Hollywood and Propaganda

     World War II was a time of terror for everybody. This stretched much further than the actual soldiers fighting war, even further than their families. Everyone would be affected greatly in some way or another. Whether it was war rations, that abruptly changed lives, or if it was the jobs that were created in the war effort which required citizens way out of their skill level to contribute in ways they never thought before. Everybody needed to do their part, because just like the soldiers, every American citizen had a duty to help the war effort(Wartime).  
     This even included Hollywood. Hollywood was an integral part of peoples lives in the 1940’s just as they are today. Hollywood would create movies that had a way of influencing, and some might say controlling the lives of movie goers. Hollywood was actually said to have a significant impact on whether or not the U.S. would join the war in the first place(Hollywood). They created films that were anti-nazi, and almost Hitler horror films, that would scare American citizens to thinking Hitler would come and hurt them. But after Pearl Harbor, Hollywood stepped up just as they should have. They created films like “Sunday in Hawaii” and  “V is for Victory.” They overall result of the Hollywood film created in the U.S. was a sky high morale. Citizens would see movies about men being tested on the battlefield, and soldiers being thrown into battles with diverse backgrounds, and nothing in common except preserving their freedom, and their loved ones. Hollywood did their part, and kept American citizens believing in the war cause(Wartime).  This also created new opportunities for females to come forward and take the spotlight while the men were away at war. 

Works Cited:

Wartime Hollywood. http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/modules/ww2/wartimehollywood.html

Hollywood goes to War. http://www.filmreference.com/encyclopedia/Romantic-Comedy-Yugoslavia/World-War-II-HOLLYWOOD-GOES-TO-WAR.html

Vintage Movie Poster. http://www.flickr.com/photos/christianmontone/4311066917/