Sponsored Content
« Oliver Willis's Dream | Main | Newt Gingrich is Running For President »
February 19, 2005

On Iwo Jima (Hoke)

PBS is running a riveting series, The Perilous Fight: America's World War II in Color

In 1941, as America entered World War II, there were 1,000 televisions in use in the USA, Hollywood was only beginning to experiment with color film, and most Americans received their news through the radio. During the war, film was used by the military, not for distribution to the public, but to document the war effort for military purposes. Realistic color added a new dimension to imagery, one that proved invaluable to the United States government.

The federal government seized all color film in the U.S. for the war effort. War-related activities both abroad and at home were documented in color, including war production and the building of the Alaska railroad. The government also used color film to document medical procedures and new warfare techniques. Some military cameramen focused their cameras on their experiences abroad and captured peaceful moments unrelated to the war effort, such as a bicycle trip through the countryside of England.

While the European campaign was almost completely shot in black and white, the Marines exclusively used color film. The campaign in the Pacific was the most heavily documented during the war. Color films such as The Battle of Midway were distributed to solicit public support of the war effort and dramatically increased the purchase of war bonds. Color was by no means standard or familiar to the American audience. Most films and newsreels that were shot in color were not distributed in color; they were transferred to black-and-white stock or archived by the military.

It wasn't until the late 1970's that the National Archives in Washington, D.C. received film holdings from World War II. For many reasons, color film remained undiscovered; poor record-keeping, the assumption that most film originals were in black and white and the time required by researchers to find the color stock kept the public from seeing color film from World War II.

Highly recommended.


digg this
posted by Ace at 02:47 PM

| Access Comments




Recent Comments
JT: "Me neither ..."

Skip: "Didn't go out yet but don't think so ..."

JT: "You get any rain ? ..."

Skip: "Time to rise and shine ..."

JT: "hiya ..."

RickZ: "[i]Tough to pack into your pipe, too. And let's ju ..."

Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere [/i] [/b]: "[i]For my part, I am up all night smoking fish. P ..."

Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere [/i] [/b]: "[i]Originally we considered cake and cookie names ..."

JT: "For my part, I am up all night smoking fish. Post ..."

Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere [/i] [/b]: "Morning, all! I'm up about 45 min. early for some ..."

Aetius451AD: "Also, thanks for the ONT. ..."

Aetius451AD: "Posted by: I'm a King Bee, buzzin' 'round yo hive ..."

Recent Entries
Search


Polls! Polls! Polls!
Frequently Asked Questions
The (Almost) Complete Paul Anka Integrity Kick
Top Top Tens
Greatest Hitjobs

The Ace of Spades HQ Sex-for-Money Skankathon
A D&D Guide to the Democratic Candidates
Margaret Cho: Just Not Funny
More Margaret Cho Abuse
Margaret Cho: Still Not Funny
Iraqi Prisoner Claims He Was Raped... By Woman
Wonkette Announces "Morning Zoo" Format
John Kerry's "Plan" Causes Surrender of Moqtada al-Sadr's Militia
World Muslim Leaders Apologize for Nick Berg's Beheading
Michael Moore Goes on Lunchtime Manhattan Death-Spree
Milestone: Oliver Willis Posts 400th "Fake News Article" Referencing Britney Spears
Liberal Economists Rue a "New Decade of Greed"
Artificial Insouciance: Maureen Dowd's Word Processor Revolts Against Her Numbing Imbecility
Intelligence Officials Eye Blogs for Tips
They Done Found Us Out, Cletus: Intrepid Internet Detective Figures Out Our Master Plan
Shock: Josh Marshall Almost Mentions Sarin Discovery in Iraq
Leather-Clad Biker Freaks Terrorize Australian Town
When Clinton Was President, Torture Was Cool
What Wonkette Means When She Explains What Tina Brown Means
Wonkette's Stand-Up Act
Wankette HQ Gay-Rumors Du Jour
Here's What's Bugging Me: Goose and Slider
My Own Micah Wright Style Confession of Dishonesty
Outraged "Conservatives" React to the FMA
An On-Line Impression of Dennis Miller Having Sex with a Kodiak Bear
The Story the Rightwing Media Refuses to Report!
Our Lunch with David "Glengarry Glen Ross" Mamet
The House of Love: Paul Krugman
A Michael Moore Mystery (TM)
The Dowd-O-Matic!
Liberal Consistency and Other Myths
Kepler's Laws of Liberal Media Bias
John Kerry-- The Splunge! Candidate
"Divisive" Politics & "Attacks on Patriotism" (very long)
The Donkey ("The Raven" parody)
Powered by
Movable Type 2.64