In its effort to rouse support for America’s involvement in World War II, the U.S. government employed Hollywood filmmakers to create propaganda films that examined various aspects of the war effort. John Ford’s The Battle of Midway (1942, 18 minutes) features real footage of aerial warfare during a key battle in the Pacific Ocean, including jarring images caused by blasts near Ford’s camera. To more effectively communicate with the folks back home, actors including Henry Fonda were employed to provide written comments and observations. With The Memphis Belle: The Story of a Flying Fortress (1944, 40 minutes) director William Wyler provided some of the first aerial combat footage of the war while revealing the cramped, cold and vulnerable conditions of the U.S. Army Air Force’s workhorse bomber. The aerial footage is real, not staged, though narration was added by crew members after filming was completed.* — Doug Pullen*
