Greenfield adds, “The movie was welcomed by, among others, FDR, who told the filmmakers “it would do a lot of good.” (It was more than coincidental that the fireside chats, the public works programs and banking reforms all became part of FDR's “first 100 days.“) “Gabriel Over the White House” was both a critical and commercial hit... It turned a tidy profit of some $200,000. But it faded into obscurity, in large measure because the idea of a ‘benevolent dictatorship” seemed a lot less attractive after the degradation of Hitler, Mussolini and Stalin.’ “ However, Greenfield sees relevance today, and says the film is worth watching to understand our era.