Frank Capra, Alfred HitchÂcock, Howard Hawks, John Ford and John HusÂton. They were some of the most imporÂtant filmÂmakÂers durÂing HolÂlyÂwood’s GoldÂen Age. And they were also part of “The GreatÂest GenÂerÂaÂtion,” the genÂerÂaÂtion that scraped and strugÂgled to bring vicÂtoÂry to the Allies durÂing World War II. Like many othÂers, these direcÂtors put comÂmerÂcial aspiÂraÂtions aside for a while, and worked with the govÂernÂment to proÂduce proÂpaÂganÂda films that galÂvaÂnized supÂport for the war at home. You can find these films hostÂed at the InterÂnet Archive withÂin the CinÂemocÂraÂcy secÂtion, and below we have highÂlightÂed some of the more imporÂtant ones. For many more clasÂsic films, don’t forÂget to see our long list of Free Movies Online:
- Frank Capra brought us some of AmerÂiÂca’s great feel good films: It HapÂpened One Night (1934), Mr. Smith Goes to WashÂingÂton (1939), and It’s a WonÂderÂful Life (1946). But, once WW II broke out, he was comÂmisÂsioned by the US govÂernÂment to direct a sevÂen episode series of films called “Why We Fight.” This includÂed PreÂlude to War, The Nazis Strike, War Comes to AmerÂiÂca and othÂers.
- John HusÂton — The MalÂtese FalÂcon (1941), The TreaÂsure of the SierÂra Madre (1948), Key Largo (1948) — served in the U.S. Army SigÂnal Corps in 1943 and directÂed an AcadÂeÂmy Award winÂning docÂuÂmenÂtary, Report from the AleuÂtians. The film, which HusÂton helped narÂrate, folÂlows the daiÂly lives of AmerÂiÂcan solÂdiers servÂing in the AleutÂian Islands (off the shores of AlasÂka). HusÂton also directÂed anothÂer wartime film, The BatÂtle of San Pietro (1945).
- John Ford, famous for his westÂerns StageÂcoach (1939) and The Searchers (1956) and for his adapÂtaÂtion of SteinÂbeckÂ’s The Grapes of Wrath (1940), also got into the act of shootÂing wartime films, directÂing The BatÂtle of MidÂway, an account of the JapanÂese attack on AmerÂiÂcan ships at MidÂway. The film uses mostÂly authenÂtic footage from the batÂtle and is narÂratÂed by HenÂry FonÂda (who starred in The Grapes of Wrath). The othÂer notable proÂducÂtion was DecemÂber 7th, a film docÂuÂmentÂing the JapanÂese attack on Pearl HarÂbor.
Of course, it wasÂn’t just AmerÂiÂcan direcÂtors who made these proÂpaÂganÂda films. The great Alfred HitchÂcock was the force behind Bon VoyÂage and L’avenÂture MalÂgache (1944), two French lanÂguage films backed by the British MinÂistry of InforÂmaÂtion. Both were tribÂutes to the French resisÂtance moveÂment. And then there’s Death Mills (1945), the disÂturbÂing GerÂman-lanÂguage docÂuÂmenÂtary directÂed by BilÂly Wilder (DouÂble IndemÂniÂty, SunÂset BouleÂvard and Some Like it Hot) that showed GerÂmany the horÂrors the Allies encounÂtered when they libÂerÂatÂed Nazi exterÂmiÂnaÂtion camps. Some of these films can be found in our colÂlecÂtion of Free Movies Online.
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Great post. Thanks for sharÂing this resource and your ideas!