This War Department propaganda film produced in 1944 depicts the activities of women war workers, who met the demand for industrial labor caused by the conscription of male workers and the need for increased military production as the U.S. fought World War II. The film gives reasons for women to join the effort, as provided by the workers themselves. Notably, Hitler is depicted as having already been captured by the Allies, awaiting capital punishment. (TRT 16:53)

Opening titles: “Exclusive for the Men and Women of American Industry” “Official War Film W.F. 25 War Department” “Produced by Army Pictorial Service” “The Hidden Army.” Exhaust towers emit smoke in the background (0:09). Victory Day is imagined. Streamers and American flags project from skyscraper windows (0:33). Newspaper headlines: “World War II Ends” “Axis Quits” “Armistice Signed” “Unconditional” “Hitler Surrenders” superimposed over marching troops (0:40). A military prison. (0:55). In a guarded cage, Hitler ruminates over a manuscript – “My Losing Fight” translated from the German (1:215). “Chapter XXV The Hidden Army” – Hitler narrates over a flashback. Two high ranking Nazis discuss the weaknesses of France, England and the United States, considering a series of maps. (1:49). U.S. military power is debated, the male “ratio of workers to soldiers” against “The possibility of woman labor” (2:26). American women are described as “decadent,” quoting 1938 consumer statistics. Women shown applying make-up, using hair curlers, putting on silk stockings, processing in bathing gear, drinking cocktails, shaking maracas, playing cards, partying and dancing (3:18). German women contrasted, training in formation, swaddling babies, working factories (3:55). Authentic footage of Hitler examining a map – “I invaded Poland” (4:31). In the U.S., Congress applauds, a tractor moves, a factory is built from frame to construction (4:35). Workers walk through housing under a sign, “Let’s step it up” “Production” (4:48). Naval ships pushed into water (4:53). Workers at Alabama Dry Dock and Shipbuilding Co. (5:10). “Girls Wanted” sign. Women gather at factories and assemble military products, including artillery shells and gas masks (5:14). People mourn Pearl Harbor at a cemetery (5:50). Army soldiers, air force on a plane, navy on a ship, (6:00) factories, tanks (6:10). Women working, building planes, riveters, (6:15) tanks (6:37). Soldiers land on beaches (7:07). Women weld landing craft, rivet planes, manufacture radio tubes, assemble motors, peer through microscopes (7:17). Women in the Army, Navy and Marines — WAACs and WAVEs — march, women nurses (7:50) Graphic compares labor of women and men (8:10). Workers assemble chassis, weld (8:16). Wounded soldier carried (8:21). Materiel supply chain (8:27). Women war job recruitment posters (8:35). A sleeping woman silences an alarm, window shopping, trying on furs, reading news, (9:05) running to crowded bus (9:49). Plane factories (10:15). A military radio plays, wounded and dead are carried (10:19). A woman delivers a death notification “The government regrets to inform…” many women crying (10:26). A gold star, a battlefield cemetery, a gun salute funeral (11:05). Newspaper collage: “All Job Deferments Face Drastic Review” (11:19) Selective Service office, Local Board 226, factory work (11:29). Italian mountains, pacific jungle, diving from sinking ship, bombed ruins of buildings smoking in Europe (11:38). Children crying, child corpse (12:04). Women with children, harvesting, sewing, assembling (12:20). A factory woman: “I have a daughter on the waves and I had a son on the Arizona” (12:36) Woman with gun (12:40). Woman with planes: “I was too heavy for the WACs” (13:06). A worker: “If he’d had a few more of these shells out in Bataan…” (13:25). “Victory Store Hours” are open later, dancers, movies, bowling (13:44). “Ladies’ Dining Room,” shared worker’s quarters for women, (13:55) Rationing sign (14:13). Women with blowtorches, (14:25) helmets manufactured, (15:08) shipping materiel (15:32). A ship explodes (15:42). Woman with baby assisted by military (15:51). Mussolini kisses a child on stage (16:02). A drowned soldier (16:23) Lady Liberty, “The finest warrior” (16:31) “The End” title, W.F. 25 (16:41)

This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com