Participate. For those of you have joined us onsite, welcome. We will take your questions. We ask that you hold on to them until the end of the presentation. If you can, please use the microphones so we can capture your voice online. For those of you watching questions. Can ask log into the chat feature of this Youtube Channel and type your questions in. I will then ask the questions at the end of the session. You will find to hotlinks. One will take you to presentation the other to live captioning. Todays program is entitled ]ld war ii and the first they work in the National ArchivesMotion Picture preservation laboratory. They perform preservation work and recordsctures held at the National Archives. Before joining the 11th 2006, audrey worked with the film collection at a college. Completed her education at washington university, earning a masters in history with a certificate in archives and records management. It is a pleasure to have them return to highlight their work. Please welcome our presenters audrey and heidi. [applause] audrey hi. You will be able to find these complete films after. We worship we work in the lab. We assess deterioration, make new film copies and digitize for access. If you want to know more, please check out the short video we a few years back which is available on the main page of our Youtube Channel. How did we end up with the first Motion Picture unit . There was an urgent need to train millions of men very quickly. An effective and efficient method that could also be used for recruitment and morrell. When the United States ramped up production of munitions and aircraft, the United States military turned to film to teach men now to use them. Demand, and march 1942 the commander of air forces devised a plan with jack warner of warner bros. Studios to create a separate filmmaking unit for the army and air force. Remember, the army was only a branch. It depended on the Army Signal Corps for their needs. They believed they needed their own film making unit. To promote itself as a distinct unit. The idea of the first major Motion Picture unit was born. They recruited members from the studios. The Ronald Reagan, william holden, clark table, whose films can be seeing today. The armyair force contracted warner others to make several films to serve their needs. At the top of the list was a recruitment film to recruit ehrman to fly the 10th of airplanes. F lieutenant james stewart, you probably recognize him, was the airman to play. He had enlisted in 1941. Enlisted as a private, made full colonel by the end of the year. Stuart struggled to be assigned combat duty. He was understandably he when he make winnings to your wings. Garnered successful it many new recruits. Stewartieutenant james here. James stewart well, hello. Looks like i am back in the huh . S again, canme get this awesome i talk. Dont go away until i get this thing off. It is not like it a cinch or for me to talk to you because it is my favorite subject. The army air force. I cannot speak from long service because ive only been in the air force a year and a half but i want to talk you about what it has to offer. Right now, the greatest mass globalization in the history of the world is taking place. Men from farms, towns, single men, married then, brothers, sweethearts, businessmen, factory men, students from high school and college, at from everywhere they are mobilizing in joining up. This war we are fighting today, tomorrow, and the next day, until we win is a war of the air. That. Ole world knows our factories know that. Interceptors, light bombers, media mummers, rolling out of the factories. Fighting planes this year. 100,000 fighting planes next year. Millionthem flying, 2 men. Now, that is where you come in. The armyair force needs 15,000 captains, 40,000 lieutenants, 35,000 flying sergeants. How about it . Sorry. The Warner Brothers recruitment films was made before the motion activated. Not invented until 1943. The film starts stars burgess meredith. You might know him better as the penguin from batman and he is a actor,c actor, theater already been in an adaptation of of mice and men and of course, Ronald Reagan in the bottom right hand corner. The film emphasizes everyone as a role to play. Actually ideal for gunner. Tion of rear most of those as red gunners and double sydni come in roles. Ronald reagan was the chief personnel officer. In july of 1943, the first Motion Picture unit began production in in hollywood. By unit was mostly staffed hollywood veterans, writers, producers, technicians, and actors. The unit operated like any Hollywood Studio with one major difference, all of its members were in uniform. Bit to runut to be a down for the purposes so they moved to another studio. It had joined the army signal cold core. Comedy producer and responsible for the our gang series. 1943, they reduced produce their first film which showed pilots examining their mistakes in the afterlife. In addition to the recruit and films, the first major Motion Picture unit was also in charge motion. Eeing combat incorporated into the films and used for intelligence purposes. They had a very important job and work on the front lines. Iss next, the complete film 20 minutes and can be found on our Youtube Channel. We will show you about six minutes today. Well, the big day finally sound] sorry this is the first motion in california. Here we produce inspirational films which graphically illustrate what we are fighting for, what we are fighting against, i and while we are fighting with. Today we face a task of training men by the millions. Everincreasing numbers against the enemies. The maximum number of men and the minimum amount of time. To inspire lit as well as instruct. Activating many specialized organizations such as this. Mainly from the Motion PictureIndustry Company men of the first Motion Picture unit. Writers, directors, actors, electricians, cameramen, sound recorders. Men carefully chosen from among the most efficient film technicians available. Men with long years of training in the art and science of major Motion Pictures. While they are making pictures for the army, the army is making soldiers of them. First and foremost they are soldiers. Theyve got to do their job the army way. They have to be strictly g. I. From director to finished film, the course of the major motion richer film is charted by the office. The script is broken down, converted to men, money, materials. The Production Office coordinates and expedite the operations of many different departments that make up the first major Motion Picture unit. None have proved more effective than words. Words are particularly potent when used by the major picture writer. , vital, compelling. Possibilities for visual education are endless. Virtually unexplored. The soldier writers of the first Motion Picture unit work with collaborating agencies to structures. Ctive these are the sound stages of the first major Motion Picture unit. Especially structured, soundproofed, it airconditioned. Covers an area of 78,000 square feet. 236 single stage measuring feet long and 46 feet wide, as many as four Production Units can operate simultaneously. Here is one section where filming is about to begin on filming train project 226, training flight. Final check and director calls. Here we go. Rolling. Bill readings bell rings] the Art Department shows how to war. Ges detailed sketches, architectural floor plans, blueprints. Miniature models of sets built to scale. Exact replicas and every respect. Here is a model of the said you saw on stage five. Africa. This preplanning saves precious manhours and materials and allows training films that are economical as well as effective. Here is another model of headquarters somewhere in the south pacific. 1024. The project japanese zero the fighter. Glad to have you with us, lieutenant. You. Ad to have we could use you. Cigarette . I asked thank you, sir. How was the flight over . A nice airplane. Maybe we can count on you not to shoot any down. I did not have any plans, sir. You mean jet pilots . I mean american pilots. Unfortunate ability to cut off of an enemy. Here, members of a bomber crew are in training project number 1010. Emergency care of paratroop casualties. Application of heavy grease paint. Then the other chemicals and strokes of a blending brush to make them look like this on the screen. Narrator not many months ago, these serious soldier artists were the very men who put life and laughter in mickey mouse. Today they turn their attention to technical things. The innerworkings of flight instruments. Things the student or men must know and the animated sequence of a training film can teach. Details thenical camera cannot capture in totality are authentically illustrated in the drawings of these artists. No matter how unusual the article or product needed for a film, the property man has to tow where to get it or how make it. The warehouse and museum houses thousands of assorted objects. At a moments notice he can provide a before bag, boomerang, pedestal, or bananas. Clip you just watched, you heard instructional, operational, inspirational and above everything the films were practical. Addressing specific needs of the armyair force. One urgent need was some of the violet failure to tell the difference tween japanese and american airplanes, leading to incidents of friendly fire. The solution was recognition of the japanese fighter. Captured the fighter as well as lieutenant Ronald Reagan. You saw an excerpt but the real utility of the film comes from it animated sequences showing the difference between the he40 and the zero which i highlighted on the screen. These are accompanied by a dramatic story. Showing a pilot to really knows his stuff making an all too common mistake. The day finally came. The flyer was on his own. Do not expect too much, lieutenant. Nonon your first day. See nothing . What sort of a plane do see . Friend or enemy . Or zero . Now is the time to remember your recognition. Round dale . Is he . Inline engine . T40. Or does it have an air scoop . 20 tl . Radial engine . If it has, then it is a zero. Maybe come closer. [engine noise] take another look. Make sure. [shooting] [engine noise] narrator now, look at that plane. That is no zero comment that is ap40. Good thing you missed. Look, it is coming back. Would you like to take another shot at it . Rub it in. You have got it coming to you. The end, he vindicated himself following the identification checklist and downing a zero. The copy from that comes from library. D reagan another famous face in the Motion Picture unit was clark gable, who joined to honor his late wife Carole Lombard who had recently died in a plane wreck. After completing the rigorous candidate officer school, he was in command of the six major motion richer unit operating the first bombers to england. He flew combat missions over germany, earning the air medal and distinguished iron clasp. And the footage from was used in films produced by clark gable. He also narrated a film recruiting men to be in the air up. Titled wings flying fortress. Now visiting the pacific. Pretty, isnt it . It has been flying for 3000 miles. Unfortunately, it is lost. It is this mans fault. His nerve is gone. Everything he has taught has left him. ] minous music pity is they got through their objective. Had to fight off half a dozen planes besides. Now, they are lost on the way back. One week late. Too bad. For our side. 350,000. Was worth i dont know. How much would you take for your life . Why did this man get your job . Isnt there an xray machine it can look into minutes a he will do. Guess, there is such a machine that looks into mans mind, hearts, and salsa and find them adequate or not. School. Candidates situated in florida. I sustain the wings. Theirmen and their minds, they and their discipline on the hope that we will always keep them flying. Test theseis school men . How does it expose those who cannot lead and teach those who can lead . Where are you do we get those men . That is important enough to know. Explicitly designed to weed out the men who could not perform under the pressure of combat. In the next film, we can feel subjectedecruits were to. Christ give unit. How is your mother . Estate agent,eal mr. . You are looking round is if the place. Buy keep your head straight. 45 degree angle. Jump. How old are you . Gin . Inkles under that two . Two more wrinkles for them . If duchess just up and they are. Get it up. Way up. Its an wrinkles and not chin. More recalls. When i tell you to jump away dejected sigh. Jump. Mr. . Did you come down for wipe that smile off your face . Through and on the ground. Step on it. Have you done . March. All stop you are in it now, mr. Food. Or the next six weeks until you are upper classmate. Until returning from mess, return at double time. Every waking minute is accounted so and deliver only arranged you must hurry, hurry, hurry. You will be lucky if you can manage. You are not privileged to be or drink in any public place. You cannot even go out of your room. This necessary . You know it is necessary, but it is not for you. You are too dignified. Maybe you have your pride. That is all right, mr. Full. Just resign. Nothing will happen to. You will go back to your old rank. Nobody will hold it against you, unless you hold it against yourself. But we want to find out now whether you have been picked to command can learn to obey. The soldier who cannot stand up under strict regulations, discipline, and restrictions, cannot discipline himself or others. This is where we must find out. Not here when all these lives are involved. Remember, clark gable would have undergone this kind of training himself. Now what will get it back to audrey. The next two films feature two parts of the same process. Gathering and analyzing aerial photograph intelligence. They dont have very interesting titles. Interestinghave titles because they were made for internal use, so they tell us exactly what they are. The first is a process Training Program focusing on the names of participation departments. Parts of the film are really drive it there is a strong attempt to overlay a storyline featuring a reconnaissance pilot seeing an old friend. You can see captain tim grover on the left hand his friend in the middle. He serves as the audience surrogate who listens as captain grover explains photographic intelligence for bombarded aviation. It also features a sherlock homestype photo analyst. You see him in the last two stills. Of Basil Rathbone series Sherlock Holmes movies were being shown at this time so this was good for young trainees. Popularityar with growing and a cachet of productions in 1943. The military by the end of the year, you might know him best if youd do not know him from this he was in the shane laterc on. Demonstratesm thelock abilities as investigator reads the photographs. Just a moment, captain. I noticed the hamburg area is being covered exhaustively. I am curious to know why. What are you after . I cant understand the blacked out area. I wondered about that myself. Any ideas . You know, this shadow here . Be the top of a fence or a long wall. It is a roof, i think. Sometimes empty, sometimes full. Does not make sense. Any clues from other intelligence sources . No. I checked underground, refugees, people you know the 10 territory. I guess i do get going. Been not keep the colonel waiting. No. Wait a minute look here. What do you make this . Looks like another shadow for only this one is longer than the first one. You dont suppose of course it is a roof, too. That is no pond, that is a drain. A drink for wet reservoir a water tunnel. Look drain. The long shaped like this, into neutral. I can see the other end of the route out. Under camouflage. What kind of buildings you think it is . Right testing base. For submarines . Thats right. Captain smith. Inave been waiting for you navy. Im sorry, sir. Sir, it looks like captain smith caught onto something we were looking for. What is that . A testing base for submarines. A wind tunnel for aircraft. That far from the herbert . To test. We never thought of looking so far inland. They manufacture here and then test the money summary. Well, captain, i will have to forgive you for keeping me waiting. We should have figured it out long ago. I see it all now. As it there were no camouflage their at all. Will, what happened . Waterlogged long enough. Today get it . They blew it to hell and gone. Thehe second film is what Motion Picture unit would describe as inspirational. Rather than focus on the details, the pilot seeks to tell viewers how they should feel about their work. The film stars a Young William bill cummings. Resentful whent he is assigned to be a recognizance pilot rather than a pilot as he expected. He sees recognizance as the too far from the action, particularly after his father was killed in action in he wants revenge on japanese planes. In our first clip, lieutenant cummings gets a taste of the excitement he craves when he is attacked by fighter planes. [indiscernible] better to the ears, but nothing you can do about it. You do your job is well and is can, keep your peace to yourself. You fly a milk run to korea. Jungles, beaches, where a tree is a tree and sand is a beach and the war seems far away. You realize men are fighting and dying in the pictures you get. More months past. Today you are headed back. You have photographed it so many times you know it like the palm of your hand but you have seen an airplane. As far as you are concerned, the korea run is a waste of time. You are nodding off. Youre getting close. Then you see trouble. Fivezero. You drop. They do not want you to photograph that there patrol. Why . Your oxygen is gone. Down you go. Without oxygen, you can only stay conscious for 30 seconds. Your heart hammers. You try to keep from lacking out. You have a job