Show-Business at War (1943) - Star of the month... Frank Sinatra

'Show-Business at War' (March of Time, Volume 9, Number 10) is a 1943 short film newsreel chronicling the many ways in which the American entertainment industry was assisting during World War II. 

Watch the film:

From the publication of the "Show Business at War" edition of Variety newspaper, to the many stars dedicating their time to raise money on war bonds, to the volunteering at the Hollywood Canteen. I found it interesting to see Hollywood cameraman up-skilling army officers in how to use film cameras  to enable them to film their combats.

Hollywood studios had an important role to play during the war, by not only  providing entertainment to those risking their lives, but to also produce propaganda films to discredit the enemy.

The newsreel features the following personalities:

• Al Jolson (actor, who entertained troops)
• Alfred Hitchcock (director)
• Alfred Lunt (stage actor, who cooked for soldiers)
• Anatole Litvak (director)
• Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo (ballet company, who entertained troops)
• Bette Davis (actress)
• Bing Crosby (singer)
• Bob Hope (actor)
• Carole Lombarde (actress, who was tragically killed in a plane crash returning from a war bond rally)
• Clark Gable (actor, who enlisted)
• Daryl Zanuck (film producer)
• Deanna Durbin (actress, who danced with soldiers at the Hollywood Canteen)
• Dorothy Lamour (actress)
• Edgar Bergen (ventriloquist, who entertained troops with his doll Charlie McCarthy)
• Errol Flynn (actor)
• Ethel Barrymore (actress)
• Frank Sinatra (actor)
• Fred MacMurray (actor)
• Gertrude Lawrence (actress)
• Ginger Rogers (actress)
• Glenn Ford (actor)
• Hal B. Wallis (producer)
• Hedy Lamarr (actress, who danced with soldiers at the Hollywood Canteen)
• Irene Dunne (actress)
• Irving Berlin (composer, who wrote the songs in the wartime musical 'This is the Army', which featured an all-soldier cast)
• Jack Benny (radio comedian, who entertained troops)
• Jack L. Warner (head of Warner Bros.)
• James Cagney (actor)
• Joe E. Brown (comedian, who entertained troops)
• John Ford (film director, who headed the film producing unit of the Office of Strategic Services)
• John Garfield (actor, who co-founded the Hollywood Canteen)
• Kay Francis (actress)
• Lana Turner (actress)
• Linda Darnell (actress)
• Loretta Young (actress)
• Louis Armstrong (entertainer, who entertained troops)
• Marlene Dietrich (actress, who danced with soldiers at the Hollywood Canteen)
• Michael Curtiz (director)
• Mickey Rooney (actor)
• Myrna Loy (actress)
• Olivia de Havilland (actress, who danced with soldiers at the Hollywood Canteen)
• Orson Welles (actor/director)
• Rita Hayworth (actress)
• Robert Benchley (comedian, who volunteered at the Hollywood Canteen)
• Tyrone Power (actor, who enlisted)
• Walt Disney (who provided Disney studio resources to aid the production of instructional films for the armed forces)
• W.C. Fields (actor)

The musical highlight in the film is Al Jolson singing his signature tune "Mammy".

Glorious Technicolor (1998) - Star of the month... Angela Lansbury

"You haven't seen color until you've seen Technicolor. It was like a painting" - Evelyn Keys

'In Glorious Technicolor' is a 1998 documentary narrated by the great Angela Lansbury. It tells the story of colour in film, focusing on the invention of Technicolor. The documentary also features interviews with actors Arlene Dahl, Evelyn Keyes, Esther Williams and Kim Hunter, and cinematographers John Alton, Jack Cardiff, Vittorio Storaro.

The documentary begins with an exploration into the art and science of colour, and how it corresponds in painting. We are then treated to some very early images of colour, including George Melis' 'La fée Carabosse ou le poignard fatal' (1906).

We are then provided some background on the forgotten pioneer and inventor of Technicolor Herbert T. Kalmus, where we see footage from early Technicolor films: 'The Toll of the Sea' (1922), 'The Black Pirate' (1926) and 'The Hollywood Revue of 1929' (1929). 

Something which I found interesting was that while most studios were opposed to colour, Walt Disney was supportive of it, and allowed 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs' (1937) and 'Fantasia' (1940) to be filmed in colour.

The documentary concludes with a segment on the brilliant Technicolor British films of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger.

Other dazzling Technicolor films excerpted into the documentary include 'The Adventures of Robin Hood' (1938), 'The Wizard of Oz' (1939), 'Gone With the Wind' (1939) and 'Singin in the Rain' (1952).

Glorious Technicolor (1998) - Star of the month... Olivia de Havilland

"You haven't seen color until you've seen Technicolor. It was like a painting" - Evelyn Keys


'In Glorious Technicolor' is a 1998 documentary narrated by the great Angela Lansbury. It tells the story of colour in film, focusing on the invention of Technicolor. The documentary also features interviews with actors Arlene Dahl, Evelyn Keyes, Esther Williams and Kim Hunter, and cinematographers John Alton, Jack Cardiff, Vittorio Storaro.


The documentary begins with an exploration into the art and science of colour, and how it corresponds in painting. We are then treated to some very early images of colour, including George Melis' 'La fée Carabosse ou le poignard fatal' (1906).

We are then provided some background on the forgotten pioneer and inventor of Technicolor Herbert T. Kalmus, where we see footage from early Technicolor films: 'The Toll of the Sea' (1922), 'The Black Pirate' (1926) and 'The Hollywood Revue of 1929' (1929). 

Something which I found interesting was that while most studios were opposed to colour, Walt Disney was supportive of it, and allowed 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs' (1937) and 'Fantasia' (1940) to be filmed in colour.


The documentary concludes with a segment on the brilliant Technicolor British films of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger.


Other dazzling Technicolor films excerpted into the documentary include 'The Adventures of Robin Hood' (1938), 'The Wizard of Oz' (1939), 'Gone With the Wind' (1939) and 'Singin in the Rain' (1952).

Show-Business at War (1943) - Star of the month... Olivia de Havilland

'Show-Business at War' (March of Time, Volume 9, Number 10) is a 1943 short film newsreel chronicling the many ways in which the American entertainment industry was assisting during World War II. 


Watch the film:

From the publication of the "Show Business at War" edition of Variety newspaper, to the many stars dedicating their time to raise money on war bonds, to the volunteering at the Hollywood Canteen. I found it interesting to see Hollywood cameraman up-skilling army officers in how to use film cameras  to enable them to film their combats.


Hollywood studios had an important role to play during the war, by not only  providing entertainment to those risking their lives, but to also produce propaganda films to discredit the enemy.


The newsreel features the following personalities:

• Al Jolson (actor, who entertained troops)
• Alfred Hitchcock (director)
• Alfred Lunt (stage actor, who cooked for soldiers)
• Anatole Litvak (director)
• Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo (ballet company, who entertained troops)
• Bette Davis (actress)
• Bing Crosby (singer)
• Bob Hope (actor)
• Carole Lombarde (actress, who was tragically killed in a plane crash returning from a war bond rally)
• Clark Gable (actor, who enlisted)
• Daryl Zanuck (film producer)
• Deanna Durbin (actress, who danced with soldiers at the Hollywood Canteen)
• Dorothy Lamour (actress)
• Edgar Bergen (ventriloquist, who entertained troops with his doll Charlie McCarthy)
• Errol Flynn (actor)
• Ethel Barrymore (actress)
• Frank Sinatra (actor)
• Fred MacMurray (actor)
• Gertrude Lawrence (actress)
• Ginger Rogers (actress)
• Glenn Ford (actor)
• Hal B. Wallis (producer)
• Hedy Lamarr (actress, who danced with soldiers at the Hollywood Canteen)
• Irene Dunne (actress)
• Irving Berlin (composer, who wrote the songs in the wartime musical 'This is the Army', which featured an all-soldier cast)
• Jack Benny (radio comedian, who entertained troops)
• Jack L. Warner (head of Warner Bros.)
• James Cagney (actor)
• Joe E. Brown (comedian, who entertained troops)
• John Ford (film director, who headed the film producing unit of the Office of Strategic Services)
• John Garfield (actor, who co-founded the Hollywood Canteen)
• Kay Francis (actress)
• Lana Turner (actress)
• Linda Darnell (actress)
• Loretta Young (actress)
• Louis Armstrong (entertainer, who entertained troops)
• Marlene Dietrich (actress, who danced with soldiers at the Hollywood Canteen)
• Michael Curtiz (director)
• Mickey Rooney (actor)
• Myrna Loy (actress)
• Olivia de Havilland (actress, who danced with soldiers at the Hollywood Canteen)
• Orson Welles (actor/director)
• Rita Hayworth (actress)
• Robert Benchley (comedian, who volunteered at the Hollywood Canteen)
• Tyrone Power (actor, who enlisted)
• Walt Disney (who provided Disney studio resources to aid the production of instructional films for the armed forces)
• W.C. Fields (actor)

The musical highlight in the film is Al Jolson singing his signature tune "Mammy".