Nolstagia World War II Video Library

193.NOSTALGIA WORLD WAR II VIDEO LIBRARY #8 (1944-USA). Produced by the Signal Corps. America’s courageous servicemen deal severe blows to the enemy, and these superb World War II films report their heroism to the dedicated homefront workers. Including a great Warner Brothers “Private Snafu” cartoon!
1. LIFE LINE (1943). The capture of Rendova, in the Solomon Islands, a “stepping stone to Tokyo”-documented by cameras so close to the action that the narrator apologizes for occasional shakiness or underexposure: “Forgive the cameramen: they were in danger of being killed.” We assault the beach, and get the enemy, hiding in the jungle (“Dead JapaneseÑstinking in the sun.”). A savage air attack tries to knock out our cannons. Wounded men are patched up, so they can return to finish the job, and protect our freedom (depicted through a stirring montage of American life).
2. FILM COMMUNIQUE, EIGHTH ISSUE (1944). a) CAPE GLOUCESTER: 7TH MARINES. Grim footage of the battle-weary, mud-soaked 7th Marines in New Guinea: These are American soldiersÑwith war in their faces.” b) REPORT FROM BRITAIN. Very fine aerial footage documents RAF and 8th Air Force bombing missions over France and Germany, paving the way for D-Day armies. You feel as if you’re scraping the cliffs, fields and houses! 300 mph at zero altitude! American A-20’s on short-run missions; heavier bombers penetrate deep into Germany, wiping out airplane factories. A captured German newsreel shows American casualties and downed planes; but these losses will not stop usl c) A 5TH AIR FORCE REPORT FROM NEW GUINEA. “You build ’em and we’ll fly ’em and keep ’em flying!” Our planes in the Pacific suffer heavy damage, but are rebuilt in New Guinea. Our ingenuity in maintenance, repair and improvising tools, parts and machines salvages thousands of man-hours put in by American workers! d) A FEW QUICK FACTS.”How far does a bullet travel before it hits a Jap?” Not 150 yards, but 23,500 miles- considering its origin, production and transportation! Illustrated by cartoons. e) A FIFTH ARMY REPORT FROM THE BEACHHEAD. The invasion of Anziol The Nazis send in their finest troops, and wage a blistering air war on our brave men landing on the beach. We take Anzio, and advance along vast stretches of mine-laden beaches. “We at home pledge to keep producing the material needed for victory-and to make that victory total!”
3. FILM COMMUNIQUE, NINTH ISSUE (1944). a) 15TH AIR FORCE REPORT. A Bluestreak Liberator bomber, after 110 combat missions, “probably the most battle-scarred veteran of the air.” The creative recycling of parts, to keep planes flying. b) PRIVATE SNAFU- FIGHTING TOOLS. With the voice of Mel Blanc. One of the series of famous Warner Brothers training-film cartoons. Snafu (sounding like Bugs Bunny) sings of being the war’s greatest hero, then has several sobering encounters with a huge, vicious Nazi-all of which demonstrate that Snafu’s equipment doesn’t work because of improper care or maintenance. Snafu ends up in a prison camp! The message: soldiers must protect the vehicles and guns provided by American workers. Very clever original music and song parodies and very very funny, c) BATTLE OF THE HILLS. Objective: retake Burma, and re-establish a find route to China. Excellent footage shows how supplies are brought to the troops (“one of the most epic transportation battles of the war”): on barges, primitive bamboo rafts, and narrow gauge railways; by parachute; and over the still-unflnished Ledo Road from North Burma to China-infested with malaria swamps, Jap snipers, landslides, and hairpin turns on roller-coaster grades. Fierce fighting in the jungles, and on the hills! From China, we’ll hit the Japanese mainland itself: “We are on our way!” 61 minutes total. Propaganda