World War II Documentary Double Feature: Action at Angaur (1945)/The Dwight D. Eisenhower Story (1953)

ACTION AT ANGAUR (1945): This is the story of the rookie 81st Infantry "Wildcat" Division, who went through a literal ‘trial by fire' fighting experienced Japanese troops on the island of Angaur. The tiny island was needed to secure the western flank of General MacArthur's already-commenced Philippine operations and to cut the Japanese off from strategically important phosphate mines. Before the fighting starts, we see the troops relaxing in Honolulu, taking in a burlesque show ("this comes under the heading of morale building") as well as "some lower Basin Street chamber music." ("Remember Curly Miller? That boy can really go to town.") But once they reach Angaur, it's all business. After a fierce bombardment by Allied ships and carrier aircraft, the "mop-up" operation begins in earnest as the GIs must draw out the remaining Japanese soldiers hiding in caves…one way or the other. "They know how to hide like the murdering weasels they are. We had to blast or burn every last damn one of them out" says a hard-boiled soldier. There's still some time to "clown around" though, like when a dirty dozen of America's finest fighting men go skinny dipping (with some decidedly non-Production Code-approved bare butts on display.) This stirringly patriotic film ends with an impassioned plea to buy war bonds and support the 7th War Loan, on behalf of "men who fight…men who have seen death. Men from your own hometown. The boy who sold you gasoline on a Sunday afternoon…the boy who came calling on Saturday evening and took your daughter to a movie…"

THE DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER STORY (1953): To combat flagging patriotism during the Cold War, the U.S. Army Signal Corps Pictorial Center produced The Big Picture, a weekly television series that combined actual wartime newsreels with Hollywood footage to revisit the greatest victories of World War II. "The Dwight D. Eisenhower Story" dealt with the then President's life up until assuming office, with an emphasis on his heroics during the Second World War. The highlight is of course D-Day, "one of the greatest military adventures of all time," in the words of narrator Raymond Massey. The Big Picture must have struck a patriotic chord, as new episodes continued to be produced until 1971, eventually branching out into the Korean and Vietnam wars. (The Big Picture is now available from Alpha Video in both individual volumes and multi-disc sets.)

BONUS: Men Make the Navy (1942): Based on a popular WWII-era pamphlet, Men Make the Navy…The Navy Makes Men, this recruiting film shows just how desperate things were in 1942. "Never in all history has the call for defenders of freedom been so urgent as at this moment. Brave men are needed…men who would rather fight to stay free than live to be slaves!" says narrator Lowell Thomas, seated behind his microphone while Holst's The Planets swells in the background. Emphasis is placed on the benefits of joining the Navy: "And remember, Navy pay is practically all clear profit. No meals to buy, no rent to pay! Even in wartime, free entertainment! Movies and…'smokers'."