THE NEW DEAL FOR ARTISTS
A CLASSIC DOCUMENTARY ABOUT FDR’S WORKS PROGRESS ADMINISTRATION, THE ARTISTS IT EMPLOYED, AND THE FORCES THAT TOOK IT ALL DOWN
1981 | 90 min | USA
Available for engagements starting May 21st.
Narrated by Orson Welles, this remastered classic from Corinth’s archives is especially timely given its subject matter and how it parallels the state of political polarization our society is currently experiencing. Lessons and inferences can be drawn from the testimonies presented by the interviewees, making New Deal For Artists a motion picture of distinct educational value.
For bookings, email
john@corinthfilms.com
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 flow-blown political attack. Featuring interviews and commentary by John Houseman, Studs Terkel, Howard Da Silva, Arthur Rothstein, and more.
REVIEWS
The Washington Post, 7/1/1981
By Sandy Rovner
“A dazzling and moving portrait of a period that deserves its place in the sun.”
The New York Times, 7/6/1981
By John J. O’Conner
“[A] warm look back at W.P.A. and the arts…This is not a dispassionate treatise.
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