With all the political talk today about influencing national elections, most citizens don't realize we've been down this road before. With WWII still raging, America approached the presidential election of 1944 between incumbent Franklin D. Roosevelt and Thomas E. Dewey. The two candidates were separated by a little over three million votes as they approached November 1944. With Roosevelt the nation's "commander in chief," the weight of the military vote took on more prominence. Having lost numerous seats in the House in 1942 Roosevelt and his Democratic Party needed a sweeping victory in 1944 to regain those losses.
But in August 1944, the War Department's "Board of Morale Services" ruled that the new movie releases "Wilson" and "Heavenly Days" were forbidden to be shown to the military forces claiming it violated the provisions of the "Soldier Voting Act." This legislative act prohibited the distribution to the armed forces of any material that might influence the results of any national election. The board felt that the movie "Wilson" gave influential weight to Democratic President Woodrow Wilson, while portraying his political opponent Henry Cabot Lodge as a villain. The movie "Heavenly Days" portrayed Fibber and Molly denouncing the political influence of the rich and powerful while scandalizing the senators as such.
Roosevelt came from just such a family in the eyes of his opponents. However, the studio appealed the Morale Board's ruling and by late August their ruling was reversed. In the end, President Roosevelt won his bid for re-election, however passed away several months later on April 12, 1945.
Pensacola News Journal 8-10-1944
1944's "Wilson"
1944's "Heavenly Days"