Lloyd Farley is a Collider writer, humorist, and punster, with a focus on true crime, B-films, classic television, Marvel/DC content, and movies.
The soap opera has a long history in the entertainment industry, one that borders on the mythic. It began on radio in the 1930s, aired primarily in the daytime and aimed at the largely female homemaker audience of the time.
The genre itself hasn’t really changed all that much since then, with series following the day-to-day activities and interpersonal relationships between a set of characters. But it would be fair to say that not all soap operas have an ulterior motive, something within the narrative that skews intentionally, something best described as propaganda. Yet there are some, and one of the earliest took on Franklin Roosevelt’s “New Deal”: The American Family Robinson. Industry Tackles FDR's New Deal with 'The American Family Robinson' President Franklin D. Roosevelt took office in the throes of the Great Depression in 1933, an unenviable position to say the least. To combat the economic turmoil and do something to free Americans from their collective despair, FDR proposed"The New Deal." In essence, the New Deal would see a host of new programs launched, looking to stabilize the banks and stimulate the economy, create jobs with higher wages, invest in public works and modernize the nation's infrastructure. Sounds good, right? Not if you were an industry leader. The pro-labor bent of the New Deal posed a threat to employers, with National Association of Manufacturers President Robert L. Lund taking aim specifically at the National Industrial Recovery Act, saying it made"untruthful or misleading statements about the law" created by the American Federation of Labor and"communistic groups promoting union organization." As a whole, the NAM believed that if the American public could hear their side of things they'd be more inclined to favor the traditional ideas and institutional solutions of the business leaders. To that end, the NAM sought to attack the New Deal initially through traditional print-oriented publicity techniques. But a proposal, reportedly made by General Mills vice president and chairman of NAM's public relations committee Harry A. Bullis , would take the strategy to a whole new level. He pitched a radio soap opera, one that promoted entrepreneurship and opposed the imposition of government in an entertaining way. He suggested the episodic adventures of The American Family Robinson. 'The American Family Robinson' Pairs Soap Tropes and the Free Market The American Family Robinson is set in a fictional US town, Centerville, and follows Luke Robinson, editor and publisher of the town's newspaper; his wife Myra, host of a radio show; their daughter, Betty; Betty's husband Dick Collins, star reporter; William"Windy Bill" Winkle , Luke's mooching brother-in-law and self-invited house guest; and the evil Professor Monroe Broadbelt, the"professional organizer of the Arcadians, a group using the Depression as a lever to pry money from converts to radical economic theories." Each 15-minute episode, amid the mystery, family life, romance, drama, adventure, comedy, and intrigue, the ever-patient Luke explains the importance of frugality, low taxes, autonomy, property rights and, most importantly, limited government. One storyline sees Betty fall under the spell of Professor Broadbelt, the Arcadians' charismatic leader who purports his mission to be the"upliftment of mankind." Unfortunately, Broadbelt has no such altruistic intent, and instead skips town with the Arcadians' treasury, filled with the money of those Broadbelt has swindled, including Betty. But it's the pro-industry Luke to the rescue, who helps apprehend Broadbelt and ensures that those taken in by the Arcadian movement, the confused and misguided, have their contributions refunded. The most popular character, however, was"Windy Bill," whose zealousness for socialism is at odds with his penchant for get-rich-quick schemes. It often leads to humorous exchanges with Luke, like the following that sees Luke cut down Windy's theory of a big business conspiracy: Windy: “Look what happened to me. I’ve spent the best years of my life trying to be an honest businessman, and what do I get for it? Nothing. That’s what! Take my patented Little Wonder adjustable hair-cutting bowl for home use…but the barber trust and big business kept it off the market!” Luke: “Who are the big fellows anyway? They’re little fellows who worked hard enough under the same rules that apply to you and me, to become big fellows.” 'The American Family Robinson' Draws Fans, but Becomes a Shadow of Itself The networks weren't interested initially, however, fearing that the series and its propaganda against the"New Deal and all its work" would draw the ire of the Federal Communications Commission , so the NAM bypassed the networks through the rarely-utilized means of syndication to local stations directly. The tactic worked, and with the strength of its writing and characterizations, it developed a significant fan base, people intrigued by its intricate plots just as much as its ideas. But by the late 1930s, programs deemed too controversial, particularly those like The American Family Robinson that openly questioned the New Deal consensus, came increasingly under attack. Per The Daily Economy, the FCC and the"voluntary code" of the National Association of Broadcasters prohibited stations from"accepting free offers if the purpose was to recruit members for an organization or to foster a point of view," and unless stations presented the other side, they might be accused of bias. Looking to defend themselves from the claims of being anti-New Deal, the National Industrial Council stated that it was"not 'anti-' anything or anybody," but rather to present openly the principles of inherent freedoms, which"must continue to be if the system of democratic government under which this country has flourished is to be preserved." It wasn't truthful, of course, but between the accusations and their pitiful attempts at defending themselves, by 1940 episodes had effectively been neutered, virtually indistinguishable from the typical, substandard soap opera. The challenging ideas were replaced by simplistic takes on topics like marital understanding and the need for national defense mobilization in the face of war. By the time The American Family Robinson signed off in September 1941, it was nothing but a shell of its former self. Long since forgotten, The American Family Robinson, at the very least, should be remembered for taking a stand. A propaganda-fueled one, yes, but one nonetheless, giving the soap opera an edge that has largely been absent from those that have appeared on air since then. The American Family Robinson complete series can be purchased from the Old Time Radio Catalog in the U.S. Like Follow Followed The American Family Robinson Soap Drama Release Date 1934 Directors Martha Atwell Writers Douglas Silver, Marjorie Bartlett Silver, Pamela Russell Cast
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