This 1945 film was produced for the War Finance Division of the US Treasury Department as part of a series for the 7th War Loan drive, which started in May 1945. The film encourages people to buy war bonds through a series of messages from leading figures in American life, including Franklin D. Roosevelt (who was filmed close to his death), the presidents of the AFL, CIO, US Chamber of Commerce, and Secretary of the Treasury Henry Morgenthau Jr. The film also continuously shows dying and wounded soldiers as a reminder of the importance of these bonds. The film ends with a short called “This Could be America” showing US pilots shooting at targets on the ground to show people that war bonds are necessary to ensure that this type of bombardment would not take place on US soil. This film features an early appearance by, and possibly the debut of, Eddie Albert (later star of “Our Mr. Sun” and the beloved TV show “Green Acres”) as a soldier.
0:08 The Treasury Department presents “Mr. and Mrs. America”, 0:26 President Franklin D. Roosevelt giving a speech, 1:36 a US 100 Dollar Savings Bond, 1:48 navy combat footage including men landing, fighting, and dying on islands in the Pacific, 2:54 wounded and dead soldiers being tended to, 3:44 two sides of a US 100 Dollar Savings Bond, 3:58 Phillip Murray, Congress of Industrial Organizations President, speaking to the camera, 4:41 William Green, President of American Federation of Labor, speaking to the camera, 5:13 funerals for soldiers in various places, 6:08 Eric Johnston, President of the US Chamber of Commerce, speaking to the camera, 7:03 patriotic scenery including Manhattan, mountains, people playing football and fishing, and industrial might, 7:54 Americans speaking to the camera giving their reasons for buying war bonds, 8:49 Henry Morgenthau Jr., Secretary of the Treasury, speaking to the camera, 9:31 a man and his wife looking at a house magazine together, 10:22 animation showing how a bond grows in value each year, 10:45 Morgenthau speaking to the camera, 11:20 soldier speaking to the camera, 11:56 a war bond flying like the American flag, 12:09 Produced by the Motion Picture and Special Events Division War Finance US Treasury, 12:26 The US Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard present “This could be America”, 12:37 aircraft firing at targets on the ground, 13:18 Grumman Hellcats flying in formation, 13:36 aircraft fire at targets on the ground, 14:54 aircraft engaging in a dog fight, 15:23 a Hellcat crashing onto an aircraft carrier, 15:41 pilot being buried at sea, 16:12 “7th War Loan”
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