Hollywood’s Role in WWII

Prior to World War II, which lasted from 1939 to 1945, the Hollywood movie industry was a self-regulated industry with high moral standards, which was an effort to avoid trouble with state censors. Yet following Pearl Harbor, the event that officially pulled the United States into WWII, Roosevelt quickly turned Hollywood film into a war industry, creating an Office of the Coordinator of Government films in his cabinet. Through the collaboration of Hollywood and the government, pro-war ideals started popping up in the war film – complete with showcases of heroism, selflessness, and the need for cooperation. Hollywood continued to make its usual comedies, musicals, dramas, action films, romances, etc, but now they were all on behalf of the war effort. For example, war films such as Guadalcanal Diary, made in 1943, depicted an ethnically diverse group of US soldiers overseas which came together despite their differences. They were motivated to become one by their patriotism and hatred of a common enemy. The movies, along with other WWII propaganda, aided in increasing the number of war bonds that were bought, which played a small part in winning the war. Hollywood made it a point to depict the enemies in these films in a negative light. Most of the time, Nazis were portrayed as cold and efficient killers and Japanese were depicted as bestial, not even fully human. Through these movies, Hollywood, pushed by the government, attempted to bring about strong patriotism and pro war sentiments in America’s people.- Maria O.

Bibliography:
http://www.bookmice.net/darkchilde/japan/other/a8.jpg

http://www.registermyass.com/casablanca%20copy.jpg

http://www.filmreference.com/encyclopedia/Romantic-Comedy-Yugoslavia/World-War-II-HOL LYWOOD-GOES-TO-WAR.html
http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/modules/ww2/combatfilms.html