With the failure of President Herbert Hoover's policies and ensuing Great Depression, Americans were desperate for help. FDR's NEW DEAL put the US back to work, and also included special programs to utilize the talents and skills of artists. Many artists who went on to prosperous careers spent their formative years under the Works Progress Administration. With the arrival of Martin Dies' House Un-American Activities Committee however, theatre actors, directors, writers and painters soon found themselves the target of Republicans' aggressive anti-communist agendas and the WPA was under full-blown political attack. Featuring interviews and commentary by John Houseman, Studs Terkel, Howard Da Silva, Arthur Rothstein, and more. Narrated by Orson Welles. (Wieland Schulz-Keil, USA, 1979, 90 min.)
