Women Are Warriors

Last updated
Women Are Warriors
Screen shot Women Are Warriors.png
Opening title
Directed by Jane Marsh
Written byJane Marsh
Produced by
Narrated by Lorne Greene
CinematographyJane Marsh
Edited byJane Marsh
Music by Lucio Agostini
Production
company
Distributed by Columbia Pictures of Canada
Release date
  • 1942 (1942)
Running time
14 minutes
CountryCanada
LanguageEnglish

Women Are Warriors is a 14-minute 1942 Canadian documentary film, made by the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) as part of the wartime Canada Carries On series, and dealt with women in war. [1] The film was produced by Raymond Spottiswoode and directed by Jane Marsh. [2] The film's French version title is Les Femmes dans la mêlée.

Contents

Synopsis

In 1942, during the Second World War, as demands on the Canadian military grow, women are taking an increasingly important place alongside men. Not only in Canada were the strengths and talents of women being harnessed in a "total war" that had reached global proportions.

In Great Britain when the war began, military authorities soon realized the importance of mobilizing all their citizens. Entering the industrial workforce, women supplemented men in many positions at munitions factories. Through the civilian Women's Volunteer Service women became nurses, ambulance drivers and Air Raid Wardens. Following in the wake of the volunteer organizations were the specialized Women's Auxiliary, dedicated to freeing men for other military service. The Women's Auxiliaries included the women in the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) with women as orderlies, drivers, postal workers, ammunition inspectors and operating searchlight units. The women pilots in the RAF Ferry Command took on the important but dangerous role of ferrying aircraft from factories or repair depots to the front line Royal Air Force operational units.

In the Soviet Union, the strength of one hundred million women is being seen in many ways. Women have taken on great responsibilities from running the collective farms, working in industrial production, and serving in the military units on the front lines. In the Soviet Supreme Council, 227 women deputies also were elected.

Canada also saw women becoming involved in the war effort. As Canadian men are being mobilized to serve in the military, three million women are also mobilized to serve in the "home front". The largest contribution by Canadian women was through unpaid volunteer work, participating in recycling programs, creating Red Cross packages, hosting dances for servicemen and other related domestic activities. The other important role that women took on was at munitions factories, turning out the tools of war.

Canadian women also served in the military with the Canadian Women's Army Corps taking over 21 types of army duties, enabling men to be released for combat service. The Canadian Nursing Sisters have gone overseas. In the Woman's Division in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) women became clerks, drivers, photographers, air photo interpreters, weather observers, instrument mechanics, parachute riggers as well as many administrative and technical positions in the RCAF. Most women served at British Commonwealth Air Training Plan stations across Canada. [Note 1]

Canadian women will also play a part after the war, in building a new world.

Cast

Production

Typical of the NFB's Second World War documentary short films in the Canada Carries On series, Women Are Warriors was created as a morale boosting propaganda film, originally with the working title of "Work for Women". [4] [5] The film was a compilation documentary that relied heavily on newsreel material to provide the background to the dialogue. "['Women Are Warriors'] represents an excellent example of the creative application of the compilation model in NFB films. The film brings together huge pre-edited chunks of British and Soviet footage with practically no NFB-produced material. Marsh's editing approach and her ability to incorporate a multitude of distinct newsreel footage was instinctual with a powerful artistic and political force." [6]

In a dispute with NFB director John Grierson, Director Jane Marsh had her material re-edited. "The difference between the original script prepared by Marsh and the final version of the film [Women Are Warriors] was quite vast. Comparing the two versions illustrates that some NFB filmmakers were insistent on pushing the envelope even further with their class-based analysis, and that by the end they would settle for solutions that accepted the limitations associated with working within a government agency." [7] The "final cut of 'Women Are Warriors', for example, hardly resembles the ambition of her original treatment on women's contemporary situation. ... After a final disagreement with Grierson, who refused to let a woman head his 'Canada Carries On' series, Marsh resigned from the NFB in 1944." [8]

The deep baritone voice of stage actor Lorne Greene was featured in the narration of Women Are Warriors. Greene, known for his work on both radio broadcasts as a news announcer at CBC as well as narrating many of the Canada Carries On series. [9] His sonorous recitation led to his nickname, "The Voice of Canada", and to some observers, the "voice-of-God". [10] When reading grim battle statistics or narrating a particularly serious topic, he was known as "The Voice of Doom". [11]

Reception

Women Are Warriors was produced in 35 mm for the theatrical market. Each film was shown over a six-month period as part of the shorts or newsreel segments in approximately 800 theatres across Canada. The NFB had an arrangement with Famous Players theatres to ensure that Canadians from coast-to-coast could see them, with further distribution by Columbia Pictures. [12]

After the six-month theatrical tour ended, individual films were made available on 16 mm to schools, libraries, churches and factories, extending the life of these films for another year or two. They were also made available to film libraries operated by university and provincial authorities. A total of 199 films were produced before the series was canceled in 1959. [13]

Historian Malek Khouri analyzed the role of the NFB wartime documentaries with Women Are Warriors characterized as an example of a propaganda film. "During the early years of the NFB, its creative output was largely informed by the turbulent political and social climate the world was facing. World War II, Communism, unemployment, the role of labour unions, and working conditions were all subjects featured by the NFB during the period from 1939 to 1946". [14]

The role of women depicted in Women Are Warriors also showed an acceptance of a new role to come in postwar years. [15] In an examination of the role of the NFB in wartime, historian George Evans observed: "If contemporary feminists sense omissions and patronizing in the film, one must at least acknowledge that [Women Are Warriors] expressed a positive attitude to working women and was conditioning audiences to become accustomed to new and permanent women's roles in the workplace." [16] He further noted: "The film ['Women Are Warriors'] ended with a superb montage moving from shots of women in factories to a plane in action, to factory, to plane to factory and plane to demonstrate how important women's roles were to the war effort." [17]

Film Historian Barbara Halpern Martineau considered the significance of Women Are Warriors in a historical context. "Unlike 'Women at War' and 'Wings on Her Shoulders', 'Women Are Warriors' makes it clear that these women were not leisurely idlers before the war - they were domestic workers, secretaries, doing whatever work was available for women. But just as the implications of Jane Marsh's original title, 'Work for Women', were suppressed in favour of 'Women Are Warriors', so the implications of the film's structure and commentary are suppressed by the use of a male narrator - the same patriotic, reassuring voice heard in so many films showing men at war." [18]

The Academy Film Archive preserved Women Are Warriors in 2008. [19] The film is part of the Academy War Film Collection, one of the largest collections of World War II era short films held outside government archives. [20]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Churchills Island</i> 1941 Canadian propaganda film

Churchill's Island is a 1941 propaganda film chronicling the defence of Britain during the Second World War. The film was directed by Stuart Legg and produced by the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) for the Director of Information, Government of Canada.

Canada Carries On was a series of short films by the National Film Board of Canada which ran from 1940 to 1959. The series was created as morale-boosting propaganda films during the Second World War. With the end of the war, the series lost its financial backing from the Wartime Information Board, but continued as an NFB series of theatrical shorts that included newsreels as well as animated shorts.

Jane Marsh Beveridge was a Canadian director, producer, editor, composer, screenwriter, teacher and sculptor. She was best known as one of the pioneering filmmakers at the National Film Board of Canada (NFB).

<i>Now — The Peace</i> 1945 Canadian film

Now – The Peace is a film produced and directed in 1945 by Stuart Legg for the National Film Board of Canada series The World in Action, with unaccredited narration by Lorne Greene. Over its nearly 21-minute running time, circumstances during the immediate postwar period following the Second World War, leading to the formation of the United Nations are discussed.

<i>Wings on Her Shoulder</i> 1943 Canadian film

Wings on Her Shoulder is a 10-minute 1943 Canadian documentary film, made by the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) as part of the NFB's The World in Action series. The film, directed by Jane Marsh, depicts the role of the Woman's Division in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) during the Second World War, who freed up men for flying duties.

<i>Ferry Pilot</i> (1942 film) 1942 Canadian film

Ferry Pilot is a film produced in 1942 by Stuart Legg and Ross McLean for the National Film Board of Canada series The World in Action, in cooperation with the United Kingdom Ministry of Information and the Crown Film Unit. The film has an unaccredited narration by broadcaster Lorne Greene.

<i>Our Northern Neighbour</i> 1944 Canadian film

Our Northern Neighbour is a film produced in 1944 by Stuart Legg and directed by Tom Daly for the National Film Board of Canada series The World in Action. The film is narrated by broadcaster Lorne Greene.

<i>Look to the North</i> 1944 Canadian film

Look to the North is a 22-minute 1944 Canadian documentary film, made by the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) as part of the wartime Canada Carries On series. The film was produced and directed by James Beveridge. The film's French version title is Vers le Nord.

<i>The Home Front</i> (1940 film) 1940 Canadian film

The Home Front is a 10-minute 1940 Canadian documentary film, made by the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) as part of the wartime Canada Carries On series. The film was produced and directed by Stanley Hawes.

<i>Proudly She Marches</i> 1943 Canadian film

Proudly She Marches is an 18-minute 1943 Canadian documentary film, made by the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) as part of the wartime Canada Carries On series. The film, directed by Jane Marsh and produced by Raymond Spottiswoode, described the work of Canadian women in uniform during the Second World War. The film's French version title is Carrières de femmes.

<i>Inside Fighting Canada</i> 1942 Canadian film

Inside Fighting Canada is an 11-minute 1942 Canadian documentary film, made by the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) as part of the wartime Canada Carries On series. The film, directed by Jane Marsh and produced by James Beveridge, was an account of the Canadian military during the Second World War. The film's French version title is Canada en guerre.

<i>Inside Fighting Russia</i> 1942 Canadian film

Inside Fighting Russia is a 1942 22-minute Canadian short documentary film produced by the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) for distribution by United Artists, as part of the wartime The World in Action series. The film documents Russia's fight against Nazi Germany during the Second World War. Inside Fighting Russia is produced by Stuart Legg, and narrated by Lorne Greene. The film's French version title is La Russie sous les armes.

<i>Letter from Camp Borden</i> 1941 Canadian film

Letter from Camp Borden is a 17-minute 1941 Canadian documentary film, made by the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) as part of the wartime Canada Carries On series. The film was directed by Raymond Spottiswoode and produced by Stuart Legg. Letter from Camp Borden chronicles the experiences in 1941 of a number of soldiers training at the Canadian Army's Camp Borden during wartime.

<i>Soldiers All</i> 1941 Canadian film

Soldiers All is a 20-minute 1941 Canadian documentary film, made by the National Film Board of Canada as part of the wartime Canada Carries On series. The film was produced by Stuart Legg. Soldiers All describes the experiences in 1941 of soldiers, airmen and sailors in Great Britain and Canada during wartime. The film's French version title is Frères d'armes.

<i>The Gates of Italy</i> 1943 Canadian film

The Gates of Italy is a 21-minute 1943 Canadian documentary film, made by the National Film Board of Canada as part of both the wartime Canada Carries On and The World in Action series. The film was produced by Stuart Legg and Tom Daly. The Gates of Italy describes the last days of Benito Mussolini's rule over Italy in 1943 during the Second World War.

<i>Back to Jobs</i> 1945 Canadian film

Back to Jobs is a nine-minute 1945 Canadian documentary film, made by the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) as part of the postwar Canada Carries On series. The film describes soldiers in the Second World War returning home and back to a civilian life. The French version title of Back to Jobs is Nos soldats reviennent .

<i>The War for Mens Minds</i> 1943 Canadian film

The War for Men's Minds is a 21-minute 1943 Canadian documentary film, made by the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) as part of the wartime The World in Action series. The film was produced by Stuart Legg. The film describes the impact of propaganda from the Axis powers in 1943, during the Second World War. The French version title is À la conquête de l'esprit humain.

<i>Letter from Overseas</i> 1943 Canadian film

Letter from Overseas is a 15-minute 1943 Canadian documentary film, made by the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) as part of the wartime The World in Action series. The film describes the training and operational use of Canadian Army soldiers in 1943 during the Second World War.

<i>Zero Hour</i> (1944 film) 1944 Canadian film

Zero Hour is a 22-minute 1944 Canadian documentary film, made by the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) as part of both the wartime Canada Carries On and The World in Action series. The film was produced by Stuart Legg. Zero Hour describes the Axis and Allied invasions that have taken place during the Second World War.

<i>Air Cadets</i> (film) 1944 Canadian film

Air Cadets is a 15-minute 1944 Canadian documentary film, made by the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) as part of the wartime Canada Carries On series. The film describes the Air Cadet Movement in 1944 during the Second World War. Air Cadets was directed by Jane Marsh, who was also the writer and editor on the production. The film's French version title is Les Cadets de l'air.

References

Notes

  1. ↑ Their motto was: "We serve that men may fly." [3]

Citations

  1. ↑ Lerner 1997, p. 1051.
  2. ↑ Keshen 2004, p. 156.
  3. ↑ Ziegler 1973, p. 6.
  4. ↑ Halpern Martineau, Barbara. "Before the Guerillières: Women's Films at the NFB During World War II." [Transcript of a speech). Conference on Canadian Film in Its Historical Context, Ottawa, Ontario, November 13, 1976.
  5. ↑ Morris, Peter. "Film Reference Library: Canada Carries On." Canadian Film Encyclopedia. Retrieved: February 5, 2016.
  6. ↑ Khouri 2007, p. 181.
  7. ↑ Khouri 2007, pp. 102–103.
  8. ↑ Armitage et al. 1999, p. 1.
  9. ↑ Bennett 2004, p. 254.
  10. ↑ Rist 2001, p. 84.
  11. ↑ "Bonanza's Canadian Lorne Greene." Bite Size Canada. Retrieved: February 5, 2016.
  12. ↑ Ellis and McLane 2005, p. 122.
  13. ↑ Ohayon, Albert. "Propaganda cinema at the NFB". National Film Board of Canada, July 13, 2009. Retrieved: February 5, 2016.
  14. ↑ Khouri 2007, back cover.
  15. ↑ Ramsay 2011, p. 40.
  16. ↑ Evans 1984, p. 185.
  17. ↑ Evans 1984, p. 138.
  18. ↑ Feldman and Nelson 1977, p. 65.
  19. ↑ "Preserved Projects". Academy Film Archive.
  20. ↑ "Academy War Film Collection". Academy Film Archive.

Bibliography

  • Armatage, Kay, Kass Banning, Brenda Longfellow and Janine Marchessault, eds. Gendering the Nation: Canadian Women's Cinema. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1999. ISBN   978-0-8020-4120-3.
  • Bennett, Linda Greene. My Father's Voice: The Biography of Lorne Greene. Bloomington, Indiana: iUniverse, Inc., 2004. ISBN   978-0-595-33283-0.
  • Ellis, Jack C. and Betsy A. McLane. New History of Documentary Film. London: Continuum International Publishing Group, 2005. ISBN   0-8264-1750-7.
  • Evans, Gary. John Grierson and the National Film Board: The Politics of Wartime Propaganda. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1984. ISBN   978-0-80202-519-7.
  • Feldman, Seth and Joyce Nelson. Canadian Film Reader. Toronto: P. Martin Associates, 1977. ISBN   978-0-8877-8159-9.
  • Keshen, Jeffrey A. Saints, Sinners, and Soldiers: Canada's Second World War. Vancouver: UBC Press, 2004. ISBN   978-0-7748-0923-8.
  • Khouri, Malek. Filming Politics: Communism and the Portrayal of the Working Class at the National Film Board of Canada, 1939-46. Calgary, Alberta, Canada: University of Calgary Press, 2007. ISBN   978-1-55238-199-1.
  • Lerner, Loren. Canadian Film and Video: A Bibliography and Guide to the Literature. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1997. ISBN   978-0-8020-2988-1.
  • Ramsay, Christine, ed. Making it Like a Man: Canadian Masculinities in Practice. Waterloo, Ontario, Canada: Wilfrid Laurier University Press, 2011. ISBN   978-1-55458-327-0.
  • Rist, Peter. Guide to the Cinema(s) of Canada. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2001. ISBN   978-0-3132-9931-5.
  • Ziegler, Mary. We Serve That Men May Fly: The Story of the Women's Division of the Royal Canadian Air Force. Hamilton, Ontario, Canada: RCAF (WD) Association, 1973. No ISBN.

Women Are Warriors in the NFB collection catalog

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.