Mr. Capra Goes to War: Frank Capra’s World War II Documentaries

This excellent collection features five films that famed Hollywood director Frank Capra was involved in making for the U.S. War Department between 1942 and 1945, including two of the seven Why We Fight documentaries that were intended for American servicemen: Prelude to War (1942), compiled largely from found footage, and The Battle of Russia (1943), which Capra and Anatole Litvak fashioned from existing material and Soviet footage. In addition, the set contains several other films that Capra oversaw: The Negro Soldier (1944), presented in the form of a sermon recounting African American contributions to U.S. history while also offering a rosy-eyed view of the treatment of black soldiers in the World War II-era military; Tunisian Victory (1944), about the North African campaign, which used re-creations directed by John Huston to replace footage lost when a ship carrying the original material was sunk; and Your Job in Germany (1945), written by Theodor Geisel (Dr. Seuss) and designed to instruct American servicemen facing occupation duty in the defeated country about the dangers they might face. The films—all extremely effective as propaganda tools—have not been restored, but even given the fact that much of the content is in the form of archival material, the quality of the transfers is high. Extras include introductions to each film by Capra biographer Joseph McBride, and the documentary short Frank Capra: Why We Fight, featuring pungent observations on the director’s career and beliefs by McBride that are very much at odds with conventional assessments. Highly recommended. (F. Swietek)