People. Cryptology napoli done right helps you to win but also helped you to save lives, and if you have to describe to somebody what this is about, why its important to break the codes of the enemy, despite the fact it happened in 1942, its one of the best examples you can use. You can watch this and other american Artifacts Program at any time by visiting our website , cspan. Org history. Each week, American History tv brings you archival films that help ellen story of the 20th century. In the second of a fivepart look at hollywood directors that made films for the u. S. Government during world war ii, we featured George Stevens, who was with the invading army in 1944 to document the day. He assisted in the production of the film, true glory and documented the horrors of not see concentration camps. To journalist and film historian mark harris. Five camek is titled back, the story of hollywood in the second world war. One of the directors featured by the author is George Stevens will stop mark harris is writing us from new york. Thank you for being with us. These fivek, directors are essentially putting their careers on hold to help the u. S. Army military during the height of world war ii. Why did George Stevens get involved . Been a director of some of the most successful light comedies and escapist movies throughout the 1930s. He came up during laurel and hedys silence shorts and did everything from swing time, one of the best of the front astaire Ginger Rogers musical to woman of the year, which was the first movie that paired Katharine Hepburn with spencer tracy. Each of these directors had Different Reasons for going in and for stevens, who like all the directors was old enough he could have gotten a civilian exemption from the war really wanted what he called a seat on the 50 yard line of history. He felt it was a patriotic duty to go and had been chafing in hollywood because he felt engine hold into making these very he had wantedhen to make some films with more contemporary or more war related content. Not able to do it at rko or columbia, he jumped at the chance to do it in the army and for the army. Interestingly, of the five only one, hes the that never made a freestanding documentary during the war that was shown to civilian audiences. His work in the war which ranged from restaging battle scenes in north africa to becoming the first major american filmmaker to enter the camps after they were liberated and his films actually provided evidence for the nuremberg trials. It was maybe the most wideranging and historically significant in terms of the camp footage of any directors during the war. Lex he was a member of the u. S. Underignal corps eisenhower was clearly responsible for the historic invasion on dday 70 years ago this year. Where was George Stevens during that time . Stevens was right there at dday. Day as john ford was at the supervising me filming effort made by the navy, stevens was there overseeing the shooting gun by the army. Of all the major battles and turning points, dday was the had theed filmmakers longest and best opportunities to prepare for. This is a filming effort that involved hundreds of cameras, both stationary and manned. Dozens of cameramen. Often,war progressed, coordinaten was to filmmaking efforts with the allies, particularly the dish or canadians and that was one of the things he did at dday. Ford asked if stephen wouldnt british tog with the help shore up their effort and i believe the ship stevens arrived on on dday was in fact a british ship. Work as thested his essential visual record of what happened in world war ii. American success on dday, but the concentration camps. Im wondering if you can talk about that, including what he saw and doc out. Absolutely. I should also say stevens stayed with the troops and filmed all the way to the liberation of paris which was absolutely some of the most important historic footage of the war. His work at the camps and doc out was really devastating. They got there just days after liberation and what is officiale is without instructions, stevens understood his job had at that instance changed. He was no longer a documentarian and no longer a propagandist. He was a collector of visual evidence and his job was to filmy to document, the devastation that had been wrought on the bodies of these bodies, to film things that still when we contemplate day horrors of what was done to death camps, it is thatmages stevens shot gives us our visual understanding, the language we use to comprehend those atrocities. For him, it was an absolutely devastating experience. He spoke about it afterwards and stevens was a great director after the war. He went on to make movies like a place in the sun never directed another comedy. Himelt doc out had robbed. How had robbed him of his feeling to be lighthearted. Were going to show the first 25 minutes of that film. This was an americanbritish coproduction. What can you tell about it will typical ofwas very the family tension that arose between the United Kingdom and the u. S. England was the war two years before the u. S. Was and they were perpetually two years ahead of the u. S. And the vigor and intelligence and passion of their wartime filmmaking efforts there were some uneasy collaboration between us and the british, coproductions and really good footage we used to prop up some inferior footage from the u. S. , but the true glory was not one of those cases. The true glory was an instance very,ch england had a very good erector, carol reed, who went on to make the third man and all of her. The u. S. Had a good screenwriter. A young soldier worked on the toe glory and then went on write a number of great teleplays. Stevenss job was to step in and thats what he did on the true glory. This is a 25 minute version of this film. Explanation. We begin with an introduction by general the white eisenhower. I have been asked to be the spokesperson for this allied exhibition are a force in saying a word of introduction to what you are about to see. Its a story of the massive defeat on the western front of possible, the editors have made it an account of the really important name in this campaign i mean the enlisted soldiers, sailors and airmen who fought through every obstacle to victory. To tell a whole story would take years, but the theme would be the same. Wins wars. I mean teamwork among nations and services and men. Fromhe way down the line that. I. And tommy to west hats. Our enemy was strong, resourceful, and cunning. But he made a few mistakes. His grievous londoner was this he thought he could break up wereartnership, but we welded together by fighting for one great cause in the one great team, a team in which you were an indispensable and working member. Spirit of free people working, fighting, and living together in one great cause has served us well on the western front. Pray that thate spirit will resist forever among the free peoples of the united nations. To you living in love and hope to sense a future in the surrounding air, the testament is up. You may look on the violent stagnation of our age and what made is the citizens of freedom, dark was europe and the face of man when this begins. The nation had gone mad and struck out everywhere the conference new. It left its wreckage on the hundred coast. The german casts its fire about the globe, its strength drawn from the smoking fire lay in our weakness. At last, the conquest was behind the barrier of his arms. Front, tofee strikes mock the hope of the free. One ended, hardpressed and wasted our strength, almost like madmen, we plan to reach the war and smash the german front. But the coast of europe, between low flushing and deep harbored cherbourg, we sought out the place. Wind canceled the belgian coast. The beaches were too small and the cliffs were not approachable. Calle was heavily defended. It all depended on normandy. There, planes could land on the ground and the coast was were light and there was a good range. Men were safe from wind. On five miles of still and bloodied stand, it would be assailed by other nations. Thepeople fell to construction and it seems almost the people full of rage and power heaved to the year the, spirit of war. This is our people in their words. I suppose if the battle of the north atlantic hadnt gone right thomas things might have been considerably different stop that was an ugly time for all of us. Merchant ships, naval escorts and air patrol. I guess i had my share of blood. I lost three ships and some good friends. I remember reading somewhere that when a sea gull comes down on a patch of oil, its others take together and it can get off the water again. There must have been a lot of dead seagulls around the north atlantic. We already saw happening on the wall maps. It was quite real. That, it was like a childrens game. Ships carrying cargo, food, supplies and men to use them. Ira member coming over, the worst thing about the trip was you didnt know where you are going. Wherever it was come you would be a stranger and nobody likes that will stop the ship was loaded from stem to stern with sad sacks. Around the third day out, things got sally. Like he said, we were all in the same boat. Toally, they had a band laius and, english army band. Im dreaming of a white christmas, they played. It was pretty corny, but nobody said anything because it was a nice gesture. Way over to on the me felt like you were the whole works. You couldnt help but. But then you would see things that made you begin to realize you are just part of a big proposition. All kinds of things. I was a remit to him at john hopkins in civilian life. I do know a Little Something about anatomy and i say its scientifically impossible for the human body to stand up to the training they receive. An absolute impossibility. Muscle, tendons and bones structure was not designed to withstand that battery. Dont ask me how we did withstand it. It has no scientific explanation. To a younghis man, soldier in the army of today, there are exceptional advantages such as physical training, foreign travel, sport, and many other facilities which are normally denied to those engaged in the majority of the civilian opposite civilian occupations. Become anonymous to the least, but lightly likely so varied that theres no aspect of an anonymous or irksome time. So that we are girded to their highest our. Met to watch their work mature. Beyond our view, the germans stood calm and deep emplacements. Man,ar was not yet one of the weapons were the factories and speaking in the hidden life. The mass men on whom of war rested worked ceaselessly. I used to wonder whether the millions of people doing their s realized they were part of it all, paving the way for the invasion. We cap rushing away at german targets, mostly steel and oil. Things were getting tougher every trip. More ground defenses, more night fighters. More crews not coming back. We got away early in the morning. Sometimes you would see lancasters coming back will stop a lot of times, we would stoke up the same targets a did. Day and night for 24 hours a day. Agents of the firm. Submarines, we use them all to bring back cups full of sand from the beaches. It had to be quick drying. It would have to support 30 ton tanks. The area. L job was we dropped sabotage materials and so on and we taught them how to use it. Rex we had not had the least idea what kind of gadget was. The only name it had was mulberry. The men toed negotiate those types of Landing Crafts. The special study of weather along the normandy coast. Miles of wiring and 72 tons of petrol per day. The embleme stars, of liberation. New ships pouring from the stocks. Listening to the german radio for fresh intelligence. This was just part of the preinvasion work. Our Russian Forces are advancing from the east and invasion from the west. Then the date was set. I assumed command with the best allaround team for which a man could ask. Others i brought with me from the mediterranean. We adopted first a master plan and then had to coordinate every last details from the ground, sea and airplanes. While the list was going on, we went off with that air show designed to make the landing as soft as possible, to batter the German Communications and make certain we would have control of the air. Show. Quite a those airmen did a magnificent the only word we can never make out was marshaling yard. Youvesked each other if cut any good bridges lately. There was only one left between paris and the sea. Through the wounded towns of england move the nest made by our patients. Two precious years of lands were put away and the offices were empty. Lasthad been paper have at come alive. Across the channel, aware of our resolve, germans took their guns and reinforcements from bold from the right. Across the sea and grinned. They would wreak harm is on us and even death himself would stand amazed. Yet across the groaning of the sea came the then cover. It was a funny sort of feeling marching down to the ships. We had done it plenty of times before. They did not tell us this was the big show. It might have just been exercises. Comic, but we laughed. I think we all guessed. The general feeling was if this was it, lets get it over with. Even waiting for a bus, never could stand it. After a bit, or ship found a place the middle of the rest of us and there we stayed for days. They gave us the final briefing. We know what to do and how. They told us where and when. Thats the briefing. I listened to every word. Ever since i became a soldier, they would get me ready for this every time they would get me ready for this. There were only a few hours left. In the morning for my would have to face it. I try to imagine how much fear i would have to keep me from doing my job. I suppose everyone else was wondering the same thing. Nobody said anything official, but all of a sudden, the ship got much easier. Over the amplifier, he said they would be seeing math and 18 to 30 hours. I dont think i ever believed the invasion was going to,. Wisha voice said men who to take their antiseasick bills should take their first ones now. That did it. I was practicing the way we had already the way we had always access it. This was before the glider pilot it seemed an inadequate into say. As supreme commander, let me break in at this point. The full burden fell upon the navy. Sweep the minds and the coastal barriers. Marshall and protect transport along the coastal line and finally man the small boats that carry the soldiers to the beach. On that day, there are more than 8000 ships and Landing Craft on the shores of normandy. It was a most interesting task. The skill of the royal and american navies had no writer Page Industries than that of june 6 1944. Back in london, only a few people knew. It was a well kept secret. They were told to be at the ministry of information, 8 00. They call that beach omaha, do not ask me why. I have never been to omaha. If it is anything like omaha, france, you can have it. We lost some good men, took a few prisoners. We have been told what to expect, so it was not like a surprise or anything. While, the other beaches were going better. Guys, andthe air finally we got move in good. Moving good. They paved the beaches with our blood. The three airborne divisions fought. Then came german reinforcements. Locked in battle, the armies clashed. Our first objective was to merge all of the beachheads into one, drive together beyond the red sand. We fought for every bloody thing. Checking a few hand grenades chucking a few hand grenades. To wait for the Company Commander to crawl back for artillery support. In three days, we had gone seven miles. We were told to stand fast and big in dig in. News, wee heard the heard it from the bbc. A portion of the film, the. Ue glory, as you look back on the film, what are your impressions . The english filmmakers, they were peerless at putting together these documentaries. Not only did homefront audience in england find them stirring, but they played well in america, too. Had a start on the filmmaking efforts in the war and their documentaries, or including early ones, really sparked a sense of competition in u. S. Filmmakers. A lot of open discussion in the War Department and with people saying whycapra, arent our movies this good . Of arue glory in the hands really great director, it is a good example of how the english really knew what they were doing. In setting up our conversation about this film, we touched briefly on the concentration camps. He later put a film together on the not see concentration camps. What did you learn about that . Nazi concentration camps. He learn about that . He lingered in germany and he was still in uniform and on duty. His task was to prepare two evidentiary films that were to be shown at the nuremberg trials. One of them was called the nazi plan. Which was intended to demonstrate that this was a well inculated systematic effort a way to prove intent and conspiracy. The other film was to document that stevens and his men had seen when they went through the gates and filmed their. Tehrhere. I wasereby certify that on active duty with the United States army signal corps. Both movies were shown at the trials themselves and since the present theye were forced to watch these movies. T was a fascinating experience at first, they did not understand that the crowd, the room was horrified. They were so infatuated with the footage of hitler, one of them said, after this, it even the americans will want to join up. The films have the opposite of the impact the german defendants had hoped. They so repelled and horrified the room that afterwards, some of the defendants lawyers said they found it impossible to be in the same room with the people they were representing. I the time the second of the two films was shown, the defendants really understood that it was over for them. Provided evidence that was more damning and more painful than any spoken testimony could be. George stevens left the army in 1946. What was his postworld war ii career like . His postworld war ii career was great. It did not include any comedies because he really felt incapable of making funny films after what he had seen. He became a very serious was hugelyo respected throughout the 1950s giant, a like place in the sun, the diary of anne frank. He made a western, it was called shane. Stevens was in postwar germany, he was horrified to see little children running around in cowboy outfits shooting cap pistols. He wanted to make a movie that made audiences aware of what a bullet really did. What the impact of shooting someone really was. He said in the movie, i believe he used the words, for our purposes in this movie, a single shot is a holocaust. Even today, shane stands as one of the most sober and painful. Esterns from that era George Stevens, one of the five directors featured in the new book out by mark harris. Onning us from new york city American History tv. Thank you for being with us. Thank you. Americanekend long, history tv is joining our Comcast Cable partners to showcase the history of utahs capital, salt lake city. To learn more about the cities on our 2014 sure, visit cspan. Org local content. We continue now with our history of saint salt lake city. This is American History tv on cspan 3. There are over 15 million members of the church worlds wide. His first vision occurred in the spring of 1820. He did not talking about it immediately because his family was not a recordkeeping family. He did not keep records until the early 1830s. There are some fragments that go back. Three years after his first vision, he had another vision in which an angel appeared to him and told him about a record in a nearby hill. He went to find the hill and discovered the record. He lifted up a rock and under the rock, he found a stone box and inside the box he found plates full of gold, i mean sheaths with rings in them. He was not allowed by the angel to take them immediately and that is known as the book of mormon. In this building housed the most important Historical Documents of the church, the manuscripts and the books from that time to the present. It is a documentary editing project. It is a professional approach to the papers of a famous historical figure. There are documenting editing projects for many of the founders of the United States as well as other historical figures. Joseph smiths editions will include his papers in a form in which they are carefully transcribed in their totality. In printed form, when we finish with our joseph smith papers project, we will have about two dozen printed volumes of about 500 pages a piece. If we can begin here. This is an original page from the manuscript of the book of mormon. This is a page that he dictated to one of his scribes in 1829. If you look closely at the manuscript, you can see it is a dictation. It runs from one line to the next without much of in the way of punctuation. What is remarkable about the manuscript it shows how joseph smith did this. He started off in the beginning of the translation day, read in to his scribes in his mind, what he saw in it and continued on for 600 total printed papers worth of material. What is remarkable to contrast what he did in 1829 with his first journal that he began near the end of 1832. If you turn to the very first page you have his first entry. He writes, first record book to write all minute observations. Then dissatisfied. He scratches it out and started over. Joseph jr. Smith book of record bought on 1832 for the purpose to keep a my nut account of all