Citizens' Council Forum Films Collection, 1955-1966
The first Citizens' Council was formed in 1954 in Indianola, Mississippi, to resist integration. By March 1955, 167 Citizens' Councils were reported in Mississippi; these were loosely affiliated into a state organization. In 1955, the state organization began producing fifteen-minute weekly films under the name Citizens' Council Forum Films. These films consisted of interviews by producer Dick Morphew with American and foreign conservatives and were shown on local television stations throughout the country. The programs were created to persuade public opinion regarding two main issues: integration and communism. Some of the films in this collection were not produced by the Citizens' Council Forum Films, but by similar groups. Contained in the collection are 132 reels of film, approximately 90,000 feet.
read more...The first Citizens' Council was formed in 1954 in Indianola, Mississippi, to resist integration. By March 1955, 167 Citizens' Councils were reported in Mississippi; these were loosely affiliated into a state organization. In 1955, the state organization began producing fifteen-minute weekly films under the name Citizens' Council Forum Films. These films consisted of interviews by producer Dick Morphew with American and foreign conservatives and were shown on local television stations throughout the country. The programs were created to persuade public opinion regarding two main issues: integration and communism. Some of the films in this collection were not produced by the Citizens' Council Forum Films, but by similar groups. Contained in the collection are 132 reels of film, approximately 90,000 feet.
| Filename | Description |
|---|---|
| MP_198601_0092_ref.mov | Senator Herman Talmadge (D-GA) discusses the gold crisis in the United States. |
| MP_198601_0093_ref.mov | Attorney General Joe T. Patterson (D-MS) discusses federal intervention in Mississippi affairs, especially where related to voting. |
| MP_198601_0094_ref.mov | 'Representative Francis D. Walter (D-PA) chairman of the House Committee on Un-American Activities, discusses the committee"'s purpose.' |
| MP_198601_0095_ref.mov | Representative H. R. Gross (R-IA) discusses why he voted against civil rights bill, and the reasons he is against foreign aid. |
| MP_198601_0096_ref.mov | Mr. Myers G. Lowman, Executive Secretary of Circuit Riders, Inc., discusses communist infiltrartion of churches in the United States. |
| MP_198601_0097_ref.mov | 'Senator John C. Stennis (D-MS) discusses military preparedness and other topics relating to his chairmanship of the Senate"'s Armed Forces Committee.' |
| MP_198601_0098_ref.mov | Senator James O. Eastland (D-MS) discusses the Supreme Courts decisions in general and talks about the need for censorship in the United States. |
| MP_198601_0099_ref.mov | Senator A. Willis Robertson (D-VA) discusses his support of a constitutional amendment giving states control over public schools. |
| MP_198601_0100_ref.mov | Representative Phil Landrum (D-GA) discusses labor legislation. |
| MP_198601_0101_ref.mov | 'Senator Allen Ellander (D-LA) discusses the Federal Government"'s interference in public schools.' |
| MP_198601_0102_ref.mov | Representative James Ott (R-CA) discusses the new conservatism in the United States. |
| MP_198601_0103_ref.mov | Representative Carl T. Curtis (R-NB) discusses the usurpation by the Federal Government of powers belonging to the states. |
| MP_198601_0104_ref.mov | Mr. Edward Hunter, chairman of Anti-Communist Liaison, discusses brainwashing. Hunter is supposed to have coined the term brainwashing. |
| MP_198601_0105_ref.mov | Part one on reel 105: Senator Strom Thurmond (R-SC) discusses the muzzling of the military by various government agencies, in particular the State Department. Part two on reel 105: Representatives Morgan Moulder (D-MO) and August Johannson (R-MI) disscusses the House Committee on Un-American Activities, communist infiltration in America, and the Communist attack on American youth. |
| MP_198601_0106_ref.mov | 'Part one on reel 106: Senator John Tower (R-TX) discusses what conservatism means and how it relates to the 1960"'s. He also discusses the growth of conservatism in national politics. (Same footage as reel 84). Part two on reel 106: Representative Wilmer Colmer (D-MS) discusses changes in the House Rules Committee and liberal and conservative tactics in Congress.' |
| MP_198601_0107_ref.mov | 'Part one on reel 107: Representative Joe Waggoner (D-LA) discusses his first term in Congress and his theories on big government. Part two on reel 107: Senator Strom Thurmond discusses "'Peace with Justice"' in the world and how it may be secured with the communists.' |
| MP_198601_0108_ref.mov | Part one of reel 108: Strom Thurmond (R-SC) discusses the muzzling of the military. (Part two of reel 108 is a duplicate of part one) (Same footage on reel 109 and 112). |
| MP_198601_0109_ref.mov | 'Part one on reel 109: Senator Strom Thurmond (R-SC) discusses the muzzling of the military. (Duplicate of parts one and two on reel 108 and 112). Part two on reel 109: Representative Jamie Whitten (D-MS) discusses the federal government"'s expenditures, mainly those for the United Nations.' |
| MP_198601_0110_ref.mov | '"'Walk in My Shoes"', part 1 from the Bell & Howell series Close Up""' |
| MP_198601_0111_ref.mov | '"'Walk in My Shoes"', part two from Bell and Howell series Close Up""' |
| MP_198601_0112_ref.mov | Part one on reel 112: Senator Strom Thurmond (R-SC) discusses an investigation of muzzling military officers. He also reads a number of speeches by general and flag officers which were censored. (Part two is a duplicate of part one) (Same footage as reel 108 and part one on reel 109). |
| MP_198601_0113_ref.mov | Representative Joe D. Waggonner (D-LA) discusses the Watts riots in Los Angeles and other race motivated riots throughout the country. (Part two, part one on reel 080) |
| MP_198601_0114_ref.mov | 'Part 1, "'The San Francisco Story"', a documentary about the 1959 House Committee on Un-American Activities hearings in San Francisco. Interviewed are Representative Francis Walter (D-PA) and Representative Ed Willis (D-LA) both members of the committee.' |
| MP_198601_0115_ref.mov | 'Part 2 of,"'The San Francisco Story"', a documentary about the riots at the 1959 House Committee on Un-American Activites hearings in San Francisco.' |
| MP_198601_0116_ref.mov | 'Part 3 of, "'The San Francisco Story"', a documentary about the riots at the 1959 House Committee on Un-American Activites hearings in San Fransisco. Archie Brown is shown being carried away from the hearing room. Footage of riots in the San Francisco city hall where the hearings were being held on May 12 and 13, 1960. Footage of protestors being carried away down stairs and sprayed with fire hoses.' |
| MP_198601_0117_ref.mov | 'Part 4 of, "'The San Francisco Story"', a documentary about the 1959 House Committee on Un-American Activities hearings in San Francisco. Archie Brown is shown before the committee. Also shown is Argis Johansen a congressman from Michigan. Footage of protestors at the San Francisco city hall where the hearings were being held May 12 and 13, 1960.' |
| MP_198601_0118_ref.mov | 'Part 5 of "'The San Francisco Story"'. A documentary about the riots at the 1959 House Committee on Un-American Activites hearings in San Francisco. Those appearing before the Committee are Archie Brown and William Mandel. Also shown are Congressman Gordon Scherer and Frank Wilkinson.' |
| MP_198601_0119_ref.mov | Representative William Colmer (D-MS) discusses Proposed Civil Rights Act legislation. |