Can you imagine Hollywood making a concerted effort to promote, amplify, and celebrate the Bill of Rights?
Astonishing as it may seem today, it was once the case.
In 1963, the Motion Picture Association of America embarked on a remarkable project to encourage appreciation for, and the study of, the Bill of Rights among as many American citizens as possible.
To that end, Charles McCarthy, then-executive vice president of the Council of Motion Picture Organizations, wrote President John F. Kennedy to ask if he would appear in a short motion picture trailer discussing the history and importance of the Bill of Rights that would be seen by moviegoers in over 17,000 theaters throughout the nation.
McCarthy wrote to Kennedy, in part: "The entire motion picture industry is united in this patriotic endeavor, as there is increasing evidence that many Americans either don't know about the Bill of Rights or are indifferent to its guarantees of freedom."
As amazing as it is when thinking about the state of mind of contemporary Hollywood, such ignorance and apathy was cause for concern among the entertainment industry titans of the day. They meant to do something about it.
The idea was to screen the trailer on Bill of Rights Day -- December 15 -- as well as the subsequent week. The motion picture industry secured a commitment from Charles E. Shutt, who at the time operated the first daily television news service in Washington, D.C., to film the address, which Kennedy recorded in the Oval Office. Other segments of the industry donated film and the funds to cover the cost of distribution.
Scripts from Hollywood for Kennedy's address were submitted to the White House. These scripts -- in addition to the fascinating correspondence associated with the MPAA's campaign, McCarthy's letter, and notes from the White House staff -- can be viewed at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum website.
While the submitted scripts perhaps proved useful, it seems as if Kennedy's staff prepared an address that better accentuated the president's demonstrated personal commitment to upholding the Bill of Rights and the Constitution. He often alluded to both in several of the major and memorable speeches that he delivered during his presidency.
Kennedy recorded the address on November 7, 1963. His phrase referring to how much the country "has been through" took on added poignancy following his assassination just two weeks later. But the whole of his succinct, sober, and meaningful address endures.
As he said about the Bill of Rights, the Constitution, and those who crafted both (including Article V mastermind and COS patron saint George Mason):
"We owe a good deal to it. I think it's appropriate that we be reminded of our blessings, and those who made them possible."
Indeed it is:
To celebrate Bill of Rights Day, watch and listen to COSA president and co-founder Mark Meckler deliver a special adaptation of Kennedy's presentation on this Sunday evening's edition of The BattleCry. You can check it out on December 15 at 8:00 pm. here!
