The 1950s:

Communism

And Other Monumental Disasters

The war against communism in America brought on a strong sense of paranoia, which can be seen in the many alien invasion films of the decade. Satire seemed nearly nonexistent until later in the decade when films such as Charlie Chaplin's "A King in New York" and Jack Arnold's "The Mouse That Roared" comedically showcased the effects of communism on the U.S. A King in New York display's the Hollywood witch hunt and how many prominent figures in the industry were wrongfully accused of communism. The Mouse That Roared parodies the Soviet Union's attempts to intimidate the U.S., however the tiny nation in the film wins, astonishingly, by accident.

"I'm so sick and tired of people asking me if I'm this, if I'm that!"

-A King in New York

The 1960s

"As leader of the party of the common man, I say that war is reprehensible, barbaric, unforgivable, and unthinkable. And I second the motion."

-The Mouse That Roared