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Affiliated Film ProducersSecure the Blessings (1951)

Shows how American schoolchildren are taught the value of democracy, freedom and good citizenship.


This movie is part of the collection: Prelinger Archives

Producer: Affiliated Film Producers
Sponsor: National Education Association
Audio/Visual: Sd, B&W
Keywords: Citizenship; Society: Education; Cold War

Creative Commons license: Public Domain

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Reviewer: smythology - - June 10, 2007
Subject: An OK film...
Interesting to see Richard Leacock as the cameraman who went on to be one of the pioneers of the Cinema Direct docu-school along with the likes of Robert Drew, Pennebaker and the Maysles brothers.

Reviewer: ERD - - February 25, 2006
Subject: Somewhat simplistic 1951 film
Maintaining a successful democracy through the way our citizens were taught in school. This film seems simplistic compared to the complex world of today.

Reviewer: Spuzz - - August 21, 2004
Subject: jews don't wear plaid.
In this terribly odd disconcerting short about What It Means To Have Democracy In America, every second person is wearing plaid (I guess their going hunting or going for Grunge Band practice after school?) and focuses on a number of individuals and how they come across problems at work/school/the house and how they can be solved, because, of course, they live in a DEMOCRATIC land. Several situations are old hat, such as the union foreman having a gripe with the oss and a committee of women getting together to talk about (horrors!) the broken chain on the swing, but the big curio here is the woman who looks at a house she's about to buy. She notices the house across the street having a nice awning.. The realtor says oh they're nice, they have a kid etc etc. When the woman presses for the name, the realtor finally relents and it's a Jewish name, which of course stops the film cold. The film tries to ask whether she can get over this, since this is a democratic society, one nation under god, we the people, etc etc. But it seems to be there just to shock us, and I am not too sure if it was neccesary in a film like this. Very odd.

Oh, and yes, the Jewish family were'nt wearing plaid.

Reviewer: Steve Nordby - - September 27, 2003
Subject: De-mocracy through education
This film stands out from most pro-America short films of its era because instead of rabid pro-capitalist and/or anti-communist hysteria, we get a look at how Americans solve shared problems by education, discussion, objective thought, and consensus. Produced by the National Education Association, it tells us that education is the key to the future of democracy and suggests regimentation and authoritarian teaching are anti-democractic. No mention of evil communists, instead rundown schools, crowded classrooms, and overworked teachers are the dangers to democracy. Yet it is still a viewpoint that demands obedient kids in the classrooms and senators who, although they must represent public opinion, have the duty to "mold that opinion" by what they say.

Shotlist

Shows how American school children are taught the value of democracy, freedom and good citizenship.