39. Memorandum From the Director of the United States Information Agency (Rowan) to President Johnson1
The USIA film “Nine From Little Rock”2 was awarded the “Oscar” of the Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for the best documentary short produced in 1964.
It tells the story of the nine students who were the first Negroes to enter the previously all white Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1957. Newsfilm of the actual event depicts the day they entered Little Rock Central High School. The film goes on to show where these nine young people are today tracing their progress to education at the college level, and the progress of Little Rock itself.
“Nine From Little Rock” has been distributed to 97 countries around the world by USIA. For this it has been translated into 17 foreign languages. USIA films are distributed in commercial motion picture theatres and loaned through our libraries to labor unions, schools, civic groups, etc. They are also shown on mobile vans which take the films to the people.
In Africa where it is vitally important that we do our best to keep the United States civil rights struggle in perspective, USIS Nairobi reported that “Nine From Little Rock” was the “best film the Agency has yet made on civil rights . . . it supports the high priority country objective of showing progress in the U.S. to our racial difficulties.”
USIS Addis Ababa: “The Post feels that the film ‘Nine From Little Rock’ demonstrates very successfully the real but often undramatic (and hence unreported) progress which is being made in the United States toward full equality for all. From bayonets in 1957 to the peaceful school scenes shown in 1964 is certainly a giant step forward.”
USIS Kampala, Uganda: “Another reason for this film’s importance is that incidents like Little Rock stay wedged in men’s minds long after the incident has become irrelevant. This film closes the book on Little [Page 119] Rock and frees the mind to consider the changed aspects of the struggle.”
“Nine From Little Rock” was written and directed by Charles Guggenheim. He is presently at work on two other USIA productions: (1) An excellent color documentary which shows the human suffering of the South Vietnamese at the hands of the Viet-Cong and the determination which these people have to maintain their freedom; (2) “The President’s Country”, a color film on Texas which will express the special nature of democracy which makes it possible for a man of the people to become President of the most powerful country in the world.
This is the first Academy Award for USIA although “The Five Cities of June”3 was one of the five nominees a year ago. Mr. Guggenheim is one of the number of young American filmmakers who have done distinguished work for USIA in the past few years.
George Stevens, Jr. has been Director of USIA’s Motion Picture Service since 1962.
- Source: Johnson Library, White House Central Files, Subject Files, Federal Government Organizations, Box FG–314, FG 296 U.S. Information Service 1/1/65–6/1/65. No classification marking. Johnson received this memorandum together with an April 6 memorandum from Valenti. In it, Valenti noted that Nine from Little Rock had won an Oscar on April 5, the first time a USIA film had done so. Valenti proposed that Rowan, Stevens, and Guggenheim “come by the White House” on April 8 to be photographed with Johnson during a brief ceremony in recognition of the film. Johnson approved the recommendation. Handwritten notations on the covering memorandum read “talked to Rowan on 4/7” and “1:15 Apr. 8.” (Ibid.) Johnson met with Stevens and Guggenheim, in addition to Ball, McNamara, and Rowan, in the White House Oval Office on April 8 from 3:50 until 3:55 p.m. (Johnson Library, President’s Daily Diary)↩
- See Appendix A.1.↩
- Reference is to a documentary film produced by USIA in 1963. See Foreign Relations, 1917–1972, vol. VI, Public Diplomacy, 1961–1963, Appendix A.3.↩