Know Your Enemy - Japan (available for viewing in the WWII section of Movieflix. Also, film #2 on disc #1 of Pearl Harbor: December 7, 1941 DVD (Madacy Entertainment, 2001). Also, film #1 on Side B of Disc #1 of WWII: The Ultimate Collection DVD Boxed Set (Brentwood Home Video, 2004)).

Frank Capra directed this film designed to stir hatred of the Japs in American GIs. Don't get me wrong––there's a fair amount of truth here about the militaristic, fanatical Japanese society that came up with the Tanaka Memorial plan for world conquest and committed horrible atrocities against the Chinese, the Filipinos, and American POWs. But the film goes overboard in trying to get us to believe that every single solitary Japanese citizen is a total warmongering fanatic willing to die rather than experience the disgrace of surrender. They all look alike and think alike, according to this film. Of course, war always seems to require that kind of thinking––otherwise it's hard to go out and kill 'em. The worst part, for my money, though, is the part about Japanese spies. Yeah, Japan did send out spies to countries they planned to conquer, but this film makes it look like every Japanese-American barber or gardener or fisherman had a direct line to the warlords in Tokyo, a way of thinking that created the internment camps, I'm sure. (Capra does pay very minor lip service to the highly-decorated Nisei regiment of the U.S. Army during the opening credits, calling them loyal Americans, which he deserves a little credit for, since most people weren't even giving them that much. But his assertion that their exploits "are documented in plenty of other films" makes me say "Oh really? Like what other films?") Like Kamikaze, the film has lots of fascinating footage taken from Japanese cinema. The first part of the film, which tells the history of the social and political structure of Japan, is told visually almost totally by footage from Japanese historical films. There's also lots of interesting Japanese newsreel footage. This film is part propaganda and part interesting historical information, and it's hard to tell which is which. Still, it's a great piece of ephemera. Warning: The scenes of Japanese atrocities are fairly grisly.

Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: N/A. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: *****. Overall Rating: *****.

Kill or Be Killed (track #1 on Americans in War (NFV, 1990)).

War really is hell. This World War II training film will totally convince you of that fact. The main message here is, "The enemy fights dirty, so you've got to fight dirty, too. Here's how." We're introduced to such fine weapons as the sawed-off shotgun, the blackjack, and brass knuckles and shown graphically how to use them. At first, I was incredibly appalled by the message of this film, but then it hit me that it was necessary under the circumstances, which is even more appalling. I consider this film to be the closest thing to real combat. I frankly don't know how soldiers survive it (real combat, not the film) without going insane. I also consider this film to be one of the most historically compelling pieces of ephemera I own. NOTE: This film is not campy in any way. It will disturb you. Not for the faint of heart.

Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: N/A. Weirdness: *****. Historical Interest: *****. Overall Rating: *****.

Keep 'Em Rolling (film #38 on Hey Folks! It's Intermission Time, Vol. 4 (Something Weird). Also, film #16 on V for Victory WWII Cartoons & Shorts Show (Something Weird, 1996)).

This is another stirring wartime sing-along film, urging on production workers in the defense plants. Stirring scenes of Industry Creating the Arsenal of Democracy illustrate the song "Keep 'Em Rolling". The one spot of weirdness is the lyric "work your head off, so you can keep your head." Some neat examples of wartime propaganda posters appear during the opening and closing credits.

Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ***. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.

Kamikaze (film #1 on disc #1 of Pearl Harbor: December 7, 1941 DVD (Madacy Entertainment, 2001). Also available on WWII: The Ultimate Collection DVD Boxed Set (BC!)).

This 1951 film documents the U.S. war against Japan in the Pacific, starting with Pearl Harbor and ending with the Kamikaze attacks and the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. What's fascinating about the film is that it is told from the Japanese perspective and much of the footage is taken from Japanese films, both fiction and nonfiction, of the period. Perhaps most chilling are scenes of Japanese children getting military training and playing elaborate war games. Although this is not a WWII-era film, the Japanese footage gives it ephemera value. And for a 50s film, it's pretty gritty. Not for the faint of heart.

Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: N/A. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: *****. Overall Rating: ****.

Jubilee Excerpt (film #8 on World War II Remembered (Diamond Entertainment, 1995)).

"Jubilee" was a sort of black "Command Performance", made for the entertainment of black G.I.s and featuring black stars. In this excerpt, Eddie "Rochester" Anderson sings a duet with Lena Horne of "That Ol' Devil Consequence". Fairly interesting from a historical perspective, though it would have been more interesting had they included more excerpts from this.

Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: **. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.

Japs Bomb USA (film #9 on WWII V for Victory War Bonds & Rallies Show (Something Weird, 1996)).

The events of December 7, 1941 and immediately afterward are chronicled in this newsreel. Some of the language is mildly racist ("Japs," "Nipponese"), but mostly this is pretty straightforward. The footage of America's reaction to Pearl Harbor in the days immediately following the event is pretty interesting, though.

Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: **. Weirdness: **. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.

Britain’s Roosevelt Memorial at Grosvenor Square (available for download on Universal Newsreels).

Brief British newsreel story about the erecting of a memorial in honor of Franklin D. Roosevelt for his role in helping the Allies win the war. This has historic value, but it’s pretty ordinary.

Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: *. Weirdness: *. Historical Interest: ***. Overall Rating: **.

It's Murder She Says... (film #26 on The Complete Uncensored Private SNAFU DVD (Image Entertainment, 1999). Also, film #9 on disc #2 of Pearl Harbor: Before and After DVD (Triton, 2001)).

The Anopholes mosquito is portrayed as an aging party girl, who used to live the high life on soldier's blood, until the army wised up and took stringent methods against her. But she still has her way with shirtless, repellentless Private SNAFU. The concept here is fairly clever and unusual, though it could be funnier. This one makes me wonder just how many SNAFUs were about malaria prevention, though––this must have been a major sticking point with the army.

Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ***. Weirdness: ****. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ****.

The Infantry Blues (film #6 on The Complete Uncensored Private SNAFU DVD (Image Entertainment, 1999). Also, film #7 on Private S.N.A.F.U. (Rhino, 1992)).

Private Snafu sings the blues about all the hardships he suffers in the infantry. He is sure that the other branches of the service have much cushier jobs. Technical Fairy First Class gives him his wish to change services and he learns that every G.I. has it tough. I like Technical Fairy First Class' faux auctioneer patter and the concluding song, sung to the tune of "Hinky Dinky Parlay Voo".

Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ***. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ***. Overall Rating: ***.

Bloody Iwo (film #1 on Side B of Disc #2 of the War in the Pacific section of Combat Classics DVD Megapack (Mill Creek Entertainment, 2006)).

This documentary shows us the very bloody battle to take the island of Iwo Jima in great detail from a soldier’s perspective. There are few surprises here, but the story is well told and many of the visuals are quite striking, especially the night combat footage. You really get a feel for the grit of combat from this film.

Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: N/A. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.

Industrial Mobilization (film #5 on Industrial Incentive Films (Vintage Video)).

It's the late 40's and peace has finally come. But just because we've nixed the Nazis and slapped the Japs doesn't mean we can sit on our butts and relax! We've got to prepare for the next war! If you've ever seen the movie Invasion U.S.A., you know how it implies that peace is only the space between wars. This is the documentary version of that sentiment. It seems fairly straightforward on the surface, but just below the surface are some pretty appalling implications. Such as the assertion that women, older people, and disabled people were used extensively in war production in the last war, but that with proper planning we can prevent that in the next. Or that in the last war, working in defense plants was totally voluntary, but that's another thing that can be corrected in the next. Or that preparedness will be achieved primarily through more government bureaucracy. Another appalling Cold War relic.

Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ****. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: *****. Overall Rating: ***.

Battle of Iwo Jima (downloaded from the Featured Clip Archive of WPA Film Library).

A veteran of the battle of Iwo Jima narrates newsreel footage of the battle. This is pretty much what you’d expect, though it does have some striking images of the battle, some of them grisly, and it ends with the flag-raising we all have etched into our brains.

Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: N/A. Weirdness: **. Historical Interest: ***. Overall Rating: **.

I Don't Want to Change the Subject (film #10 on WWII V for Victory War Bonds & Rallies Show (Something Weird, 1996)).

Hey folks! Just 'cause the war's over doesn't mean you can shirk your duty to buy War Bonds! And while you're waiting to buy, sing along with this cute little ditty. A prime piece of post-WWII ephemera.

Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ***. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: *****. Overall Rating: ****.

Hot Spot (film #27 on The Complete Uncensored Private SNAFU DVD (Image Entertainment, 1999)). [Category: Military & Propaganda]

This is the polar opposite to The Aleutians––Isles of Enchantment (Oh Brother!). The Devil himself narrates this tribute to the GIs slogging their way through hot-as-Hades Iran, delivering Lend-Lease supplies to Russia. Private SNAFU only makes cameo appearances in a few of the gags. A slightly weird moment is when we see the Devil taking salt tablets, but otherwise this is ordinary.

Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ***. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.

The Home Front (available on A/V Geeks. Also available for download on AV Geeks. Also, film #8 on The Complete Uncensored Private SNAFU DVD (Image Entertainment, 1999). Also available on You Tube.) [Category: Military & Propaganda]

SNAFU, stuck in a frozen wasteland, starts complaining that everybody at home has it soft: "They don't even know there's a war on!" Technical Fairy First Class brings out a televisor that shows him just how soft the folks at home have it: Dad builds tanks, Mom plants a Victory Garden, Grandpa welds ships, and his girl has joined the WAC! This is a fairly typical SNAFU with a few good gags and a really weird moment of a horse spreading his own manure on Mom's Victory Garden.

Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ***. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.

American Army Women Serving on All Fronts (downloaded from Google Video). [Category: Military & Propaganda]

This WWII newsreel shows American women getting planes ready for battle and WACs arriving in Australia. This has some great scenes of women doing all kinds of “men’s work,” documenting their important role in the war effort. Also included are stories about the 5000th flying fortress being built at Boeing and covered with workers’ signatures, the United Newsreel cameraman preparing to document the invasion of Europe, an Italian-American pilot who was decorated for bravery returning to his family in Ohio, and extended footage of the Allied drive north through Italy. This newsreel packs a lot of WWII history into its short length.

Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: **. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: *****. Overall Rating: ****.

Allies Win Myitkyina Airstrip (downloaded from Google Video). [Category: Military & Propaganda]

WWII newsreel that documents the taking of an important Burmese airstrip by the Allies. Also included are stories on US servicewomen touring Egypt after active duty, fighting in Normandy (including some scenes of shells with messages written on them, such as “Happy 4th, Adolph”, and the taking of Saipan. This is a very ordinary wartime newsreel, but it has historical value.

Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: **. Weirdness: **. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.

Hollywood Victory Caravan (film #6 on World War II Remembered (Diamond Entertainment, 1995)). [Category: Military & Propaganda]

The first five sections of World War II Remembered are standard documentaries of various World War II subjects, but the last section, entitled "Hollywood Goes to War", is a collection of wartime propaganda ephemera featuring celebrities. It starts with this short bond drive film, in which a young L.A., woman who desperately wants to see her wounded G.I. brother in an army hospital in Washington D.C., but who can't get a seat on a train going there, sneaks into Paramount studios to try to talk Bing Crosby into letting her hitch a ride on the Hollywood Victory Caravan train taking movie stars to a big bond rally in Washington. Once in the studio, she gets chased by a cranky security guard just like the one in the Porky Pig cartoon You Ought to Be in Pictures and meets lots of movie stars, all of whom are incredibly nice and anxious to help her. The plot is really just a thin excuse to show several movie stars performing, and lots more making cameo appearances, and to make a bond pitch. It's pretty much what you'd expect, but it gets weird for a moment when Bing Crosby and Bob Hope share a lower berth.

Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: **. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.

Allied Patrol in Action on Anzio Beach (downloaded from Google Video). [Category: Military & Propaganda]

This WWII-era newsreel documents the Allied victory on Anzio Beach after D-Day. Also included are stories on a State Department official’s visit to London, women in the armed services showing off their new uniforms (this is presented like a fashion show), a baby beauty contest among servicemen’s kids (good baby boom footage here), new kinds of snow plows clearing roads in the northwest, a Peruvian admiral being honored at Anapolis, a 7-to-1 win in the Kentucky Derby, and an Australian water carnival. This is a great slice of life from the war years.

Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ***. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ****.

Hollywood Canteen excerpt (film #9 on World War II Remembered (Diamond Entertainment, 1995)). [Category: Military & Propaganda]

An excerpt from a short film about the Hollywood Canteen, a social hall in Hollywood run by the movie industry for service members. Anybody in uniform was admitted free to the canteen, which was usually packed to the gills with Hollywood stars volunteering their time. Dinah Shore narrates the film, which seems to be a filmed tour of the canteen, giving the G.I.s who couldn't make it a little taste of what they were missing. An interesting historical record of something that probably couldn't exist today, war or no war.

Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: *. Weirdness: **. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.