Religious Revival and Campaigns Against Communism
Religious Anticommunism in Hollywood
My Son John (1952)
The extent of the relationship between anti-Communism, patriotism, family values and popular culture during the early Cold War years can easily be observed in many of the era’s movies. Hollywood, in itself a highly mind-shaping cultural apparatus and often accused of being influenced by ‘Reds’, supported the political leadership in its anti-Communist course and joined forces with both the Protestant and Catholic churches.
The 1952 film My Son John is one of many examples. Directed by Leo McCarey, a devout Catholic, the movie dramatically depicts the fight of a very religious mother to save her son who had turned Communist and became a Soviet spy. Framed in contemporary discourse on ‘momism’ and Freudian psychoanalysis, the film underscores the important role religion should play in shaping the consciences -- and minds -- of the people.
In a famous scene, John swears on the family bible, using words that sounded very familiar to contemporary Americans: ‘I swear that I am not now nor ever have been a member of the Communist Party.