1. Several of the films that we saw have focused on the way that television was changing the nature of political campaigning. In the Last Hurrah, Mayor Frank Skeffington says soon “old fashioned campaigning will be extinct.” How is this dramatically demonstrated in the film? How are the two techniques contrasted? What role does the Mayor’s nephew play in the film?

2. McCarthyism and the red scare provide the background for several of our films. In Advise and Consent, the nominee for Secretary of State is accused of having communist affiliations. How does this confrontation advance our understanding of the character of Robert Leffingwell and of the President? What role does the Senator from South Carolina play in this?

3. Casablanca is a great love story. Many critics also think that it is a political movie that explores dramatically the great political issue facing the United States during 1940-1941. Write a brief essay explaining how the film does this.

4. Many observers in the 1950’s worried that television could become an effective tool for a demagogue to use to gain power. The movie, Face in the Crowd, is based on this idea. Write a brief essay in which you discuss the techniques that Lonesome Rhodes used to amass a following and how he tried to turn this following into political power.

Write on any 2 questions. Your essay should be well written with references to the films. You may also use other sources to provide more information. If you do so, be certain to footnote them. Each essay should be between 3-5 pages long typed using standard format.