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Post by kimalysong on Mar 24, 2017 23:31:06 GMT
Just heard there will be an upcoming Netflix documentary based on the book "Five Came Back" which I read a couple years ago. It follows the war time careers of 5 Hollywood Directors: Frank Capra, John Huston, George Stevens, William Wyler, & John Ford who all served during WWII to make War Time Documentaries & Propoganda Films to support the War Effort. George Stevens for example was actually there when the Death Camps were liberated and shot much of the footage used during the Nuremberg Trials. It also talks about how the war affected these 5 directors who arguably made some of their most powerful films after the war. If you have any interest in WWII, Classic Hollywood or Films made during and Post-WWII definitely give this documentary a shot. I found the book really fascinating and informative. It looks like Netflix is also streaming many of the documentaries and War Time footage that was shot by these directors. www.google.com/amp/deadline.com/2017/03/five-came-back-review-hollywood-filmmakers-world-war-ii-netflix-documentary-1202047241/amp/ |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 24, 2017 23:59:21 GMT
Just heard there will be an upcoming Netflix documentary based on the book "Five Came Back" which I read a couple years ago. It follows the war time careers of 5 Hollywood Directors: Frank Capra, John Huston, George Stevens, William Wyler, & John Ford who all served during WWII to make War Time Documentaries & Propoganda Films to support the War Effort. George Stevens for example was actually there when the Death Camps were liberated and shot much of the footage used during the Nuremberg Trials. It also talks about how the war affected these 5 directors who arguably made some of their most powerful films after the war. If you have any interest in WWII, Classic Hollywood or Films made during and Post-WWII definitely give this documentary a shot. I found the book really fascinating and informative. It looks like Netflix is also streaming many of the documentaries and War Time footage that was shot by these directors. www.google.com/amp/deadline.com/2017/03/five-came-back-review-hollywood-filmmakers-world-war-ii-netflix-documentary-1202047241/amp/That sounds great. I know Huston got into a bit of bother with his films, he refused to make them just as jingoistic "Us=good, them=bad" and showed Allied soldiers suffering terrible PTSD and trauma, especially in the last of the war docs he made - Let There Be Light - so it was suppressed for decades and denounced by the military. John Ford also had an interesting war. I know he fell out with long time collaborator John Wayne over enlisting. Wayne registered as 3-A status, "deferred for [family] dependency reasons.". Wayne said he would enlist once that was resolved but gave increasingly odd answers as to why he didn't including some real corkers like running out of typewriter in to fill forms in and his studio head threatening him. Ford considered him nothing less than a coward for never enlisting and gave him absolute hell for it. They made up somewhat towards the end of the war and made a lot of film together again but by all accounts Ford never was very close to him again. It certainly made Wayne calling the Hollywood 10 "un-American" and endorsing HUAC more than a little hypocritical since many of them had fought in the war but I guess back then you could keep the dirt sheets quiet and PR was much easier to control. One of the sadder Hollywood lives during WW2 was surely Clark Gable. After Carole Lombard's death he had something of a death wish and upon enlisting went out his way to make sure he got only the most dangerous missions he could as he really didn't care what happened to him. Now we'd know more about grief and depression but they just sent him off with a rifle. When Hitler found out Gable was a ground troop he offered a massive reward to anyone who could capture him alive, I can only imagine the propaganda coup. He was discharged just about the time of Normandy. Sounds like a great documentary and I can't wait to see it. I don't know much about Capra and Wyler during the war but I love both their works dearly so I'll be interested in seeing this.  |
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Post by charlesuirdhein on Mar 25, 2017 0:40:23 GMT
Just heard there will be an upcoming Netflix documentary based on the book "Five Came Back" which I read a couple years ago. It follows the war time careers of 5 Hollywood Directors: Frank Capra, John Huston, George Stevens, William Wyler, & John Ford who all served during WWII to make War Time Documentaries & Propoganda Films to support the War Effort. George Stevens for example was actually there when the Death Camps were liberated and shot much of the footage used during the Nuremberg Trials. It also talks about how the war affected these 5 directors who arguably made some of their most powerful films after the war. If you have any interest in WWII, Classic Hollywood or Films made during and Post-WWII definitely give this documentary a shot. I found the book really fascinating and informative. It looks like Netflix is also streaming many of the documentaries and War Time footage that was shot by these directors. www.google.com/amp/deadline.com/2017/03/five-came-back-review-hollywood-filmmakers-world-war-ii-netflix-documentary-1202047241/amp/Thanks for the heads up! |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 25, 2017 2:51:01 GMT
Kim, given the subject, I thought you might be interested in a book I read last year, all about my great hero James Stewart's time in the war. It's a really astonishing story - he did not even slightly get, nor want, it easy. He had no interest in just being an entertainer in the RSO or the like. James was of the very first people to sign up in all California when Roosevelt declared War, not just in Hollywood. Or rather try and sign up, he was rejected for being underweight at first. A stunning read and proof that James Stewart didn't just play heroes like Jefferson Smith...he was one himself. www.amazon.co.uk/Mission-Jimmy-Stewart-Fight-Europe/dp/0996274057/ref=pd_sim_14_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=GR5EP6PTMP4F44H6RHGSThere was a book before it on the same subject called Bomber Pilot but it was so dry and inaccurate that Robert Matzen became determined to write this book as the more definitive take on a fascinating chapter of Stewart's life. |
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Post by kimalysong on Apr 6, 2017 21:12:28 GMT
Well this is out on Netflix now. I am really enjoying it. You get a lot of archived material of the directors themselves talking about their experience which is fantastic to see.
And both Stewart & Gable are mentioned but not the focus.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 6, 2017 22:57:52 GMT
When I saw this it went straight on my list. It looks really good.
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Post by kimalysong on Apr 20, 2017 19:48:13 GMT
Has anyone watched this yet? I really enjoyed it. Of course since it deals with Classic Hollywood & WWII; two subjects that really interest me; it is right in my sweet spot.
Most reviews said the 1st part was the weakest but I ended up enjoying the 1st & 3rd part the most which dealt with the events leading up to WWII and Post-War. These topics tend to interest me a bit more than fighting the war itself which is what part 2 covered. Although there were interesting insights in all 3 parts and lots of wonderful archival materials of all the 5 directors talking about their work & experiences during the War.
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