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I concur...most people see the obvious indictment of television and its ability to sway the great unwashed, particularly when the medium is used by con-men and charlatans. But most miss the subtext about the alliance between the entertainment industry and politicians, particularly Democratic politicians. Senator Fuller, whom Rhodes coaches as a media advisor, is a prototype of the Senate Democrats of the 1950s and 1960s.

I also find it rather interesting that the film received only mixed reviews when it first opened. Clearly it was ahead of its time, but I still believe its reception would have been much better if Kazan hadn’t spoken out so forcefully against communists in Hollywood. Kazan knew the reality of Hollywood’s reverse blacklist. Those supposedly blackballed for their communist sympathies were eventually rehabilitated, while those who admitted their ties, or spoke out against communists in the entertainment industry had difficulty finding work for the rest of their careers.