TCM recalls golden age of patriotic propaganda
TCM devotes its prime-time schedule to documentary propaganda movies made during World War II. The night begins with the survey “To Tell the Truth: The Strategy of Truth” (8 p.m.), contrasting the forms and style of such films made in Britain, Germany and the United States.
Among the most celebrated American films of this type were the “Why We Fight” series, directed by Frank Capra, best known for “It’s a Wonderful Life.” These include “Prelude to War” (9:15 p.m.) and “The Negro Soldier” (10:30 p.m.).
Wartime films were made by celebrated filmmakers like Capra and John Ford (“The Searchers”), who shot “The Battle of Midway” (1 a.m.) in color. Ford’s Pearl Harbor documentary “December 7th” (11:30 p.m.) sat on the shelf for some time because it was considered more demoralizing than rousing.
There was plenty of room for newcomers. The sudden enlistment of millions of civilians called for crash education and indoctrination in the rudiments of soldiering, such as how to use a rifle or put on a gas mask, “The Autobiography of a Jeep” (10:15 p.m.) celebrates the vehicle’s invention and many uses.
Such educational films did not end with the war. Corporate America adopted such methods to train workers and teach consumers with industrial and educational films like “Industrial Arts — Using Nails and Screws,” which found their way into classrooms or appeared as shorts on the fledgling ABC network in the 1950s.
Filmmakers including Robert Altman graduated from industrial movies to feature films. One industrial film company called Centron Corp. in Lawrence, Kansas, churned out a steady diet of movies with titles like “Bicycle Safety: The Rules for the Road” and “Basic Breadmaking.” One of Centron’s more notable employees was Herk Harvey, who made the 1962 low-budget supernatural horror classic “Carnival of Souls.”
Propaganda documentaries live on, particularly on YouTube. YouTube has also become the place to go for how-to videos, so much so that networks like HGTV have basically abandoned instructional series for fancier fare about buying and selling real estate. If you want to learn how to grout, turn to YouTube. Sponsors have noticed. Many amateur directors have become virtual infomercial producers, plugging products provided by manufacturers hopeful for viral exposure.
We’ve come a long way since Frank Capra.