CHAPTER 5
The Legal and Ethical Implications of the CIA in Hollywood
The CIA has formally worked with the motion picture industry for over fifteen years. The prior chapters of this book have largely focused on the ends and the means of that involvement. The CIA’s particular relationship with Hollywood, however, also raises several legal and ethical concerns, especially since the Agency refuses to assist any filmmaker depicting it in an unfavorable light. By exploring these issues in detail, this chapter ultimately concludes that the CIA’s refusal to support all filmmakers seeking its assistance constitutes a violation of free speech. It also posits that the CIA’s efforts to influence texts should be defined as propaganda, rather than the educational initiatives Langley claims them to be. This chapter also argues that Langley’s actions violate the spirit, and perhaps even the letter, of the publicity and propaganda laws, which forbid the government from engaging in self-aggrandizing and covert communication.
First Amendment Rights to Free Speech In OperationHollywood, David Robb explains that filmmakers often seek Pentagon assistance during production since the government is able to provide submarines, aircraft carriers, helicopters, and tanks at little or no cost to the studio or production company. The Pentagon welcomes these requests because it provides them the opportunity to leverage its very expensive equipment to get filmmakers to change dialogue and delete scenes that portray the military unfavorably. If the filmmakers refuse to meet its demands, the Pentagon simply refuses to assist the project—it takes its toys and goes home.
