Decision: The Constitution in Action; The Constitution: Whose Interpretation?
Description:
This program deals with the period of the court-packing fight of the 1930s when the legislative, executive and judicial branches of government were at odds over the constitutionality of New Deal measures. Special attention is given to the case of Helvering vs. Davis, in which the constitutionality of the Social Security Act was at issue. The story is told chiefly through historic film of the New Deal era. Film footage was obtained from the National Archives, news reel companies, and the Social Security Administration. Illustrations from Harpers Weekly, Frank Leslies Illustrated Newspaper, and other contemporary sources are used for flashbacks to constitutional disputes about the slavery and reconstruction issues. (Description adapted from documents in the NET Microfiche) Each episode in the series deals with a US Supreme Court decision of recent history involving a question of constitutional interpretation. The cases are reenacted by many of the real-life people involved and filmed on location in communities across the nation to underscore the proposition that these have been issues affecting everyday people in the course of their normal lives. The series focuses on the stresses which the Constitution has undergone and the conflicting issues involved in interpreting this document. The 7 half-hour episodes that comprise this series were originally recorded on film and were produced by the Center for Mass Communication of Columbia University Press. Herbert Wechsler, Columbia University Professor of Law and formerly Assistant Attorney General of the US, was consultant. Erik Barnouw, national chairman of the Writers Guild of America, was writer and executive producer for the series. Stephen Sharff, documentarian, winner of awards at Edinburgh and Venice Film Festivals, was producer-director. (Description adapted from documents in the NET Microfiche)
