This film is part of Free
America’s New Army
A grinning effigy of Hitler is skewered by the bayonet of a new recruit: one striking image among many from this morale-boosting account of the American army in 1942.
Overview
‘Time is Short’, reads a sign upon the wall in Washington’s War Department, from where US Army Chief of Staff George Marshall is seen directing the American war machine. Emphasising the urgency of the task, and ending with the stirring words of General Douglas MacArthur, this issue asserts the team spirit of the ‘citizen army’ as well as showing how much progress has been made in in a short time: from wooden machine guns, to gleaming rows of the real thing - the USA is ready for war.
The emphasis on the strengths of America’s ‘citizen army’ is captured in the film’s most effective sequence, a simple series of close-ups featuring soldiers stating their name, their home-town and their rank and role. The power derives from the range of homely accents and ordinary faces, underlining the film’s message that this is more than a fighting force: it is an expression of democracy. As in other March of Time films from this period, such as ‘America Prepares’, the training footage shows soldiers wearing the old-fashioned ‘doughboy’ helmet. The more familiar M1, which we only see here on display in the quartermaster’s stores alongside other new equipment, is a sign of things to come.
Related
Inside Nazi Germany Inside Nazi Germany
Documentary 1938 16 mins
A genuinely historic film, which caused much controversy at the time: the first commercially -released American motion picture to explicitly attack Hitler and Nazism.
Presidential Year Presidential Year
Documentary 1948 15 mins
‘Crisp and sincere’,‘carefully trained’ or ’resonant and vibrant’? Which voice would appeal to you if you had to pick the Republican candidate for the 1948 Presidential Election?
Great Britain Coronation Great Britain Coronation
Anthology 1937 24 mins
Weatherproof bunting, fog, clockwork dolls and a Hollywood exodus to London: this sideways look at preparations for the Coronation of George VI provides a wry American take on a very British ceremony.
Metropolis Metropolis
Documentary 1939 18 mins
This ode to New York from March of Time shows us how seven and half million people from every race and nationality in the world, live, work and play together in ‘the greatest metropolis of the New World’.
Irish Free State Irish Free State
Anthology 1936 23 mins
How Ireland turned herself into a self-sufficient powerhouse - plus a study of the "lunatic fringe" in US politics.
America Thinks It Over America Thinks It Over
Documentary 1939 17 mins
In a world on the verge of war, will America support the democracies of Europe, or turn inwards and embrace isolationism?
Getting it Back: The Story of Cymande - Q&A Getting it Back: The Story of Cymande - Q&A
Inside Film 2024 22 mins
The director of a documentary about British funk pioneers Cymande joins the band at BFI Southbank to talk about the film.
The West Case The West Case
Action and Adventure 1923 28 mins Silent Location: Tilbury
Plotting world domination, Devil Doctor Fu-Manchu steals plans for a new aero-torpedo in this earliest surviving thrill-a-minute serial instalment.
Enter the Scala!!! Enter the Scala!!!
Inside Film 2024 16 mins
Filmmakers Jane Giles and Ali Catterall discuss their documentary Scala!!!, revisiting the legendary and inspirational cinema venue and some of the most notorious films that screened there.
Blades Blades
Drama 2023 2 mins
A group of young Black boys run into a building. One of them is about to do the unimaginable.
We Collide We Collide
Romance 2023 2 mins
A queercore romance - a visceral and immersive exploration of the power of the mosh pit and finding love in the most unlikely of places.
Smith Smith
Charity appeal 1939 10 mins
Long thought lost, this Powell-directed promotional short for a veteran’s charity was only rediscovered in 2003.