1. WWII & The American Film Industry The Best of Times & The Worst of Times

2. Early 1940s Film Industry tapped into war preparation efforts Film Industry tapped into war preparation efforts America joined the War in December 1941 America joined the War in December 1941 Pearl Harbor Pearl Harbor Crippled American Psyche Crippled American Psyche Allies doing poorly until 1943 Allies doing poorly until 1943 Development of Film Noir Development of Film Noir Mood & Style Mood & Style Hard-Boiled Approach Hard-Boiled Approach Urban Modernity Urban Modernity Conflicted Heroes Conflicted Heroes Femme Fatales Femme Fatales

3. Mid-1940s As the tide of the war changed, so did American psyche As the tide of the war changed, so did American psyche Film Industry as a Propaganda Machine Film Industry as a Propaganda Machine Public Service Announcements Public Service Announcements Buy War Bonds! Buy War Bonds! Many Famous Celebrity Many Famous Celebrity Birth & Boom of Bugs Bunny Birth & Boom of Bugs Bunny War Bonds Commercial http://www.youtube.com/watch ?v=vrqAeLJHr-8 War Bonds Commercial http://www.youtube.com/watch ?v=vrqAeLJHr-8 http://www.youtube.com/watch ?v=vrqAeLJHr-8 http://www.youtube.com/watch ?v=vrqAeLJHr-8 “Bugs Bunny Nips the Nips” http://www.youtube.com/watch ?v=wuMs5Trf9DU “Bugs Bunny Nips the Nips” http://www.youtube.com/watch ?v=wuMs5Trf9DU http://www.youtube.com/watch ?v=wuMs5Trf9DU http://www.youtube.com/watch ?v=wuMs5Trf9DU

4. Mid-to-Late 1940s Development of War Films Development of War Films Documentaries Documentaries Melodramas Melodramas Became a war news source/Alternative to radio Became a war news source/Alternative to radio “Bringing the War home” “Bringing the War home” Spectacle of death outlawed until 1943 Spectacle of death outlawed until 1943 Wartime Films Wartime Films The Story of G.I. Joe (1944) The Story of G.I. Joe (1944) The Sands of Iwo Jima (1949) The Sands of Iwo Jima (1949) John Wayne gains popularity as American Hero, pilgrim John Wayne gains popularity as American Hero, pilgrim Women back to the home Women back to the home

5. Postwar Impact on American Film Industry: 1950s Science Fiction Postwar Impact on American Film Industry: 1950s Science Fiction Atomic Power (1944) Atomic Power (1944) Human Destruction Human Destruction Doomsday/End of the World Scenarios Doomsday/End of the World Scenarios Rocket Engineering & The Space Race Rocket Engineering & The Space Race Sci-Fi Already Popular in Literature hits “The Big Screen” Sci-Fi Already Popular in Literature hits “The Big Screen” The Day the Earth Stood Still (Wise, 1951) The Day the Earth Stood Still (Wise, 1951) War of the Worlds (Haskin, 1953) War of the Worlds (Haskin, 1953)

6. Postwar Impact on American Film Industry: 1950s Lure of the East Postwar Impact on American Film Industry: 1950s Lure of the East Objective look at Japan & Japanese Culture Objective look at Japan & Japanese Culture Seven Samurai (Kurusawa, 1954) Seven Samurai (Kurusawa, 1954) Godzilla films (Honda, 1954-1962) Godzilla films (Honda, 1954-1962) Interest in India & Indian Culture Interest in India & Indian Culture Satajit Ray Satajit Ray Rise of “Baliwood” Rise of “Baliwood”

7. Quickie Review 1. How was American psyche reflective of America’s involvement in WWII during the early 1940s? 2. Discuss two of the five characteristics of Film Noir as related to America’s involvement in WWII 3. Identify two ways in which Americans were persuaded to purchase war bonds. 4. What were some of the contributing postwar factors that led to the creation of the science fiction genre? 5. What cultures did Americans become interested in after WWII? Why?