After the Red Scare was over, the FBI and Disney’s relationship was formed and strengthened. Notices from two different organizations- the CIA, in 1951, and another unknown agency, in 1956- request information from the FBI on Walt Disney. The Bureau gives both agencies the information. In the first section of both reports, it reads that Walt Disney has never been investigated by the Bureau.This information is false, as in the previous month there is a record that there is a redacted report stating that an unknown agent performed an investigation. They are withholding information on their investigations, more than likely to keep their asset fully under their jurisdiction. Then, in May 1956 a woman wrote to the FBI requesting that Hoover intervene
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The FBI by this point knew how important presenting themselves to the public was. This is seen clearly in the memo from May 14th of 1957. In this document, they discussed who exactly is going to be a part of the filming crew and on camera when the Disney studios crew came to the FBI. The fact that the young boy who is going to be on screen is a member of the Boy Scouts is heavily emphasized. The Bureau also mentioned that the boy’s father is a Marine who is assigned to the part of the FBI compound in Quantico. Both the Marines and the Boy Scouts are depicted as great American traditions and wholesome for the family to see. The FBI and Disney Studios wanted to be seen as American as apple pie. As noted, the actors and the scene setting kept up with what is now termed the Disney tradition. The viewpoint of what was actually going to be on the film was very important to the FBI and to Disney. Both of them wanted to show the humanitarian view of what the FBI did, staying clear of any criminal sections as mentioned in the May 14th memo. The May 14th memo revealed that the studio would only film in the female criminal section, which is fairly busy with many “seldom searched civilian prints”, and it is in an isolated area where none of the children would see anything that they should not …show more content…
The FBI was wary of Disney and his intentions when he started a relationship with the Bureau during World War II, but grew to see the benefit of working together, as evidenced in the records during the Cold War and the Second Red Scare. Both of these men would provide a service to the other hinting in their correspondence that while they did not want monetary compensation they would like a favor from the recipient. The relationship between Hoover and Disney was filled with manipulations that were accepted on both sides, in exchange for positive public and governmental image boost to both sides. The constant manipulation of each other allowed these two people to accomplish more than they would have ever done while acting independently of each
The FBI by this point knew how important presenting themselves to the public was. This is seen clearly in the memo from May 14th of 1957. In this document, they discussed who exactly is going to be a part of the filming crew and on camera when the Disney studios crew came to the FBI. The fact that the young boy who is going to be on screen is a member of the Boy Scouts is heavily emphasized. The Bureau also mentioned that the boy’s father is a Marine who is assigned to the part of the FBI compound in Quantico. Both the Marines and the Boy Scouts are depicted as great American traditions and wholesome for the family to see. The FBI and Disney Studios wanted to be seen as American as apple pie. As noted, the actors and the scene setting kept up with what is now termed the Disney tradition. The viewpoint of what was actually going to be on the film was very important to the FBI and to Disney. Both of them wanted to show the humanitarian view of what the FBI did, staying clear of any criminal sections as mentioned in the May 14th memo. The May 14th memo revealed that the studio would only film in the female criminal section, which is fairly busy with many “seldom searched civilian prints”, and it is in an isolated area where none of the children would see anything that they should not …show more content…
The FBI was wary of Disney and his intentions when he started a relationship with the Bureau during World War II, but grew to see the benefit of working together, as evidenced in the records during the Cold War and the Second Red Scare. Both of these men would provide a service to the other hinting in their correspondence that while they did not want monetary compensation they would like a favor from the recipient. The relationship between Hoover and Disney was filled with manipulations that were accepted on both sides, in exchange for positive public and governmental image boost to both sides. The constant manipulation of each other allowed these two people to accomplish more than they would have ever done while acting independently of each