#Films of 1941 how to#

'Americans did not want war, but they had identified the villains in the current struggle and were hardly likely to respond well to a balanced treatment of Hitler and his minions,' says Steele, 'Less justifiable was the absence of balance in the presentation of national issues offered by the national's major new commentators' (4). Informational propaganda is what drove home the message to audiences across the United States of the turmoil occurring overseas in Europe and the possible need for intervention there. Richard Steele categorizes this as 'informational propaganda,' a way of sending facts of policy and reflecting administrative concerns through mass media. The administration wanted Hollywood to 'emphasize the slogan вЂsupport the president in the emergency' and avoid controversy about individual measures, declarations of war, etc.' (Steele). The President and his administration utilized Hollywood to activate public awareness of the world crisis and inspire confidence in the government's ability to meet it. In August 1940 Warner Brothers offered their assistance directly to the White House to produce any film the administration wanted regardless of cost. Traces of such apolitical agenda can be traced back to Roosevelt's early days as president, when he was after public confidence as the potential of going to war neared American shores.

What makes a film propagandistic? A film can be deemed propagandistic when it only depicts and tries to convince the viewer on a specific point related to a political agenda. It was the film's reception, its message, and public opinion that answered the question of whether Sergeant York had a propaganda agenda or not. Congressional hearings occurred in which both sides argued their justification. Yet, after its emergence on the silver screen, non-interventionists began to stir in anger claiming that this film and others were only propaganda for pro-war scenarios. Sergeant York was one of these films that saw a 17-million dollar gross because of its popularity. A flood of comedy, drama, and war films began to flow out of the golden gates of Hollywood and into the theatres of America. 1930-1941 was a time when the eight major film companies in Hollywood began to use their power over eight million audience members a week to feed them their one-sided opinion of the necessity to prepare our country to intervene in the European war. So where does this one side lie when your country is on the brink of war with imperialist and communist nations? The answer: the movies participated in the general 'steady, pervasive drum beat of preparedness information emanating from every popular source of public education' (Steele).

They are entertaining, credible, interesting, and completely one-sided. 'One of the most powerful, if not the most powerful, instrument of propaganda is the movie,' said North Dakota senator Gerald Nye. 'Movies have ceased to be an instrument of entertainment.' -Senator Nye

#Films of 1941 how to#

Propaganda: How to Prepare the Public for an Indeterminate Course of Action