Film and propaganda in America : a documentary history

Author(s)

Bibliographic Information

Film and propaganda in America : a documentary history

editor-in-chief, David Culbert

（Documentary reference collections）

Greenwood Press, 1990-1991

  • v. 1
  • v. 2
  • v. 3
  • v. 4

Available at  / 27 libraries

Search this Book/Journal

Note

v. 1: World War I / edited by Richard Wood. v. 2: World War II, pt. 1 / edited by David Culbert. v. 3: World War II, pt. 2 / edited by David Culbert. v. 4: 1945 and after / edited by Lawrence H. Suid

Includes indexes

Description and Table of Contents

Volume

v. 1 ISBN 9780313208584

Description

During World War I, the medium of film took on a worldwide role. Capitalizing on its potential for persuasion, governments made unprecedented use of film to record actual fighting, help train combatants, sway neutral opinion, and make civilians on the home front aware of the need for sacrifice and patriotic commitment. Propaganda, including film propaganda, became an indispensable part of the equipment of the modern state at war. In this volume, the first of a five volume, 6000-page series, the editors bring together representative unpublished government documents relating to film production in the United States during World War I. Emphasis is on unpublished material rather than actual film scripts or reviews of popular feature films of the era available elsewhere. World War I is the largest collection of archival government documents on the subject ever published, and includes letters, legal documents, and memoranda for the years 1913 to 1921. Letterheads and other identifying marks have been reproduced whenever possible. Citations at the head of each document include name of author, recipient, date sent, and the collection from which the document is taken, providing a valuable guide to further research. The documents, presented in chronological order, are arranged in eight general categories. The volume is indexed by film title, name, and subject. World War I will be of particular value to students of film, film propaganda, and the military who are interested in connections between film policy and overall government war aims.

Table of Contents

  • Documents
  • depicting the military image on the screen, 1913-1916
  • Mexico, 1914-1916
  • preparedness, 1915-1917
  • American entry onto war, 1917
  • Wilson, "Pershing's Crusades" and "Hearts of the World"
  • the committee on public information and film policy
  • the CPI at home and abroad
  • the aftermath of war.
Volume

v. 2 ISBN 9780313208591

Description

In the twentieth century, every technologically advanced country has used propaganda to sell policies and programs to its citizens. In this five-volume, 6000-page series, David Culbert brings together documents that reflect the richness of American archives and suggest the central role film played in American wartime instruction as well as attempts to explain the meaning of the war to American soldiers and citizens. Emphasis is on unpublished material rather than actual film scripts or review of popular feature films of the era available elsewhere. Volume II is devoted entirely to a controversial Inspector General Division investigation of training film production in Hollywood, 1940-1943. The verbatim testimony and final report of the IG investigation--published here for the first time--contain an unparalleled collection of data, unique in wartime America, of government film production in Hollywood. Featured in this collection are transcripts of the conversations that took place between IG investigators and famous film producers, including Walt Disney, Frank Capra, and Darryl Zanuck. Film and Propaganda in America, the largest collection of archival government documents on the subject ever published, includes letters, legal documents, and memoranda for the war years. Citations at the head of each document supply name of the author, recipient, date sent, and the collection from which the document is taken, providing a valuable guide to further research. This series should appeal to anyone interested in the history of filmmaking, propaganda and the war effort, or American government history.
Volume

v. 3 ISBN 9780313208607

Description

In the twentieth century, every technologically advanced country has used propaganda to sell policies and programs to its citizens. In this five-volume, 6000-page series, David Culbert brings together documents that reflect the richness of American archives and suggest the central role film played in American wartime instruction as well as attempts to explain the meaning of the war to American soldiers and citizens. Emphasis is on unpublished material rather than actual film scripts or review of popular feature films of the era available elsewhere. Much of Volume III is devoted to Frank Capra's seven-part Why We Fight series, the most significant statement of war aims made by the American government in World War II. Documents in Volume III help reveal precisely how the Why We Fight series explains official war aims. Volume III also contains documentation about John Huston's San Pietro and Let There Be Light, with information that makes untenable statements by Huston that have misled scholars for nearly forty years. Film and Propaganda in America, the largest collection of archival government documents on the subject ever published, includes letters, legal documents, and memoranda for the war years. Citations at the head of each document supply name of the author, recipient, date sent, and the collection from which the document is taken, providing a valuable guide to further research. The volume is indexed by film title, name, and subject. This series should appeal to anyone interested in the history of filmmaking, propaganda and the war effort, or American government history.
Volume

v. 4 ISBN 9780313208614

Description

Since early in the twentieth century, it has been a common if not always acceptable practice for governments to exploit film as a means of manipulating public opinion and influencing the behavior of citizens, especially during periods of national emergency. This volume is the newest in a five-part series that documents and examines the use of the medium for propaganda purposes by the U.S. government. Focusing on official and quasi-official productions as well as the uneasy collaboration between Hollywood studios and the armed forces during the postwar period, it brings together an unequalled collection of archival materials, many of which were released solely for the publication of the present work. Volume IV presents oral history interviews and papers from the private archives of filmmakers, writers, and representatives of the military, together with several case studies of military cooperation with Hollywood in the making of war films. It also includes Defense Department memoranda, relevant documents from presidential and media libraries, and excerpts from congressional hearings. These materials provide an insider's view of propaganda efforts connected with the Cold War, the anti-Communist crusade, the Korean War, and Vietnam and offer new information on topics such as film censorship, television violence, and propaganda films about the atomic bomb. Materials are given chronologically, covering the period 1945-1980. Citations at the head of each document list the name of the author and recipient, the date sent, and the collection from which the material is taken. Documents are indexed by film title, name, and subject. Designed as a source of readings as well as a research tool, this volume will be of particular relevance for the study of filmmaking, propaganda, the Cold War, and U.S. information policy in the postwar period.

by "Nielsen BookData"

Related Books： 1-1 of 1

Details

Page Top