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What ways did the outbreak of World War 2 affect American Cinema (Film…
What ways did the outbreak of World War 2 affect American Cinema
Film Content
Displayed and established true American values and patriotism
Frank Capra
Commisioned by the Pentagon and George C. Marshall. This was made to convince the American Troops of the necessity of combating the Axis Power during WW2. Pushing the people to fight for the Allied cause.
The Battle of Britain (1943)
- Britain's victory against the Luffwaffe -airforce (Work and Production)
The Battle of Russia (1943)
- Russia's battle against Germany (The Home Front)
Divide and Conquer (1943)
- The Fall of France (The United Nations and Peoples)
The Battle of China (1944)
- Japanese aggression
The Nazis Strike (1943)
- The Nazi Enemy (The Enemy)
War Comes to America (1945)
- The US move away from isolationism
Prelude to War (1942)
- Democracy vs Facism (The Issues)
The 6 Themes
The Issues
The Enemy
The United Nations and Peoples
Work and Production
The Home Front
The Fighting Forces
War related films had themes of escapism (to deter the people from the harsh reality they were facing), reassurance (showing the people everything will be okay whilst boosting morale) and patriotic themes (giving people a reason to fight for their country).
Films to remember were
Mrs. Miniver (1942)
,
Bataan (1943)
and
Sergeant York (1941)
War films depicted a range of topics and tones such as presenting the flag waving heroics and action of the war as well as the realistic, everyday boredom and brutal misery of the experience of war.
ANTI FASCIST FILMS -
The Great Dictator (1940)
directed by Charlie Chaplin was a wartime, anti fascist, satirical, thinly-veiled critic of the third reich and its dictorial leader. This was rare amongst American films, Charlie Chaplin was concerned that wartime audiences would not appreciate a comedy about a dictator but was proven wrong as the film was the second most popular movie in the US in 1941
ANIMATION - Animation had been changed to suit the OWI's message, Animation went from childish entertainment for the younger generations but had now become a major propaganda tool. Films like Scrappy Happy Daffy contained hidden messages in this case it was to encourage Americans to donate scrap metal. But also were used for political campaigns; the Warner brothers production of
Hell-Bent for Election
which supported Roosevelt 's presidential bid. Disney also helped with the effort with Donald ducks adventure of '
Nutzi-Land
' War.
The Ducktators (1942)
was a Warner produced propaganda cartoon depicting the enemies of the USA.
FILM NOIR - reflect fears of servicemen returning home to find women no longer confined to housewife and mother role, these were films that carried a darker mood. t=This genre served a ritual purpose to its audience as it provided a repeated imaginary solution to the questions raised by society's constitutive contradictions.
Casablanca (1942)
- Known as the most subtle wartime propaganda film - features a romantic story of self sacrifice and heroisms - focuses on Humphery Bogarts character of a disillusioned night club owner and his lover played by Ingrid Bergman who were separated by WW2 in Paris - based on the play titled "
Everybody Comes to Rick's
"
Casablanca, Morocco at the time a French colonist had transformed into a refugee hotspot during WW2 escaping the tyrant Nazi presence throughout the Europe - James Warner (dir.) heard the following refugee stories and came up with the idea of
Casablanca
- The film takes place during the 4 days leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbour
Thomas Schatz -
Casablanca
was 'an immediate hit (...) and became an anthem of American Commitment to the war' - Hollywood Filmmaking in the Studio Era - page 316
Main Characters reflect their nation's role in WW2
Rick = American
Lazio = French Resistance Fighters
Ilsa = Wuropean women whose personal lives been devastated by Nazi occupation and war
Minor characters also reflect their nations role
Major Heinrich Strasser - Nazi Germany
Signor Ferrari - Italy
Yvonne - France
Humphrey Bogart as Rick
Represents America's entry into WW2, at first he's an isolationist who does not want to get involved, later he realises that he has to for the greater good his sacrifice in the film helps to convey the message to Americans at the time that they need to make such sacrifices for the war effort.
Bogart was an ideal choice for the film, whilst having a contract with Warner at the time, and had embodied Warners style of being tough and cynical, this was proven through his previous role in the successful
The Maltese Falcon (1941)
. Casablanca was his first role as a romantic lead. He brought a psychological realism to the character of Rick shown through his world weariness and cynicism
Industry Operation
Due to the arrival of war the film industry had to change rapidly
Production - Hollywood had also changed the ways they produced films. Instead of their original outlook of producing realist films with no political bias or influence they instead opted in for films that were aggressively supportive of the war.
The once great 'American Cinema' was now a propagandistic tool
Institutional - The Office of War Information (OWI) who then created The Bureau of Motion Picture (BMP)
The Bureau of Motion Picture (BMP)
Was a liaison between Hollywood and Washington
Was a source of information for studios, advising on how to promote:
Patriotism, Tolerance and Sacrifice
Claimed to act in an advisory capacity
Reviewed scripts and films to support and follow their agenda, this was always more then the advisory capacity they set out to do.
They had questionable power, even though they did not have the power to ban films, they would instead pressure producers to conform to the standards of the OWI and could also block the international distribution of films that did not follow.
Created a manual for film productions to follow with 6 points with themes that they should follow;
The Issues - Why we fight, What kind of peace will follow victory.
The Enemy - Whom we fight. The nature of our adversary.
The United Nations and Peoples - With whom we are allied in fighting. Our brothers in arms.
Work and Production - How each of us fight. The war at home.
The Fighting Forces - The job of the fighting men at the Front.
Walter Wanger the President of the Academy argued that "audiences must want to see the pictures and truth about war-related issues had better be skilfully integrated into the drama'
Office of War Information (OWI)
Cinema was PROPAGANDA
OWI created the Bureau of Motion Picture (BMP), this was created in order to work with the film industry to help display and promote American moral values during war time
1942 - established to support the film industry as well as audiences this was done by informing the US public of the accompanying war effort through the mediums of print, radio and film.
Openly criticised B-grade war films in which exaggerated the idea of the menace, this was not the image they wanted to portray to the public
Distribution - Studios had began to work with the government to set up a world wide distribution system whilst also sometimes developing make sift movie theatres.
This was effective especially within the military as it helped to up morale and establish messages that Americas government needed to send.
Exhibition - Cinemas were now transformed into war time community centres sponsoring events in which help to enable and foster togetherness which was necessary in time of war
Especially with americas history with the Great Depression and WW1 which were events America was still recovering from; the people were worried.
Audience Reception
New starts like Humphery Bogart emerged
Charlie Chaplins
The Great Dictator (1940)
a comedy about a tyrant dictator was the second most popular film in the US in 1941
History
Pearl Harbor, the catalyst that established Americas involvement in World War 2. The catastrophic event took place in 7th december1941, and was a suprise attack by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Force on the Pearl Harbor base in Hawaii. America declared war the day after and had joined the allies in World War 2
1930's were considered the 'Golden Age of Cinema' in Hollywood, by the turn of the century war was oncoming through the 1939 invasion of Poland by Nazi Germany casting a gloomy spell not only on cinema but the entire world and its trades.
Within 1 year of the Pearl Harbour attack. a fraction od 1/3 of studio feature films were war related - Studios had now started to play a vital war in the war effort. Studios had now started to produce newsreels, recruitment movies and training films which aimed to encouraged audiences to buy war bonds
As well as studios, stars jumped in to help with the war effort. Stars and film industry employees began to enlist and some actually reported for service. Stars would also perform for troops serving in the war, this helped with morale but also allowed the troops to escape the reality of what they are truly facing.
The Hollywood Canteen (1944)
was a typical; entertainment show; plotless with patriotic extravaganzas which featured big stars who entertained the troops
HOLLYWOOD stepped up as many studio heads supported the war as many were jewish emigres and in order to protect itself and the film industry it needed to side with next government (Roosevelt) as previous legislation in senate threatened the whole craft
Officially America remained neutral refusing to enter but was loaning funds to the UK and Germany for munitions
Sound Cinema
WEEK 7 & WEEK 8
Reliable Sources
Hollywoods War With Poland, 1939-1948 - M.B.B. Biskupski
(THE BMP) shows that the bmp monetisezed Hollywood to follow its set of rules in which turned Hollywood in a propagandistic tool in order to aid the government within the war effort
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=wYAzmjlJmVoC&pg=PT71&lpg=PT71&dq=the+bmp+manual+for+motion+pictures&source=bl&ots=QzGAlWL6BM&sig=ACfU3U0dpNr3G8UJWQBaDNvmW7u4yQSNnw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjgop2ih6fnAhXTTcAKHQC3CO8Q6AEwBnoECAcQAQ#v=onepage&q=the%20bmp%20manual%20for%20motion%20pictures&f=false
INDUSTRY OPERATION
Thomas Schatz -
Casablanca
was 'an immediate hit (...) and became an anthem of American Commitment to the war' - Hollywood Filmmaking in the Studio Era - page 316
Audience reception to war time films were good.
CASABLANCA
AUDIENCE RECEPTION
Charlie Chaplin's "The Great Dictator" (1940) came some 12 years after the introduction of sound, but it was Chaplin's first all-talking picture, and the first in which we heard the Little Tramp speak. The dialog turned out to be his last words; Chaplin never used the Tramp character again after this film.
FROM 1973
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-great-dictator-1940
THE GREAT DICTATOR
https://search-proquest-com.proxy.library.dmu.ac.uk/docview/1505794191?pq-origsite=summon
FILM REVIEW FROM 1940 WHEN THE FILM WAS RELEASED SHOWS AUDIECES WERE FAVOURABLE TO THE MESSAGE PARTRAYED OF BEING AGAINST FASCIST LEADERS
WEEKLY READING -Thomas Schatz, “World War II and the Hollywood War Film,” in J David Slocum, ed., Hollywood and War: The Film Reader (New York: Routledge, 2006), 147-155.