February 4, 1944
The Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals was formed by Sam Wood, King Vidor, Walt Disney and others. Their statement of principles included, “In our special field of motion pictures, we resent the growing impression that this industry is made of, and dominated by, Communists, radicals, and crackpots.” In 1947 Ayn Rand wrote a pamphlet for the Alliance, entitled Screen Guide for Americans, citing examples of films that in her view contained hidden Communist messages. Examples included “The Best Years of Our Lives” (because it portrayed businessmen negatively and suggested that bankers should give veterans collateral-free loans) and “A Song to Remember” (because it implied that Chopin sacrificed himself for a patriotic cause rather than devoting himself to his music.) The organization disbanded in 1975.
