Show Business at War dates to 1943 and showcases the incredible efforts of the entertainers of the day, the film and entertainment industries, and their collective sacrifice to support our troops and the victory effort during World War II. The bright lights of Broadway in New York City and the offices of the weekly theatrical paper, Variety 1:00. Variety is an American media company owned by Penske Media Corporation. It was founded by Sime Silverman in New York in 1905 as a weekly newspaper reporting on theater and vaudeville. In 1933 it added Daily Variety, based in Los Angeles, to cover the motion-picture industry. Variety headlines 1:20. “29% of Men in Film Are in the Armed Forces”. The entertainment industry is decimated with its people going off to war 1:50. The offices of the W.A.C or War Activities Committee meet 2:24. As people attend the shows, they donate to the Red Cross 2:45. Outside the theaters, hundreds of millions of dollars of war bonds are sold 2:51. The stars of stage and screen are ambassadors for the war 3:10. In support, the motion picture industry is lending its films, without charge, to the War Department Overseas Film Division 3:21. Cameramen in the industry train soldiers to be wartime cinematographers 3:40. Documentaries are created 4:00. Walt Disney Productions has turned over almost his entire studio to the military to make Army and Navy instructional films 4:20. Men sit in the screening room and watch military films 4:40. Director, John Ford had the film producing unit of the Office of Strategic Services 4:55. The book, Tunis Expedition, 5:03. The Army Special Services Division mobilizes some of the best editors in the business 5:21. Enemy propaganda is reviewed in a screening room 5:33. The Army Air Forces have their own production unit making specialized films 5:50. The Army is producing films which explain military activity and graphic terms for the indoctrination of raw recruits 6:15. Production of Irving Berlin’s wartime musical show with a completely military cast 6:33. Yip Yip Yaphank. Man sings a Berlin song 7:13, “Oh, How I Hate to Get up in the Morning”. Soldiers march into the theater 7:50. “Biggest wartime job, among the many US show business has taken on, is providing the American forces with the relaxation necessary to a fighting man’s morale”. Men on leave 8:18. American Theatre Wing, War Service Inc. Stage Door Canteen 8:21. Broadway performers perform for the servicemen 8:35. The cooking in the canteen is done by none other than Alfred Davis Lunt Jr. who was an American stage director and actor who had a long-time professional partnership with his wife, actress Lynn Fontanne. Broadway’s Lunt-Fontanne Theatre was named for them. The American Theatre wing puts on full shows for the serviceman 9:20. In the military hospitals, stars of music, stage and screen come to visit and lift morale 9:36. The Russian ballet is attended by the serviceman 10:35. Jugglers, comedians and dancers 11:00. Famous radios personalities play the camp circuit 11:15. Jack Benny 11:45. A ventriloquist entertains 12:00. At the Hollywood Canteen, a dance with Marlena Dietrich or another movie star is totally possible 12:25. Famous actors bus tables and serve the serviceman 13:00. Serviceman from Brooklyn wins a prize and gets a kiss from Hedy Lamarr 13:45. Variety headline: “Broadway moves to Trenches” 14:00. Performers travel overseas to visit troops on the ground 14:20. Al Jolson sings for the troops 14:55. Radio broadcasts reach the troops overseas 16:40. Louis Armstrong entertains 17:00. Command Performance USA 17:10. The troops write in requests to the hosts of Command Performance 17:41. The serviceman ask for Carol Landis to sigh on air. She does. Time Marches On. The End. The March of Time.
We encourage viewers to add comments and, especially, to provide additional information about our videos by adding a comment! See something interesting? Tell people what it is and what they can see by writing something for example: “01:00:12:00 — President Roosevelt is seen meeting with Winston Churchill at the Quebec Conference.”
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
