21. RAF & 8th Air Force report from Britain (07:02)

Date:
1944
Main contributors:
United States. Army Pictorial Service
Summary:
"Includes a report from Britain showing the RAF and the 8th Air Force on a hedgehopping bomber flight over France and Germany, and the 5th Air Force report from New Guinea." ("News and Notes," Educational Screen, June, 1944, 266.) Shows a film clip claiming to be an "Official German Newsreel," with footage of American planes that have been shot down and have crashed onto German soil. Shows how Germans salvage metal from these American aircraft to use for their own war effort and explains that each crashed plane is indicative of loss of soldiers' lives.

22. The Negro soldier (40:09)

Date:
1944
Summary:
This War Department enlistment film aims to recruit African Americans in its World War II engagement. The documentary has as its framework a black minister's explanation to his congregation of the reasons they should join the armed forces to fight the Nazis. The viewer sees historical re-enactments of African Americans as valued participants in U.S. armed conflicts dating from the American Revolution. Scenes also detail Black accomplishments in the country's history, with footage of Blacks as they served as judges and school teachers, conducted orchestras, played football, and served the U.S. Army in World War II. Footage is included of Jesse Owens and other Blacks as they competed in the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

23. Rise of a dictator (33:10)

Date:
1944
Summary:
A Teaching Film Custodians classroom film of excerpts from the 1944 Paramount Pictures feature film, "The Hitler Gang". This film traces the rise of Hitler and the growth of the Nazi movement in Germany. Shows the techniques of intimidation and mass psychology used on the German public, and briefly refers to the aggressions by Germany on neighboring countries. The film begins shortly after the Armistice in 1918, when Hitler, a corporal in the German Army, informs his commanding officer of a threatened revolt of the men in his barracks.

25. A new supervisor takes a look at his job (12:36)

Date:
1944
Main contributors:
See Other Contributors
Summary:
A machine tool operator is made a group leader and his plant superintendent explains to him, through dramatized illustrations, the meaning of working with people instead of machines.

26. Film Communique: Eighth Issue (20:34)

Date:
1944
Main contributors:
United States. War Department, The Signal Corps : produced by, Combat film units of Marines, Army Airforces, United States Navy
Summary:
Addressed to "the men and women of American Industry," the Film Communique series reports on military accomplishments to an audience of domestic workers producing materials for war. Composed of five short segments: Cape Gloucester Jan 18 1944 Title card reads "1st Marine Division. Photo by Lt. R.S. Carter 7th Marines - leaving front - 23 day & nites in same clothes - fighting Japs - U.S.M.C." candid footage of battle-weary marines presented without commentary. R.A.F. and 8th Air Force Report From Britain An aerial photographer follows daring French pilots of the R.A.F., flying at low altitude to evade radar detection, attacking a Nazi target in American-built A-20 bombers. A 5th Air Force Report From New Guinea shows the ingenuity of ground crew men in repairing battle-damaged planes at an air depot in New Guinea. A Few Quick Facts animated sequence shows the distance a rifle bullet must travel before it reaches the Pacific battle lines to be fired at an enemy soldier. A Fifth Army Report From The Beachhead shows the surprise invasion at Anzio, Italy, commentary describes "one of the boldest and toughest combined operations fought by the Fifth Army on the blood-soaked Italian boot." [see standalone short: http://collections.libraries.iub.edu/IULMIA/items/show/93]

27. V.1. (08:35)

Date:
1944
Main contributors:
Crown Film Unit, British Ministry of Information
Summary:
"Here is the first photographic report on the robot bomb since the censorship was lifted. In this nine-minute capsule of buzz-bomb terror, 'V-1' brings to the screen in 16 mm sound-on-film a subject which will arouse its audiences to a vivid realization of the terror that life in London must be under the robot. 'V-1' includes spectacular shots of the bombs being destroyed in mid-air by anti-aircraft fire and by fighter planes." "Scenes include: robot bomb attacks which killed or injured 26,000 persons by September 30, 1944 and destroyed or damaged a million houses. There is one tremendous moment when, in one of the most sensational scenes of the war, a 'V-1' is caught on the wing by a British plane" (Business Screen December, 1944, No. 2, Vol. 6, p. 41).

28. Survival of the fittest (16:41)

Date:
1944
Main contributors:
Grashin, Mauri
Summary:
Shows the function of the physical training program of the Army Air Forces during World War II. Starts by celebrating the exploits of Army Air Force war heroes. The main story is a fictional story about two American fighter pilots who are forced to parachute from disabled planes. The uninjured man brings his wounded comrade through water and knee-deep marshlands to safety. The excellent physical condition of both men is presented as largely responsible for their survival. Includes footage of Army Air Force soldiers engaging in physical exercise.

29. Study of Government (14:40)

Date:
19uu
Main contributors:
Indiana U Instructional Support Services
Summary:
[motion picture] Orients students to the opportunities and experiences for the study of government at a typical college or university. Emphasizes that government cannot be taken for granted and that everyone is a part of the government. Demonstrates various areas of government for study: American government, politics, public administration, comparative and internal relations, and immediate controversial problems. Concludes with the generalization that the study of government is democracy at work.

30. This Too Is Sabotage (25:53)

Date:
1944
Main contributors:
War Food Administration, Nutrition and Conservation Branch, Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Co.
Summary:
In This Too Is Sabotage narration states "the saboteur is malnutrition," showing underlying causes of workplace accidents, lost man-hours, and losses in wartime productivity are often caused by the poor nutrition of workers' diets. Announcing "we're fighting against improper eating," a wartime nutritional program built from 7 food groups is detailed. At a dramatized presentation demonstrating meal planning following these nutritional guidelines before an audience of women, the presenter states that the guidelines "will help us with the job that has been given to us women, as the guardians of the vigor and vitality of our families." "In the field of nutrition, the Westinghouse Company's film, This Too Is Sabotage, does a good job of selling the fact that a well-balanced diet is essential to health and happiness. This film is shown to employees in over a thousand war plants. The lunch hour is a favored time. Pre-shift showings to early arrivals are well attended, though many prefer to stay after a shift" (C.A. Lindstrom, "Agricultural Pictures and the War" Journal of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers vol. 42, no. 3, March, 1944, p. 183)

31. Men of Fire (17:58)

Date:
1944
Main contributors:
Army Pictorial Service : produced by, Combat film units of Signal Corps, Marines, Army Airforces, United States Navy
Summary:
Wartime American audiences are shown the need for workers in the physically demanding metal forging and casting jobs, using scenes of combat from the invasion of France. The fictional American tank driver "Bill" is killed in combat in Normandy. His spirit returns to the factory where he used to work and finds that many of his former fellow foundry workers have left for higher paying, easier jobs. Bill's spirit dissuades a forge worker from leaving his job by describing the need for castings in the war effort. Bill's spirit insists “every single foundry in America and every single foundry worker counts. It's up to you. You can bring us victory."

32. Introducing the new worker to his job (15:21)

Date:
1944
Main contributors:
See Other Contributors
Summary:
Dramatization of how not to orient a new employee and get him started on his job; then by contrast, what should have been done.

33. South Africa (13:38)

Date:
1944
Main contributors:
Crown Film Unit, British Information Service, South African Bureau of Information
Summary:
A British production reporting on the contribution of South Africa, a sovereign Dominion of the Commonwealth, to the Allied war effort. Declares that the former antagonism between races - Dutch, English and Bantu - has been overcome. "This film opens with a brief outline of the country, showing how it is a land of contrasts in farming, living, worshipping, trading and in transport, and tells how South Africa made her own decision to enter the war and how she backed that decision. With the help of the British Admiralty, a navy was built up to defend the coastline , and RAF experts aided in South Africa's Air Training Scheme" (The Educational Screen, February 1944, 92).

34. Is Your Trip Necessary (02:09)

Date:
1944
Main contributors:
War Activities Committee of the Motion Picture Industry : distributed and exhibited by
Summary:
A short bulletin urging people to travel only when absolutely necessary in order that space can be saved for millions of troops and millions of essential civilian war workers. States that every non-essential traveler may be preventing a serviceman from joining his family during the holiday season. Civilians are told "on every highway and mainline, war has the right of way" and "we've got a battle of transportation to win here in the U.S., you can help to win it just by staying home."

35. Molding with a loose pattern (21:05)

Date:
1944
Summary:
Shows how to identify and use common bench molder's tools; how molding sand is prepared; how to face a pattern; how to ram and vent a mold; how to roll a drag; how to cut a sprue, runner, gates and riser; how to swab, rap, and draw a pattern; and, by animation, what takes place inside a mold during pouring.

36. Wetlands (10:39)

Date:
1944
Main contributors:
United States. Department of Agriculture. Soil Conservation Service
Summary:
A USDA production conveying the department's policy recommendations for the development of unusable wetlands into productive agricultural land. Narration explains that, for much of the year, land with "too much water with nowhere to go" is rendered unsuitable for farming. Engineering the draining of 31 million acres for the creation of productive agricultural land represents "one of the last great frontiers of America." Various drainage techniques are explained in detail: ditches, tile systems, and the creation of mole channels. "Shows where our 120 million acres of wet land are located. Points out that 78 million of these acres will serve us best if left in their natural state for the production of timber and the preservation of wildlife. Thirty-one million acres are shown to be suited to farming if properly drained. A section of the film illustrates briefly the principal types of water control and methods of land drainage. Through the use of these methods, farmers, working together, can improve drainage on land now being farmed, and bring into production land that is now too wet for any production at all. Recommended audiences: Farmers in Atlantic Seaboard and Gulf States; Ohio, Mississippi, and Missouri Valleys" (Motion Pictures of the United States Department of Agriculture, 1945, 46).

37. Improving the job (09:37)

Date:
1944
Main contributors:
See Other Contributors
Summary:
A supervisor asks an employee for work-improvement suggestions; the employee talks the problem over with his father and sister, obtains their advice, and makes some worthwhile suggestions.

38. Film Communique: Sixth Issue (19:00)

Date:
1944
Main contributors:
The Signal Corps : produced by, Combat film units of Marines, Army Airforces, United States Navy
Summary:
Addressed to "the men and women of American Industry," the Film Communique series reports on military accomplishments to an audience of domestic workers producing materials for war. Comprised of six short segments: This Isn't War … It's Murder! Reports on the island conquering campaigns in the Pacific theater, using combat footage to illustrate the contributions of "the silent partners in this combined operation" - those of the industrial workforce at home. General Mud gives an account of the struggle against severely muddy conditions in Italy; shows the necessity to construct new roads before armies can advance. Grasshopper profiles the super-lightweight reconnaissance airplanes used to direct artillery fire to enemy targets. The narrator states "they're the controlling might that gives precision for our war weapons equal to the precision with which our workers forge them at home, they're the grasshoppers that make the American eagle free." Yankee Rope Trick profiles the resourcefulness of American soldiers in the successful rescue of a grounded transport ship. Pipes Of War shows the construction of oil pipelines across Italy to bring fuel from tanker ships to the front lines quickly and efficiently. Documents the vast consumption of fuel to keep the invasion of Europe advancing. Stella tells the story of an American bomber that lost 3 of its 4 engines on its mission but still managed to limp back to England. After the bomber has undergone complete repair, commentary states "every month 500 other battle damaged planes like Stella climb back into the air."

39. Film Communique: Tenth Issue (19:53)

Date:
1944
Main contributors:
Army Pictorial Serivce Signal Corps
Summary:
Addressed to "the men and women of American Industry," the Film Communique series reports on military accomplishments to an audience of domestic workers producing materials for war. Comprised of four short segments: Bingo depicts the coordination of several artillery units using radio communication to simultaneously fire on a German target. Forty Five Minutes For Lunch shows U.S. B-26 bombers from English airfields flying daytime raids over France. A Few Quick Facts short, informative animations about the battleship Iowa and the superiority of the American soldier. Battle of Hill 700 reports on the fight against Japanese Army's 6th Division for control of Bougainville Island in the Spring of 1944. Provides background on the 6th division's role in Japan's 1938 invasion of China. Extensive combat footage of the prolonged battle, the defeat of the Japanese, and the soldier's impromptu Christian worship service in the jungle battlefield.[Contains scenes of graphic violence and mutilated bodies]

40. Working With Other Supervisors (07:20)

Date:
1944
Main contributors:
United States. Office of Education. Division of Visual Aids, United States. Federal Security Agency, Mode-Art Pictures, Inc.
Summary:
Dramatized scenarios in a machine shop workplace illustrate common problems arising between supervisors. "Larry Daniels fails as a supervisor because he does not recognize the importance of working harmoniously with other people, particularly with his fellow supervisors" (U.S. Government Films, U.S. Office of Education, 1954, 214). Concludes with a group of supervisors conversing in the locker room as they ask "I wonder if a guy like Larry should be a supervisor?"