(1947, sound, 35min, b&w, 16mm)
Sponsor: research institute of America. production Co.: Academy Films. resources: Copyright not regis- tered; “Sees output Way to Combat ‘isms,’” NYT, oct. 1, 1947, 41; “Communists Aren’t under the Bed,” Mod Ind 15 (Apr. 15, 1948): 87–88; EFG (1951), 285; Ec Ed, 11; raymond Spottiswoode, “Crossroads for America,” in Ideas, 199. Holdings: Macdonald, uCLA.
Anticommunist film produced by an employer-funded group to drive home the communist threat to labor unions. In the story “a typical communist” tricks worker Dave Nelson into leading a strike, but later Nelson sees his error. The film points to faults in America’s free enterprise system, such as high food prices and poor housing, but argues that communism is not the answer. Crossroads for America suggests that business should fight leftist propaganda by providing accurate information to workers about operations and profits. note: Raymond Spottiswoode writes that the film was seen as a response to the union-sponsored Deadline for Action (entry 110).