HISTORY 221: THE FILMS OF WORLD WAR II
HISTORY 221: THE FILMS OF WORLD WAR II
THEME: How movies affected American attitudes towards Germany and Japan.
1) Hollywood and World War II---volunteerism high, stars too; stars entertained troops, USO, “Hollywood Canteen.” Song writers : “We’re Gonna Have To Slap the Dirty Little Jap)—see
2) Hollywood cooperates with Office of War Mobilization’s Bureau of Motion pictures, follows guidelines, makes training, orientation films and cartoons: “Bugs Bunny Nips The Nips”---“What’s Up…Monkey Face?” “Slant Eyes.” Artists, writers create negative images of Japanese
3) Movie portrayal—Germany vs. Japan.
a) Germany—temporarily captured by fanatic—Hitler. Germans basically OK, like us ; American anti-Semitism.1942 Poll: 40% believed U.S. Jews had too much power. Poking Fun at the Nazis: Desperate Journey (1942), Errol Flynn, Ronald Reagan.
b) Japan—a completely different nation and people ! “Yellow Bastards,” “An obedient mass with but a single mind (1)historic racism: “Yellow Peril” (Hearst) “The Japanese Race is an enemy race… A Jap is a Jap. It makes no difference if he’s an American or not.” (1) Time: “How To Tell Your Friends From the Japs.
c) Post Pearl Harbor hysteria centered in California: 120,000 Japanese and Japanese-Americans moved to Re-location Camps—central Calif, Arizona, Wyoming, Arkansas, Utah; driving force in Calif, fishing-floral industry seeking to destroy Japanese-American competitors; policy supported by Supreme Court, Congress, FDR. 1943: Sec. of War permits Nisei (2d. gen) to volunteer, great valor in Italy; Jan.1945—evacuees who passed loyalty test could go home. Homes wrecked, businesses destroyed.
d) Movies’ Contribution—intensify racism. Japanese race brutal, treacherous, murderous, sub-human; Pacific jungle fighting analogous to 19th Century Indian wars. Two types of films: (1)“Last Stand movies”: Example: Bataan (1943), So Proudly We Hail (1943) (2) Attack Films—U.S. on the offensive: Examples: Gung Ho(all ethnics groups represented—democracy in action), Guadalcanal Diary (1943): “Apes,” “Gooks,” “They must be blasted frpm the earth…” They ain’t people.” The Purple Heart(1944), Objective,Burma (1945): Indian wars; script changes—fascist atrocities vs. purely Japanese atrocities, not just work of army.
CONCLUSION: Film intensifies racism towards Japan, an enemy race-- that must be exterminated=Atomic Bomb.
GUNG HO(1943)
Director=Ray Enright; Producer=Walter Wanger; screenplay=Joseph Hoffman and Lucian Hubbard, story= W.S. Le Francis; Technical Advisor—Col. Evans Carlson—film based on “true” story of Carlson’s Raiders attack on Makin Island.
CAST:
Colonel Thorwald= Randolph Scott
John Harbison= Alan Curtis
Kurt Richter=Noah Berry,Jr.
Lt. C.J. Cristoforos= J. Carrol Nash
Leo Anderof (“Transport”)=Sam Levine
Larry O’Ryan=David Bruce
“Pig-Iron Matthews=Robert Mitchum
Rube Tedron=Rod Cameron
................
................
In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.
To fulfill the demand for quickly locating and searching documents.
It is intelligent file search solution for home and business.
Related download
- chapter thirteen the elderly
- group 1 union station old chinatown
- bob garfield s chaos scenario
- history 221 the films of world war ii
- home thomas county schools
- access virtual learning access virtual learning
- the response to the space shuttle columbia disaster
- unmarried america say good bye to the traditional family
Related searches
- us world war ii army enlistment records
- world war ii army units
- world war ii patches guide
- world war ii army patches
- german world war ii tanks
- german world war ii medals
- world war ii summary
- world war ii german rifles
- world war ii german aircraft
- the causes of world war 2
- world war ii casualties list
- the effects of world war 2