Presented here are two propaganda films made during WWII by the War Finance Division of the U.S. Treasury Department. These films were released as part of the 7th War Loan, which took place in May 1945, just days after victory in Europe. Treasury officials were concerned that the defeat of Germany might lessen bond sales, and so the “Mighty 7th” came into being.
The first film THE 957th DAY was a propaganda short produced by the US Navy in 1944. The film uses authentic battle footage of the taking of Guam on July 21, 1944, and one narration follows the battle chronologically, while another narration mimics a radio news caster voice. The newscaster related mundane activities like baseball standings, what song is on the top of the charts, and weather, but also news relative to the war effort, like the amount of steel that Pittsburgh has shipped, the monthly Selective Service quota, and the news that one worker got a medal for not missing one day of work since Dec. 8, 1941. This is all superimposed on some very graphic combat footage.
The combat footage is compiled from several days of fighting and actually begins with ships readying for the invasion at Eniwetok (in June). The bombardment of the island lasted for thirteen days and the invasion of Guam was the beginning of a much longer battle. This movie leads the viewer to believe that the island was secured on July 21, 1944, when in fact the island was not declared secure until August 10, 1944 after the loss of nearly 19,000 dead between the two sides.
The second film MIDNIGHT, also produced under the auspices of the Navy, uses a technique similar to that of “The 957th Day”, tracking war activities around the globe as Big Ben strikes midnight in London. The narrator discusses the fact that the Navy uses Greenwich Mean Time in its operations. The city of London is shown during the attack by V-1 rockets, while B-24 anti-submarine aircraft are seen patrolling for German u-boats. American PT boats are seen operating in the Mediterranean, while convoys are seen moving across the Atlantic. At 12:00, an airplane is seen attacking a German U-boat. At 13:20, wounded Americans are seen boarding a ship home. At 14:00, an American submarine is seen sinking a Japanese vessel, while a PBY is seen flying anti-submarine patrol. At 15:28 aircraft strike in the South China Sea, and at 16:00 damaged aircraft are seen returning to carriers. The film ends with footage at Iwo Jima as the Navy bombards the island and the Marines invade.
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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, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com
