Produced during WWII by 20th Century Fox for the U.S. Government Office of War Information, this short film was directed by Lee Strasberg. “The Story with Two Endings” discusses the possible inflation and unemployment that might occur after World War II, and what can be done to prevent it. This scenario happened after World War I, and the film takes pains to emphasize rationing and thrift as weapons to combat inflation before it occurs. Actor Charles Trowbridge appears in the film making the case for prudence in the face of new-found prosperity.
Indeed, both 1945 and 1949 were periods of recession in America. The decline in government spending at the end of World War II led to an enormous drop in gross domestic product. This was the result of demobilization and the shift from a wartime to peacetime economy. The post-war years were unusual in a number of ways (unemployment was never high) and this era may be considered a “sui generis end-of-the-war recession”. An unprecedented period of economic expansion began in 1951.
The film features a great deal of footage of the home front in the post-WWI period, and 1920s America as well as the Wall Street speculation and instability that followed.
Primarily known as an acting coach and teacher, Lee Strassberg was born in Budzanov, Austria-Hungary (now Budanov, Ukraine) and came to America as a child. He became director of the Actors Studio in 1950 and was a proponent of “method” acting, which he adapted from the “system” brought to America by Konstantin Stanislavski’s disciple Stella Adler.
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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
