Prospects of Mankind: The American Image

One of a series of nearly 30 roundtable discussions hosted by Eleanor Roosevelt for National Educational Television (the precursor of PBS), The American Image, which dates from April 1960, is oddly topical, given current worries about the attitude of the rest of the world toward the U.S. in the wake of the Iraq invasion. The subject of the discussion in this hour-long public affairs presentation is how people from other regions of the globe view America, the problems this poses for the country in the Cold War environment, and what positive steps could be taken to improve the situation. The participants include two Americans (an academic and a journalist) and two foreigners (an Indian playwright and a wry English commentator), with Roosevelt contributing very sparingly to their conversation. The American Image is certainly interesting as an historical artifact—although not all viewers will understand the observations made at one point about the then-bestselling novel The Ugly American—but it's perhaps even more revealing in terms of tone: the discourse is unfailingly civil and good-natured, even when the participants disagree, which is certainly a far cry from the posturing and shouting that marks current panel shows. From a technical perspective, the disc is hardly of the highest quality—the black-and-white images are often blurry and the sound recording isn't always sharp—but overall this time capsule reflection on an issue that is once again at the forefront of contemporary discussion is recommended. Other titles in the series include: Changing Shape of the United Nations, Future of Democracy Abroad, What Hopes for Disarmament, and What Status for Women. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)