A man who has taken his freedom for granted wakes up one morning to find out that the Communists have taken over America.A man who has taken his freedom for granted wakes up one morning to find out that the Communists have taken over America.A man who has taken his freedom for granted wakes up one morning to find out that the Communists have taken over America.
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Pat Woodell
- Linda Donavan
- (as Patricia Woodell)
Fred Aldrich
- Judge
- (uncredited)
E.J. André
- Malenko
- (uncredited)
Philip Carey
- Major Barnett
- (uncredited)
Ashley Cowan
- Counter Man
- (uncredited)
Paul Cristo
- Townsman
- (uncredited)
Ronnie Dapo
- Jimmy Donavan
- (uncredited)
Chad Everett
- A Customer
- (uncredited)
Carol Nicholson
- Sally Donavan
- (uncredited)
Louis Quinn
- Machinist
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaPat Woodell's debut.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Lifestyles U.S.A. Vol. 12 (2002)
Featured review
The Young'uns Think This Is a Great Comedy
I've been showing this Cold War chestnut to my Constitutional Law students for at least fifteen years. I screen it during our examination of First Amendment cases from the 50s and early 60s. That was when the Supreme Court initially upheld convictions of leading American communists (mostly older, suit wearing and essentially harmless types). Increasingly alarmed that First Amendment freedoms were being sacrificed to fears of a "putsch" that never seemed to be imminent or even real, the Court began overturning convictions while simultaneously expanding free speech protections.
The older students remember the times but most are in their early to mid-twenties and they can't believe tax dollars paid for Jack Webb, employing his best "Sergeant Friday" monotone, to warn Americans about the danger of taking freedom for granted and ignoring the threat of insidious Soviet subversion.
What gets the most laughs are the domestic scenes where "Father Knows Best" is hijacked to deliver the political message. The housewife is a stay-at-home who is assured by her laid back husband that she's no worse a nag than most spouses. The kids are just so adorable. Even the teenage daughter determined to marry her sweetheart can't mount more than a mild sullenness when dad objects to an early marriage. Sheesh!
Hubby's "Red Nightmare," his night of a bad dream, gives a good portrayal of the 1950s view of how the Communists - domestic and conquering - would wipe out all our freedoms. Reflecting the fears that swept Hollywood in the age of HUAC and Mc Carthy, the viewer is assured that this very important film was produced under "the direct supervision of Jack L. Warner."
If you want to really get a flavor of that fear-laden time, check out http://www.conelrad.com.
The older students remember the times but most are in their early to mid-twenties and they can't believe tax dollars paid for Jack Webb, employing his best "Sergeant Friday" monotone, to warn Americans about the danger of taking freedom for granted and ignoring the threat of insidious Soviet subversion.
What gets the most laughs are the domestic scenes where "Father Knows Best" is hijacked to deliver the political message. The housewife is a stay-at-home who is assured by her laid back husband that she's no worse a nag than most spouses. The kids are just so adorable. Even the teenage daughter determined to marry her sweetheart can't mount more than a mild sullenness when dad objects to an early marriage. Sheesh!
Hubby's "Red Nightmare," his night of a bad dream, gives a good portrayal of the 1950s view of how the Communists - domestic and conquering - would wipe out all our freedoms. Reflecting the fears that swept Hollywood in the age of HUAC and Mc Carthy, the viewer is assured that this very important film was produced under "the direct supervision of Jack L. Warner."
If you want to really get a flavor of that fear-laden time, check out http://www.conelrad.com.
helpful•810
- lawprof
- Apr 25, 2003
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Freedom and You
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime29 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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