THE RED MENACE (1949)

Directed by R.G. Springsteen, most associated with television westerns, this Republic Production release may suck—eighty-one minutes from your life—yet it offers a few timeless observations. The film’s opening credits have a male chorus singing wordless music of a slight Russian flavor. The composer is Nathan Scott, father of Grammy Award-winning saxophonist and composer, Tom Scott. The narration by Lloyd G. Davies, a Los Angeles City Council Member returns periodically throughout the film with prescient comments. He also garners a role as Inspector O’Toole. Republic’s own, Robert “B-movie” Rockwell, and co-star, Hannelore (Hanne) Axman are in the midst of a late-night automobile escape with Axman in a particular state of panic. Davies steps in to explain the necessary flashback of what led to the climactic scene.

Rockwell, in his second film role, gets hoodwinked into joining the Communist Party in America simply because of his disillusionment with governmental procedures as a returning war veteran. His selfish anger provides a ripe mind for the red menace. He is befriended by an undercover comrade who takes him to “Club Domino.” Maybe a subliminal message behind that name as America will fall like dominoes under a Communist takeover. Across the alley is their underground newspaper, subliminally titled, “The Toilers.” All the patrons at this alley bar have orders to recruit saps like Rockwell. Cute Barbara Fuller is first to soften him up. A young convert who later begins to question the organization's intentions.

Sensing Rockwell is a bit green around the red menace, he is later saved from arrest by Axman, a Communist instructor from Europe. He thinks Communism is where everyone shares things equally. Golly, that sounds keen. She tells him that it is a naive American opinion. In Communism, there are no internal principles of right and wrong. The basic doctrine is Atheism which is sugar-coated with high brow terms. Lying is second nature. If you disagree with them you are silenced. As an example, a man stands up in protest at a secret meeting. Betty Lou Gerson, in her first movie role, berates him and identifies him with an ethnic slur. It is shockingly accurate to describe radicals or liberal social media in the twenty-first century. She looks and acts the part here. Devoid of any outward femininity, she is a bit jealous of Fuller and Axman. In the end, immigration officials bring her in for questioning. They are tired of her loud-mouth disloyalty to the United States and also uncover she is a murderer. Bingo! She ends her role in an angry, over-the-top tirade indicative of an unhinged person. Gerson was still a popular radio character and voice artist. Her final scene would have been less amusing on the radio. You may roll your eyes during her final laughing exit.

Davies returns with closing comments. Rockwell and Axman end their escape with a tall, baritone-voiced Texas sheriff who doles out wisdom after listening to their three-hour backstory. The ending is too simplistic to be believed. Before leaving on an assignment, he says they have nothing to fear in America and they should get married. The couple did not get the sheriff’s name but a little boy walking by in a cowboy outfit helps a bit. Scratching his head, 'Oh him? It’s some kind of a long name but us kids just call him Uncle Sam.' The closing moments have the male chorus singing “My Country ‘Tis of Thee” over images of the Statue of Liberty. Try that today.

Notes: This film is too idealistic but perhaps makes a point. Many protesters are hired to pit social classes against one another. These are the same people today who set fire to buildings or parked cars because they disagree with someone's viewpoint, existence or judicial verdict. Totally out of control, ignorant people. Stalin said it best: 'Dictatorship means unlimited power, resting solely on violence, and not on law.' 

In another scene, a man confronts his comrades. He has had enough of the party and tears up his card. I quote: 'All the years in the party I thought I could be an American Democrat and a Communist at the same time. You pretend to fight racial discrimination but you keep reminding me I’m a Jewish-American. Molly, over there, is an Irish-American. We are not hyphens! We’re just plain Americans!'