Editing Frank Capra (section)

=== Representing U.S. at International Film Festival ===
In January 1952, the U.S. Ambassador to India asked Capra to represent the U.S. film industry at an International Film Festival to be held in India. A State Department friend of Capra asked him and explained why his trip would be important:

{{Blockquote | style=font-size: 100%; | [Ambassador] Bowles thinks the Festival is a Communist shenanigan of some kind, but he doesn't know what&nbsp;... Bowles has asked for ''you''. "I want a free-wheeling guy to take care of our interest on his own. I want Capra. His name is big here, and I've heard he's quick on his feet in an alley fight.<ref>Capra 1971, p. 429.</ref>}}

After two weeks in India, Capra discovered that Bowles' fears were warranted, as many film sessions were used by Russian and Chinese representatives to give long political speeches. At a lunch with 15 Indian directors and producers, he stressed that "they must preserve freedom as artists, and that any government control would hinder that freedom. A totalitarian system—and they would become nothing but publicity men for the party in power." Capra had a difficult time communicating this, however, as he noted in his diary:

{{Blockquote | style=font-size: 100%; | They all think some super-government or super-collection of individuals dictates all American pictures. Free enterprise is mystery to them. Somebody ''must'' control, either visible or invisible&nbsp;... Even intellectuals have no great understanding of liberty and freedom&nbsp;... Democracy is only a theory to them. They have no idea of service to others, of service to the poor. The poor are despised, in a sense.<ref>Capra 1971, p. 433.</ref>}}

When he returned to Washington to give his report, Secretary of State [[Dean Acheson]] gave Capra his commendation for "virtually single-handedly forestalling a possible Communist take-over of Indian films". Ambassador Bowles also conveyed gratitude to Capra for "one helluva job".<ref>Capra 1971, p. 437.</ref>