December 7th: The Pearl Harbor Story

Banned for nearly fifty years, director John Ford's uncut version of the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor was confiscated by Navy officials upon its completion and released in a heavily-edited 34-minute form in 1943 (earning Ford his fourth Oscar). A joint project of Ford and gifted cinematographer Gregg Toland (Citizen Kane), the full-length film was considered too critical of U.S. naiveté in Hawaii prior to the attack. Walter Huston stars as "Uncle Sam," the complacent American public on vacation. Soaking up the Hawaiian sun, he is visited by "Mr. C," who represents his conscience. "Mr. C" points out that Hawaii's population is now 37% Japanese-American, and goes on to suggest that an intricate web of spies and traitors are feeding information to Emperor Hirohito concerning American airfields, naval deployment, and security. Although Japanese-Americans are likely to flinch at the unflattering portrait, Ford and Toland are quick to point out that following the attack, the Japanese-Americans were the first in line to donate blood and buy war bonds. The second half of the film chronicles the raid on Pearl Harbor, using incredibly realistic battle scenes (most of which were shot on 20th-Century Fox's backlot). Film aficionados will enjoy Toland's multi-layered cinematography, and historians are likely to be interested in the propaganda aspects of the film. An interesting piece from the Hollywood curio closet, whose strange lineage (explained in a prologue to the film) merits its addition on most library shelves, the DVD version includes a slew of extras, audio commentary from four Pearl Harbor survivors, extra newsreel footage, Ford's propaganda film Know Your Enemy, and more. Recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (R. Pitman)