Every Man a King: A History of the Long Presidency and Beyond

I think that a Republican victory might be harder ITTL, given that Huey would probably want to defend the Spanish Christians against the godless atheist Commies, especially if he's still all buddy-buddy with Coughlin. I can see him attempting to block volunteers and supplies from the US going to Spain, whilst offering, at least moral support, to the Nationalists. I could see it being one of the issues that would cause a lot of tension with the socialists. Of course Long moving to support the Nationalists could lead to the entente throwing some actual support behind the Republicans, so a Republican victory isn't out of the question.

Out of interest, how do the socialists in America view Long. I can see them at least tacitly supporting some elements of the Share Our Wealth program, as well as his pro-union policies, and they would probably support Long over a coup backed by leading members of the bourgeoisie. At the same time Long was no socialist, and many of his associated were belligerently anti-Communist.


Yes I agree, plus nationalist spain could be a good american ally after world war II since they were the closest thing to a christian theocracy left in europe
 
From Hollywood and Huey Long, Benjamin Mankiewicz, 2003, Hulverd Press:

...[The] complex relations between the 1930s reformers and Hollywood began before Huey Long became president. When Upton Sinclair became governor of California in 1934, the agents of Hollywood were outraged. Many in the business, led by Cecil B. DeMille, threatened to move their operations to Florida or elsewhere, or even back to the East Coast, but these plans were largely unfounded. The more right-wing members of Hollywood stayed, but disconsolate...

Perhaps one of the greatest hits of the era were Tod Browning's Freaks (1933), which survived a censorship attempt, and while it was panned by some critics and moviegoers, it was enormously popular, said to have even been seen by even the President himself. It was banned in a number of other countries, however, such as the United Kingdom. Another was Showboat (1936) a lavish musical about the Old South, directed by James Whale, best known for Frankenstein (1931) and The Return of Frankenstein (1936). Its conclusion, featuring an exquisite dance scene with a number of Afro-American performers, is often cited as one of the definitive interracial moments in Hollywood history.

Another fiesta of the South was Tomorrow is Another Day, by Margaret Mitchell. This picturesque novel, about Pansy O'Hara on her great estate, Fontenoy Hall, and her various trials and tribulations during the Civil War, was well received when it first came out, in 1936; Huey Long appeared with Mitchell on occasions, for she endorsed his candidacy. Long viewed the novel as a sort of homage to the glory days, and he read it often. Reputedly, he had Orson Welles in talks to direct the film version of it, but Welles declined. The film was released in 1939, directed by George Cukor, starring Paulette Goddard as O'Hara and Errol Flynn (on loan from Warner Bros.) as Rhett Butler, the roguish love of Pansy. Welles was in the film, strangely enough as Ashley Wilkes, O'Hara's other love. The film, nearly four hours long, was intensely well received at its release, but some have found that Cukor put in a number of subversive elements into the film.

From The American Hero: A History of Comic Books, 1930-1964, A.R. Olson, 1986, New Horizon Press:

The 1930s, that most tumultuous period of American history, were the first to truly produce superheroes as we know them today. Perhaps the first was the Shadow, voiced on radio by Frank Readick, Jr. and later by Vincent Price. But he, although he does today have comics, was not originally a comic hero; this mantle falls to Mandrake the Magician, a newspaper comic. But the true first popular superhero was, intriguingly enough, a female character: the Queen of the Congo, Sheena, crated by Will Eisner. (Others say that the first was perhaps Doctor Occult, created by Jerry Siegel and Joseph Schuster, but they are relatively unknown outside of scholarly circles.) She is still popular today, most recently portrayed by Carrie Fisher in 1983's Sheena: The Revenge, directed by Stephen Speilberg...

Next came Siegel and Shuster's the Superman, who, while an enduring idea, was not particularly well-recieved, and was dropped by AC soon after its first release. Their other idea, a so-called "Bat-Man," was never finished...

With the election of Huey Long in 1936, many in the comics industry worried about its future. After all, Charles Couglin vehemently opposed him, and his theocratic faction was indeed powerful in Long's White House, but the Kingfish was too smart to let a madman have such power. Thus, the comics still rolled.
 
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Cool, it is interesting to think of this alternate "Gone with the wind" and the pop culture during Huey presidency :D
 
I like it. However, you pulled a Mojo Jojo. :D

...which survived an attempted censorship attempt...
Also, what becomes of Bob Kane if there is no 'Batman'? He was a bad person, who did not invent most of Batman but took credit for all of it, plagiarized artwork, and helped DC screw Shuster and Siegel out of their rights to Superman in exchange for getting more power at DC -- Shuster and Siegel thought he was their friend and got him in on a plan to retake creator rights, which Kane stabbed them in the back on. He also had a huge ego. Languishing in obscurity would be fitting, or maybe you have it in mind to make him successful somewhere else.
 
I like it. However, you pulled a Mojo Jojo. :D

CURSES!!!! I'll fix it.

Also, what becomes of Bob Kane if there is no 'Batman'? He was a bad person, who did not invent most of Batman but took credit for all of it, plagiarized artwork, and helped DC screw Shuster and Siegel out of their rights to Superman in exchange for getting more power at DC -- Shuster and Siegel thought he was their friend and got him in on a plan to retake creator rights, which Kane stabbed them in the back on. He also had a huge ego. Languishing in obscurity would be fitting, or maybe you have it in mind to make him successful somewhere else.

I haven't decided yet, but rest assured it's on the back burner. He won't be forgotten.
 
I like it. However, you pulled a Mojo Jojo. :D

Also, what becomes of Bob Kane if there is no 'Batman'? He was a bad person, who did not invent most of Batman but took credit for all of it, plagiarized artwork, and helped DC screw Shuster and Siegel out of their rights to Superman in exchange for getting more power at DC -- Shuster and Siegel thought he was their friend and got him in on a plan to retake creator rights, which Kane stabbed them in the back on. He also had a huge ego. Languishing in obscurity would be fitting, or maybe you have it in mind to make him successful somewhere else.

Kane is probably still an artist, stuck drawing funny animal comics at AC.
 
Any other thoughts?

No supes or bat? You monster:mad:...:p and freaks a success? Ok this is a little unexpected.

Oh well i like how the popular culture diverge from OTL and naturally that the Gone to the Wind equivalent will be Long favorite as it's a glorification of the Old South.

Waiting to see how the 'Share our wealth' program will develop and if/how the USA will get out of depression in the coming years.
 
What about a propaganda hero? Like a alternative captain america, but one to spread pro Long propaganda (and appease Coughlin), and give him a very stereotypical atheist-communist villain :D
 
Wow! These are all great ideas! :D I'll certainly keep them all in mind.
I think Huey Long has so many pictures which could become memes. My favorite is this:
slideshow_883053_HueyLong.jpg
 
January, 1938, Washington D.C.

The king walked into President Long's office. He was accompanied by the new prime minister, Neville Chamberlain. The president's desk seemed to be swamped with papers of all sorts; aides stood by his desk, eyeing the president and his two new visitors.

"So, Your Majesty, how are ya?" said the President, a gleam in his eye.

Edward VIII grimaced internally. Huey Long had an aggravating habit of making himself somewhat overfamiliar with one, even (and especially) when they resisted it. It was practically the President's speciality. "Tolerably well, Mr. President," he replied.

Long smiled. "Right, well, how about y'all sittin' down?" He chuckled. "You're making me uncomfortable, standing like that." The King and Prime Minister obliged. "So, what brings you to my humble abode? This is a bit out of the ordinary, isn't it? Better circumstances than 1812, I hope."

The king paused to clear his throat, and then he began. "Well, er, I'd like to talk with you about the world situation." "What about it?" replied Long. "Adolph Hitler, maybe? Fascism? Communism? Spain? Japan?"

"Well, fascism, I suppose. You see, I admire some of the measures that Hitler is implementing in Germany-"

"Hitler is a damned madman! Just 'cause some of his ideas about finance make sense, his actions with the Jews and such are utterly insane."

"Well, even so. I-"

And now it was the Prime Minister who spoke. "What His Majesty means to say is that perhaps we should establish some detente with Hitler. Surely he can be stopped, and Germany's madness will pass. Would you support such a meeting."

"I would," replied the President. "I doubt his 'Thousand Year Reich' can last twelve."

"Excellent!" replied Chamberlain. "Thank you, Mr. President." He rose, and moved to shake Long's hand. Long responded in kind. The king walked out ahead of the two, in a huff, and the Prime Minister walked out as well. "Well!" said the President. "I wonder what's got into Eddie."
______

January, 1938, Catalonia

The Englishman got up from writing briefly, deep in the trench. His hand ached. He then heard gunfire. The rest of his unit looked in shock. "Good god! Nationalists!"

He then looked up on the horizon. The men who had fired carried a sort of strange flag he didn't recognize. "Harry," he called to another. "What, old man?"

"Your telescope." He handed the spyglass over. Then he saw the flag. It was an American one.

"Good god almighty," said George Orwell.

Then the Woodrow Wilson Brigade charged.
 
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