Publisher's Synopsis
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 Emphasis is on unpublished material rather than actual film scripts or review of popular feature films of the era available elsewhere.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.
