Public reaction was mixed. Gould acknowledged in "The New York Times" that based on letters received, "many disagreed" with his sharp criticism of the film, in some cases suggesting that the program was "entitled to generous appreciation, if only because its espousal of the United Nations was so much more worthwhile than the average escapist Hollywood fare." However, according to Phil Hall, audiences disliked the film's heavy-handed approach. In addition, many right-wing viewers were fundamentally opposed not only to "Carol" but to the overall idea of television programs promoting the UN, and the John Birch Society had organized a letter-writing campaign against the film even before it was broadcast. Xerox, the sponsor, claimed to have received an approximately equal number of verified letters (about 6,000) for and against the UN film series.