Entertainment Goes To War
World War II touched every American life, even through the films they watched, radio they listened to, and the actors that they loved. Hitler’s invasion of Poland in 1939 caused Great Britain and France to declare war against Germany, marking the beginning of WWII. This war was a major conflict for many years and involved many major countries. WWII was one of the most destructive wars in history, and America was a major player. Radio broadcasting, films, and actors were used for propaganda and to keep citizens entertained, informed, and motivated about the war effort. These forms of media quickly became quite popular and a vital source of communication around WWII. The war made radio, films, and actors even more popular
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“Blatant morale building propaganda was a staple of its plots, speeches, and visual images”(Koppes, Clayton R., and Gregory D). A lot of films made during the war were about the war and used propaganda in movies as visual images. These films built up Americans' hope for a WW2 victory and not a loss. “During the war the government, convinced that movies had extraordinary power to mobilize public opinion for war, carried out an intensive, unprecedented effort to mold the content of Hollywood feature films”(Koppes, Clayton R., and Gregory D). Film played a vital role in WW2, inspiring and bringing hope to viewers. Film got people the news they wanted to hear through an exciting, action-packed, or family-fun movie, and the news that these people want to hear is that America can win this war. “Hollywood – the very name was a symbol, a term of art. Ironically the movie industry became known by that shorthand term just as Hollywood proper itself ceased to exist”(Koppes, Clayton R., and Gregory D). Hollywood, back then and still today represented the face of film and was a symbol. Hollywood’s films were a representation of how Americans wanted to feel about the war and the hope they wanted to have even though it was sometimes hard to have since the war was such a hard fought battle. Films and the actors that were casted in them changed the face of film