$250,000 U.S.I.A. FILM ON VIETNAM, 3 YEARS IN MAKING, BEING SHELVED

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP88-01365R000300250017-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 26, 2006
• Sequence Number: 17
• Publication Date: June 10, 1971
• Content Type: NSPR

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Approved For Release i6'6'~'2~~ '6~IPt-RDP88-01365R000
10 JUN 1071
$250,000 U` ? oc ?f- :? F -j-7
A/~C VC
By TAI) SZULC
Special to Tile Ncw York Thaw
WASHINGTON, June 9
After three years of work and
an outlay, of nearly $250,000,
the United States Information
Agency is letting a major prop-
aganda film on the Vietnam
war slip into oblivion.
Agency officials said today
that no formal decision had
/'been made to shelve the hour-
long film - "Victnatn,Viet-
nam!" --- But authoritative
sources in the agency indicated
that jt would "definitely" not
be offered for television or
theater showings to foreign
audiences.
"It's a dead cluck and it will
stay in the can," a source in
tiic agency said in response to
inquiries. whether the film, di-
rected by John Ford and now
virtually completed, would ever
be released.
It was reliably reported that
the head of the agency, Frank
J. Shakespeare Jr., had con-
cluded that. the changing mili-
tary and political situation in
Vietnam, as well as domestic
political considerations, now
raised doubts on the film's
value as convincing ' and
prodc?ctive propaganda.
Will `Fade Away'
In the absence of a decision
by Mr. Shakespeare that the
film should be distributed, tho
sources - said, "Vietnam, Viet-
nam!" will simply be allowed
to "fade away."
Only a few months ago, the
agency's motion picture and
television division sent out cir-
culars to posts abroad saying
that the- film would soon be
available for distribution to for-
eign television networks and
stations or for cinema show-
,~,t
The agency has refused. tory military operations in Vietnam,
show the filth to newsmen
pending completion and a de-
cision by Mr. Shakespeare to
authorize its distribution,.
abroad. But it was understood
that "Vietnam, Vietnam!"
sought to portray the United
States Government's side inthe
war controversy. But, one official conimented,
The act of Congress that set' "Tile fill", as edited, tends to
tip tile U.S.T.A. specifically ? show the war critics in an un-
barred domestic presentation favorable light."
of the agency's films. The only In producing the film, Mr.
exception was the permission -
granted by Congress to allow
distribution of the picture on
the life of president Kennedy,
produced after his assassi-
ilation.
Approved For Release 2006/07/27: CIA-RDP88-01365R000300250017-2
Ford repeatedly' visited _ Viet-
nam with camera crews. -fie
also had access to some filar
shot by commercial networks.;
Despite lent thy production
work, involving frequent
changes in the shootin, script
to conform to the -changing
political situation, and numer-
ous retakes, the agency does
not believe that the cost of
the Vietnam film was exces-
sive.
They notedthat the film on
the moon flight of Apollo 11,
which got huge worldwide ex-
posure, . cost $212,000. Mr.
Ilerschensohn's Kennedy film
cost $122,000, and the U.S.T.A.
still regards it as its most 'suc-
cessful effort in this field.
Mr. I-Ierschensohn is known
Trankk J. Slakespeare Jr. nam is necessary to counter-
reportedly has decided balance what he regards as the
not to distribute the in. "one-sided" approach to the
war in films produced by its
opponents.
Begun Under Johnson He is also known to believe
The Kennedy filril was pro- that even if the film is not re-
leased in the immediate future,
duce.d by Bruce lferschensolin, it will be a valuable contri-
then a freegenc assistantbutioti to scholars "in 1981 or
Now the a agency''s s assistant
l
director for motion pictures 1999" and those "`.rho are not
a.nd television, Mr. Ilersclien-Yet born."
sohn began producing the Viet-
nam picture during, the last
year of the Johnson Ad-
ministration.
An agency ' official said
,that the production of the film
was continued under the Nixon
Administration "out of
`slicer bureaucratic momentum,"
although doubts had been
arising in the agency. .
The one-hour file 'reduced
from footage of six-and.a-half
hours was said to show the
United States military as-
sistance to the South Viet-
namese armed forces, American
alai eLLu,?y ..
It reportedly includes North
Vietnamese film on the war,
obtained. in Tokyo last year,
and public debates in the
L` n itecl States between antiwar
? spokesmen and advocates oft