Legendary Hollywood director, Frank Capra, created this short film to further his personal agenda in a dispute over water rights in California. The US Government wanted exclusive rights to water from the Santa Margarita river for a nearby US Marine Base, threatening the supply for irrigation to the ranches in the area (one of which was owned by Capra). The film received enough attention that the issue made the front page of the L. A. Times, and the government backed down.
The film itself utilises all the techniques Capra had used in his various wartime propaganda films, creating a sense of impending threat to all honest, hard-working citizens from the ominous, scary government. The irony of course, is that now the scary government is the American one. Still, the perspective is consistent with Capra's broader body of work, championing individualism, personal freedom, and pioneer spirit. Hard to argue with his point of view in the specific context of this film, but Capra certainly makes no attempt at balance. This is propaganda, admittedly on a small scale, made by an experienced hand. It should also be noted that the production values, visual style and soundtrack are all of an extremely high standard, absolutely typical of a high-end Hollywood studio production of the era. That Capra was able to achieve that on presumably minimal budget is impressive.
This is a bit of a curio, but it sits neatly within Capra's oeuvre as an example of his style and his politics. Worth the time.
