I'm An American -- Frank Capra

Recorded Sound | Digitized | RG Number: RG-91.0048

Overview

Description: On March 23, 1941 Frank Capra spoke with William Carmichael, of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, about his experience in America. Capra tells Mr. Carmichael how he and his family came to America. He reveals how hard work and determination allowed him to have his “American Dream”. The movie producer explain why he believes his films are considered Americana. Capra also shares his thought on Hollywood being criticized as un-American, communist and fascist. He tells Mr. Carmichael that America has an obligation to show to the world how democracy works. The distinguished movie producer closes the program by quoting Abraham Lincoln as saying, “No man is good enough to govern another.”

Frank Capra (b. Francesco Rosario Capra) was born on May 18, 1897 in Bisacquino, Sicily, Italy to a Roman Catholic family. In 1903, Capra and his family emigrated to the United States aboard the steamship Germania. Of the trip Capra says, “There's no ventilation, and it stinks like hell. They're all miserable. It's the most degrading place you could ever be.” The Capra family eventually settled in Southern California where Frank’s older brother was living. To earn money Frank sold newspapers, played music in LA’s red light district and worked as a janitor in the mornings at his high school. Capra graduated and enrolled in Throop College of Technology in 1915 where he discovered a love for poetry and writing. Capra enlisted in the Army in 1917 and became a naturalized citizen in 1920. In 1922, the aspiring director convinced a new film studio to let him direct their film. He collaborated with screenwriter Robert Riskin and released "American Madness" (1932). The long standing partnership between the two men led to a social consciousness which became a blueprint for future works. His most beloved films were patriotic, sentimental and made during the Great Depression. Capra went on to become the most prominent filmmaker of the 1930s, winning three Academy Awards as Best Director.
Date: Broadcast: 1941 March 23
Format: WAV

Physical Details

Language: English
Genre/Form: Radio broadcasts.

Rights & Restrictions

Conditions on Access: This archival media can only be accessed in a Museum reading room or other on-campus viewing stations.
Copyright: NBC Universal
Conditions on Use: Contact NBC Universal at www.nbcuniarchives.com for permission to duplicate and use this film or sound recording.

Administrative Notes

Legal Status: In process
Recorded Sound Provenance: The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum purchased digital copies of these sound recordings from the Library of Congress in March 2018.
Recorded Sound Notes: More information about Frank Capra:
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Frank-Capra
http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/28439%7C53185/Frank-Capra/
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001008/bio
https://www.biography.com/people/frank-capra-9237611

More information about I’M AN AMERICAN:
https://www.uscis.gov/history-and-genealogy/our-history/historians-mailbox/im-american
https://www.npr.org/2017/10/16/557338355/im-an-american-radio-show-promoted-inclusion-before-world-war-ii
Recorded Sound Source: Library of Congress - Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Division (MBRS)
File Number: Source Archive Number: RWB 6673 A1

Record last modified:: 2024-02-21 07:27:09
This page:: https://collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/irn620825

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Also in "I'm An American" NBC radio broadcasts

I’M AN AMERICAN premiered in 1940 on the eve of WWII. The NBC radio broadcast was spearheaded by the Immigration and Naturalization Service of the U.S. Department of Labor to foster a “deeper consciousness of the privileges and responsibilities of citizenship and more tolerance for fellow american of all birthplaces”. The weekly program featured distinguished foreign-born citizens discussing their naturalization process, the meaning of “democracy” and reminding all Americans of the value/privilege of U.S. citizenship. Sound recordings of I’M AN AMERICAN are available from the NBC Radio Collection in the Library of Congress.

Date: 1940-1944

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I'm An American -- Frank Capra

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