Film production inevitably changed during the Second World War with governments taking a greater interest in what was portrayed to the public. A typical British example was “In which We Serve” directed by a young David Lean and starring that titan of entertainment, Noel Coward. In Hollywood, American films were lighter and more distracting than their British counterparts, with musicals such as “Anchors Aweigh”, starring Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly being put forward for Academy Awards.
In the animation world, Walt Disney’s films struggled to make money because he lost the European market. Even Bambi, which premiered in London on 8 August 1942, did not perform as well as hoped and so Walt decided to make propaganda films. His first foray was “Victory Through Air Power”, which was released on 17 July 1943. Many officials were seduced by the theories portrayed in this film, which led to some pretty drastic attacks on places such as Dresden and Hiroshima. However, although Air Power shortened World War II and is still being used today in places such as Ukraine and Gaza, it cannot solve a conflict because decisions are made by people on the ground, not those sitting in armchairs thousands of miles away.
Rupert Wieloch 