Produced in 1945, this WWII G.I. MOVIE WEEKLY is one of the original programs which were presented to members of the Armed Forces during World War II. This series of films, which reached our overseas forces for 204 weeks until October of 1945, included 1,042 features and 1,051 shorts. After WWII, the series continued commercially through the Army.
The first segment of this film is MANILA – U.S. TROOPS POUR IN FOR DRIVE TO JAPAN (00:00:35:00) is narrated by Dwight Weist. This segment starts off by showing soldiers arriving in the Philippines, direct from the battlefields of Africa and Italy. Here, soldiers are seen boarding trains for their new camps, and being given their new assignments. At (00:02:00:00) you can see WAC Fifth Air Force Bombers and fighters at Clark Field. The second segment, ULSTER – BRITAIN’S ROYAL FAMILY VISITS NORTH IRELAND – (00:02:27:00) is narrated by Jackson Beck and features King George VI. Next, BY AIR – TELEPHONE LINES LAID TWO MILES A MINUTE (00:03:08:00) is narrated by Dwight Weist and features a C-47 laying telephone line. This is followed by YUGOSLAVIA – TITO REVIEWS VICTORY PARADE IN BELGRADE is narrated by Jackson Beck (00:04:23:00) featuring the spectacle of Belgrade’s victory parade. The last newsreel, THIRD FLEET SHELLS JAPAN (00:05:28:00) features the voice of Beck once again, and showcases the first bombardment of the Japanese homeland during the war.
INFORMATION PLEASE (00:08:25:00) featuring host Clifton Fadiman, is a quiz show that serves as a fundraiser for the American Red Cross. The four contestants are all known figures of the day, including a sportscaster, an actress and a conductor.
Narrated by John Nesbitt, A LADY FIGHTS BACK (00:19:30:00) is a short documentary from 1944 that tells the story of the liner SS Normandie. The short was an installment in the Passing Parade film series. The saga of the Normandie is recounted from her life as a luxury liner (00:20:51:00), to the horrific fire that nearly destroyed her, (00:25:40;00) and finally, her resuscitation to join in the war effort. (00:27:25:00)
The SS Normandie was built in Saint-Nazaire, France, for the French Line Compagnie Générale Transatlantique (CGT). She entered service in 1935 as the largest and fastest passenger ship afloat; she is still the most powerful steam turbo-electric-propelled passenger ship ever built. During service as the flagship of the CGT, she made 139 westbound transatlantic crossings from her homeport of Le Havre to New York. Normandie held the Blue Riband for the fastest transatlantic crossing at several points during her service career, during which the RMS Queen Mary was her main rival.
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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 and 2k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com
