Hollywood and Film in World War II
Introduction
At the end of the nineteenth century, a new technology known as film was invented. And while It would rise in popularity over the next few decades, it was in the 1930s after the addition of sound, that the industry would take off. When World War II broke out, film's potential as more than entertainment was realized. In the United States, the government coordinated with Hollywood to produce numerous films and shorts related to the war.
Feature films were monitored for anti-war opinions and encouraged to portray the United States in a positive light. Companies were contracted to produce newsreels using real war footage to update the public on the war effort. Others were paid to produce animated shorts that encouraged the public to contribute and whose cartoonish medium could reach even young children. The armed forces also produced material, creating military units whose sole job was to produce instructional reels and propaganda. Outside of the theater-going public Hollywood also contributed to the war by raising funds and supporting off-duty soldiers.