The Commies Are Coming, the Commies Are Coming

Infobox Film
name = The Commies are Coming, the Commies are Coming
director = George Waggner
producer = William L. Hendricks
Jack Webb
writer = Vincent Fotre
starring = Jack Kelly
Jeanne Cooper
music = Howard Jackson
William Lava
cinematography = Robert Hoffman
distributor = Warner Bros.
country = USA
editing = Folmer Blangsted
released = 1957
runtime = 29 min./60 min. (video compilation)
language = English
imdb_id = 0050261

"The Commies are Coming, the Commies are Coming" (1957) is the name of a 1985 video release of "Red Nightmare" by Rhino Video. The film's original title was Armed Forces Information Film (AFIF) 120 "Freedom and You" [http://www.detrick.army.mil/dctee/training/videotapes.pdf] that was released to American television and as an educational film to American schools under the title "Red Nightmare". The film is a Cold War-era drama short subject starring Jack Kelly and Jeanne Cooper. "Red Nightmare" was directed by George Waggner ("The Wolf Man") and narrated by Jack Webb. Though made for the Department of Defense it was shown on American television on Jack Webb's "General Electric True" in 1962.

Plot

A man takes his American freedoms for granted, until he wakes up one morning to find out that the United States Government has been replaced with a Communist system. The basis for this short film, narrated by Jack Webb, is the alleged Soviet recreation of US communities for the purpose of training infiltrators, spies, and moles.

The film begins in what looks like a typical American town. The camera moves back to reveal barbed wire, barricades, and soldiers in Soviet Army uniforms. Narrator Jack Webb informs us that there are several places behind the Iron Curtain used for training Soviet espionage and sabotage forces prior to infiltrating America.

Webb introduces us to a typical American family of father Jerry (Jack Kelly), wife Helen (Jeanne Cooper), and daughter Linda (Patricia Woodell, the original Bobbie Jo on Petticoat Junction) Donovan. Her boyfriend Bill Martin (Peter Brown) has been invited to dinner but whilst Jerry lectures Bill on football plays, Bill only has eyes for Helen. All is not well as Jerry's missing his PTA meeting to go bowling and his intention to miss his military Reserve training does not go over well with Helen. Linda and Bill inform Jerry and Helen they wish to get married but Jerry is angered and says they are too young but he would have no objection if they waited five years after university.

Jack Webb explains how safe Jerry is in his world but when Jerry goes to sleep Webb smirks and tells the audience Jerry is going to have a Red Nightmare.

Jerry awakes to find meetings in the public square about infiltrating America to bring down Capitalism. He returns home to find his daughter going to a farm collective escorted by Bill who is now in Russian Army uniform. Helen informs Jerry that he will have to address the PTA on the glories of communism that Jerry refuses to do but his wife says he has no choice. At work Jerry's foreman (Robert Conrad) tells him that he has not met his quota and must work through the lunch break to meet it. On Sunday moring Jerry wakes to find his two youngest children being sent to a State Communist school against his wishes. Jerry insists on the children going to Sunday School and takes them to their church that has been turned into a museum glorifying the Soviet Union including many inventions made by Americans that the Soviets claim to have invented. Jerry knocks the exhibits over and is arrested by troops led by Commissar Peter Breck. Jerry is brought to trial by a tribunal led by Andrew Duggan and is prosecuted by Mike Road; there is no jury nor a defence attorney. Jerry demands to know what he is charged with, but the rights Americans take for granted are long gone. Jerry is sentenced to execution, is restrained in a chair and gives a speech about the Soviet people waking up one day to overthrow communism before he gets a bullet in the head from the Commissar.

Jerry wakes up to his freedoms and apologises to Bill and Linda. Bill says that Jerry had a point about waiting to get married and he and Linda will do so after he finishes his enlistment in the US Army.

Production

Infobox Actor
bgcolour = silver


name = Jack Kelly
birthdate =
location =
deathdate =
deathplace =

The production of the film is quite similar to episodes of "The Twilight Zone" though it predated that popular television series. It was made by Warner Bros. under the auspices of the Department of Defense "Directorate of Armed Forces Information and Education" (commonly referred to as 'Army Training Films') under the direct supervision of Jack L. Warner.

The cast of the film is a "Who's Who" of Warner Brothers Television of the time. The "everyman" hero is Jack Kelly, then the co-lead of "Maverick", and other cast members starred or guest starred in Warner Brothers Television shows that proliferated on the ABC network.

Remarks

*The film was among those films released at the height of the Cold War, including "On the Beach" (1959), "Atomic War Bride" (1960), and "Panic in Year Zero" (1962).

*Peter Brown remarked that he most remembered his role as he received his Screen Actors Guild card for doing it. [www.peterbrowntv]

*Many film studios made films for the Department of Defense as they did during World War II. Warner Bros. was no exception. Prior to the war they had made "Confessions of a Nazi Spy" (1940) that aroused great controversy. During the 1950s the studio made "I Was a Communist for the FBI" one of the film genre of anti-communist films Hollywood studios made from the late 40's to the early 1950s.

*Though originally meant for United States Government use, the film was shown on American television in 1962. The film was also shown as an educational film in American high schools.

Cast

Jack Kelly ... Jerry Donavan
Jeanne Cooper ... Helen Donavan
Peter Brown ... Bill Martin
Pat Woodell ... Linda Donavan (as Patricia Woodell)
Andrew Duggan ... Judge
Peter Breck ... Russian Officer
Robert Conrad ... Pete
Mike Road ... Prosecutor
Jack Webb ... On-Camera Narrator

References

External links

*imdb title|id=0050261|title=Red Nightmare