Hollywood War Films, 1937-1945

Film historian and media propaganda specialist Michael S. Shull currently teaches film history at George Washington University and teaches mass communications at Montgomery College (both in the Washington, D.C., area). He lives in Germantown, Maryland. David Edward Wilt is a librarian at the University of Maryland in College Park. He is also the author of The Mexican Filmography (2003). Together they coauthored Doing Their Bit: Wartime American Animated Short Films, 1939–1945 (second edition, 2004).

• Table of ContentsAcknowledgments      Introduction      Part One: The Crisis Abroad, 1937–19411. Dim Clouds Behind the Glitter: American Feature Films Reflecting an Awareness of World Events, 1932–1936      2. The Slide Towards Belligerency: An Overview, 1937–1941      3. With Their Guard Down: The Nye Committee      4. Contraband Messages: References Within Films to World Events      5. Films Against War and American Involvement in Conflict Overseas      6. Hollywood’s “Good Neighbor Policy” Toward Latin America      7. Americanism: The Promotion of “American Ideals” Through Films with Historical Settings      8. Service Pictures: In Peace and Preparing for War      9. Espionage: The Fifth Column Lurks Behind the Screen      10. Cinematic Vigilance Against the Totalitarian Regimes      11. Stop Hitler Now! Isolationism Dies in Hollywood After the Fall of France      12. Cinematic Cheering for the Sentimental Favorites: Pro-French and Pro-English Films Come to the Front      13. Hollywood’s Selectees on the March      14. Non–Feature Length Films Reflecting an Awareness of World Events, 1933–1941      Filmography to Part One      Abbreviations Used in the Filmography      War Related American Films, 1937–1941      Discernible Biases Found in Films, 1937–1941      Frequency of Topical References in Films, 1937–1941      Filmographic Entries, 1937–1941      Part Two: Waging War, 1942–194515. Fighting Fascism on the Cinematic Front: The Seductive Language and Imagery of Film Propaganda      16. Reluctant Heroes: America’s Armed Forces as Depicted in Films      17. “We’re in This Together”: America’s Minorities and the War Effort      18. “United Nations”: Hollywood’s Portrayal of America’s Allies      19. Images Americans Loved to Hate: Germans, Japanese and Italians on Screen      20. Soldiers Without Uniforms: Wartime Resistance Films      21. “Loose Lips Sink Ships”: Spies, Saboteurs and Traitors      22. Scrap Happy: Home Front Activities on Film      23. Soldiers of the Home Front: The Battle of Production      24. Deprivation for the Duration: Rationing and Shortages      25. “Turn Out That Light!”: Home Defense      26. The Junior Army and Youth Running Wild      27. Two Hour Furloughs: The Lighter Side      28. When the War Is Over: Postwar Planning      Filmography to Part TwoAbbreviations Used in the Filmography      War Related American Films, 1942–1945      Yearly Survey of Films’ War Relevancy      Frequency of Topical References in Films, 1942–1945      Frequency of Pejorative References in Films, 1942–1945      Filmographic Entries, 1942–1945      Filmographic AppendicesA: Feature Length Films Named as Pro-War Propaganda by Gerald Nye and Other Noninterventionists      B: American Feature Films Reflecting an Awareness of International Issues, 1932–1936      C: American Film Serials Reflecting an Awareness of the World Crisis, 1937–1945      D: Selected American Fictional Short Subjects Reflecting an Awareness of the World Crisis, 1937–1945      E: British Features with References to the World Crisis Released Through American Studios, 1937–1945      F: Possibly Relevant Films      G: Films Released in October–December 1945 Containing War-Relevant Material      Notes to the Introduction, Numbered Chapters, and Appendices      Bibliography      Index to Page Numbers in the Text      Index to Entry Numbers in the Filmographies

“greatly furthers our understanding of wartime society in America...comprehensive.... Recommended...definitive”—Library Journal; “provides information on an amazing number of films...no other book comes close.... Recommended”—Choice.