The Lunatic Fringe

Series

Series Name

The March of Time 2nd Year

Issue

Issue No.

5

Date Released

Apr 1936

Stories in this Issue:

1. 1Ireland’s "New Deal"
2. 2Behind the scenes with roosevelt
3. 3The Lunatic Fringe

Story

Story No. within this Issue

3 / 3

Summary

The March of Time synopsis: Barnstorming breathlessly across America to-day are the self-appointed Messiahs of rabid political minorities - the so-called "lunatic fringe". Hardly missed is the man who might have captained this fringe to lasting glory - the late Huey P. Long. For in his place to-day is a man who little more than a year ago was unknown outside Louisiana, one-time pastor and Share-Our-Wealth Club organiser. Gerald Smith, seeing chaos and Communism yawning before the U.S., is determined that when they come Gerald Smith shall be ready - be known as a leader. When the assassinated Huey Long was buried, Smith was his Mare Antony. Later he proclaimed himself the Kingfish’s political and spiritual heir. But, denounced by Long’s paper, disowned by Long’s successors, and discredited by Long’s widow, Gerald Smith finally quit Louisiana for the national scene. His pictures appeared on the front pages of the nation when he persuaded Dr. Francis Townsend to walk out of a Congressional Committee investigating Old Age Pensions revenues. With Townsend in tow, Smith soon [illegible]

Researcher Comments

This story was included in Vol.3 No.1 of the US edition.

Written sources

British Film Institute Sources
National Film Archive Catalogue
The March of Time Promotional Material   Used for synopsis