. Unscrupulous vested interests try to hijack citizen initative with one of their own.
Shot in southern California titles supered over action
old socialist-style montage, pretty good| John Doe: Citizen Politician | |
|---|---|
| Produced by | Christeson, F.M. and Merrick, H.V. |
Production companies | Christeson, F.M. and Merrick, H.V. |
| Distributed by | Christeson, F.M. and Merrick, H.V. |
Release date | 1939 |
| Language | English |
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