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9781442245556

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World War II films reflect a tension between the need for accuracy and realism and Hollywood's desire for action, backstories, and even a bit of romance. Hundreds of films about the era have been churned out over the years, including almost 300 during the war years alone, when many young men made the decision to enlist after viewing a gung-ho combat movie. This book describes World War II films as historical documents, using the memories of seven aging veterans (plus a few women who served on the home front), comparing their experiences to what was portrayed on the big screen. The soldiers' and sailors' backgrounds range from time on battleships, in the infantry, and in the air war, as well as those who were Navajo code talkers and prisoners of war. While reality could occasionally be glimpsed in these films, a more typical example is David O. Selznick's sudsy 1944 soap opera epic Since You Went Away. Library Journal

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Suzanne Broderick teaches history at Illinois State University, where she developed an interdisciplinary course entitled “Hollywood History,” which combines Hollywood film and American history.

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