Why We Fight is a series of seven propaganda films produced by the US Department of War from 1942 to 1945, during World War II. It was originally written for American soldiers to help them understand why the United States was involved in the war, but US President Franklin Roosevelt ordered distribution for public viewing.
The Battle of Russia (1943) is the fifth film of Frank Capra's Why We Fight documentary series. The longest film of the series, it has two parts. It was made in collaboration with Russian-born Anatole Litvak as primary director under Capra's supervision. Litvak gave the film its "shape and orientation," and the film had seven writers with voice narration by Walter Huston. The score was done by the Russian-born Hollywood composer Dimitri Tiomkin and drew heavily on Tchaikovsky along with traditional Russian folk songs and ballads.
Prelude to War is the first film of Frank Capra's Why We Fight film series commissioned by the Office of War Information (OWI) and George C. Marshall. It was made to educate American troops of the necessity of combating the Axis powers during World War II based on the idea that those in the service would fight more willingly and ably if they knew the background and the reason for their participation in the war. The film was later released to the general American public as a rallying cry for support of the war.
War Comes to America is the seventh and final film of Frank Capra's Why We Fight World War II propaganda film series.
The New Spirit is a 1942 American animated short film produced by Walt Disney Productions and the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and released by the War Activities Committee of the Motion Pictures Industry. The cartoon, which stars Donald Duck, was the first film created as part of Walt Disney's World War II propaganda production. It was commissioned by Henry Morgenthau Jr., then Secretary of the Treasury, to encourage American citizens to pay their income tax in support of the war effort. The film was directed by Wilfred Jackson and Ben Sharpsteen, and features Clarence Nash as the voice of Donald, Fred Shields as the radio announcer, and Cliff Edwards singing the theme song.
Henry Browne, Farmer is an American short propaganda film produced in 1942 about African-American contributions to the war effort during World War II. It is narrated by Canada Lee.
Ring of Steel is a 1942 short documentary film directed by Garson Kanin and narrated by Spencer Tracy. "Dedicated to the American Soldier", the film was released on April 2, 1942, and distributed free to all U.S. theaters. The film was produced by Warner Bros. and the United States Office for Emergency Management.
Kokoda Front Line! was a full-length edition of the Australian newsreel, Cinesound Review, produced by the Australian News & Information Bureau and Cinesound Productions Limited in 1942, about the Kokoda Track campaign. It was one of four winners of the 15th Academy Awards for best documentary, and the first Australian film to win an Oscar. It was filmed by the Australian war photographer Damien Parer and directed by Ken G. Hall.
The Stilwell Road is a propaganda film produced by the American Office of War Information and the British and Indian film units in 1945 detailing the creation of the Ledo Road, also known as the Stilwell Road after the U.S. General Joseph Stilwell. The film is narrated by Ronald Reagan.
The Battle of Britain was the fourth of Frank Capra's Why We Fight series of seven propaganda films, which made the case for fighting and winning the Second World War. It was released in 1943 and concentrated on the German bombardment of the United Kingdom in anticipation of Operation Sea Lion, the planned German invasion.
Black Marketing is an American 1943 dramatic propaganda documentary short produced by the United States Office of War Information and directed by William Castle. It is an educational film warning American civilians against buying unrationed foodstuffs and materials.
Campus on the March is a short propaganda film produced by the Office of War Information in 1942.
Winning Your Wings is a 1942 Allied propaganda film of World War II produced by Warner Bros. Studios for the US Army Air Forces, starring James Stewart. It was aimed at young men who were thinking about joining the Air Force. Members of the production crew would later form the core of the First Motion Picture Unit.
Fury in the Pacific is a 1945 American documentary short film about a pair of World War II battles in the Pacific: the Battle of Peleliu and the Battle of Angaur. It was co-produced by the United States Army, United States Navy, and the United States Marines, and directed by a series of combat cameraman — of whom nine became casualties of the battles they were filming. The film is especially noteworthy for its praise of the fighting abilities of Japanese soldiers, and its fast-paced editing.
Between 1941 and 1945, during World War II, Walt Disney and his company were involved in the production of anti-Nazi propaganda films for the U.S. government. The widespread familiarity of Disney's productions benefited the U.S. government in producing pro-American war propaganda in an effort to increase support for the war.
Two Down and One to Go was a short propaganda film produced in 1945 directed by Frank Capra; as its title might suggest, its overall message was that the first two Axis powers, Italy and Germany, had been defeated, but that one, Japan, still had to be dealt with.
Conquer by the Clock was a short dramatic propaganda film produced by the RKO Pathé in 1942 to encourage wartime industrial production. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 1943.
A Ship Is Born is a 1942 short WWII propaganda film produced by Warner Bros. about the U.S. Merchant Marine. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 1943.
Marines in the Making is a 1942 short propaganda film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer about the United States Marine Corps. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Short Subject, One-reel in 1943. The film highlights U.S. Marine Corps combat training methods during the first year of World War II, including intense conditioning techniques, hand-to-hand combat tactics, and traditional Marine drills.
