What Do You Like about 1941-1945 Hollywood?

I'm building a website devoted to Hollywood during the war years at Victory Theater: Hollywood in World War II

I want to know what WWII fans might like to see on it: Film criticism? Posters? Video clips? Related topics? All suggestions are appreciated. It was a fascinating, amazing time and well worth celebrating.

Thanks for your comments.

 

Some things I like about hollywoodland of that time period is that the vast majority of it's performers were very Patriotic and made themselves available to the average person. Ths is much unlike of most of today's entertainers. May performers put their career interests on stop for the war effort as well as many many of them served in our Armed Forces. This is much unlike of todays performers.

Gve me the movie stars and movies-of yesteryear anytime.

 

You have a great looking site. I've just enjoyed several minutes of quality reading.

I would love to see your exploration of the following topics:

1) Film as propaganda
2) Entertaining the home front
3) How Hollywood contributed to the War effort (e.g. John Ford, Clark Gable, Jimmy Stewart, Bette Davis and the many others who fought or supported the Allied effort)
4) Hollywood technology that was applied to the war effort
5) Censorship
6) Hollywood's casualties of the war
7) Hollywood's effect on popular styles and morality during the War
8) Top Ten Lists (week by week)
9) Music and Film

I look forward to more posts on your site!

 

Ok. I am not going to be good as dgmichell with his good postings but here's mine.

Hollywoods veiws and takes on England and other Allied countries during ww2.
Hollywoods views and takes on Germany and other axis countries during ww2.

 

I will spend more time later, but I've already added it to my Favourites. I know it says "Hollywood", but it would be interesting to see something about moviemaking in other countries during the same time period. For example, the British film studios put out many films during the same period - often with the same stars who appeared in Hollywood films.

 

I agree with Macrusk that a look at film overall would be a better focus. Axis films of the period would also offer insight, especially from a propaganda perspective.

You might also want to extend the period of your coverage to include the post-war years. How did different nations respond to the need for different entertainment models after the war, etc.?

 

Thanks to everyone who commented. Your ideas are very helpful. I've even had time to take one suggestion - thanks lrusso216 - to post one more Warner Brothers cartoon - Bugs selling War Bonds. I've got another that caricatures the stars popular in 1941. You can check the out here:

Victory Theater: Hollywood in World War II

Also, it's fascinating, too, that the long hairstyle of actress Veronica Lake - the popular style dgmitchell - alarmed the War Production board as it was widely imitiated - creating a danger for women whose locks would get caught in the machinery. You can see that one here:

http://hollywoodatwar.blogspot.com/2009/03/great-lake.html


Please keep your suggestions coming - either on the site or here. Many thanks again!

 

Sorry, I only read the title to this thread and answered accordingly.

I don;t time to look through your site today but hopefully the damned computer at home will work well enough for me tomorrow.

Best regards-C

 

In case Carls computer problems persist....I'll hazard a guess....More John Wayne please..

DG's 4th point is worthy of consideration...well they all are but 4th one is interesting.

 

Ah . . . anything about Veronica Lake is a worthy reference!

 

Thanks for all your comments. You guys are really helpful, and I encourage you to start posting on the site.

I'd like to add British War films and resources, too, and make a point about German - even Japanese - films. Anyone with suggestions please email me directly at nelsona@peteramayer.com. Also, if anyone thinks this is too diverse, I'll consider that argument.

John Wayne - any suggestions of the films he was in during the War are great. Thanks for the suggestions.

I'm trying to keep it "war years only" but to our British friends that means 1939 and not just 1941. What do people feel about expanding coverage to include 1939 and 1940? I think it's the "War Years" that are important.

I'll post a John Wayne post soon! Keep checking back.

Many thanks!

 

Just put up some John Wayne, including a rare clip of him jitterbugging in Seabees flick from the War. He had an interesting wartime experience.

 

Oops, forgot to include the link: Victory Theater: Hollywood in World War II

 

I think if you want to really explore Hollywood during the War Years, you really have to begin before 1941. For example, in 1939, a Hollywood movie explore German espionage in the USA in Confessions of a Nazi Spy. The war was certainly influencing film in the USA well before the US officially declared war.

 

Thanks for the USO suggestions. I've done some digging, and found out that of all the stars German-born Marlene Dietrich really went the distance. There's a good clip/photo montage of her with the troops. Interesting gal. Check it out: Victory Theater: Hollywood in World War II

 

And don't forget director Frank Capra, especially his series Why We Fight. As negatively as we view the term propaganda today, remember that the latin meaning is "things which must be disseminated". What powerful messages these movies and entertainers provided!

Maybe this and your other thread should be merged??