The Bootleg Files: Here is Germany

Posted on July 14, 2023 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 836: “Here is Germany” (1945 propaganda film directed by Frank Capra).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube and other online sites.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: On public domain labels.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: No copyright was ever filed on the film.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Nope, it is doomed to public domain hell.

During World War II, the U.S. government churned out scores of nonfiction films aimed at both the enlisted military personnel and civilian audiences. Many highly regarded Hollywood filmmakers received commissions from the military and worked to create productions that would artistically drive the message about why the nation was at war and what it hoped to achieve.
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Open Secret (1948)

Posted on June 29, 2023 by Jeffrey Cintolo

Newlyweds Paul (John Ireland) and Nancy (Jane Randolph) Lester are on their honeymoon when they decide to stop by to see Paul’s army buddy, Ed Stevens. The problem is when they arrive at his apartment, Ed is missing. His mail has been taken and someone has broken into the apartment looking for something. Something important.

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Battle for Saipan (2022)

Posted on November 21, 2022 by Emilie Black

In World War II, a surgeon and an assorted group of patients and trained personnel face off with an attack from the other side while under-equipped and under-prepared.

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The Bootleg Files: Lambeth Walk – Nazi Style

Posted on July 29, 2022 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 809: “Lambeth Walk – Nazi Style” (1942 short that riffs on “Triumph of the Will” with a soundtrack featuring an instrumental version of “The Lambeth Walk”).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: In public domain anthologies.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: Unauthorized use of Leni Riefenstahl’s film coupled with music clearance issues.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: It is out there, rights clearance be damned.

Some humor is timeless – think of Shakespeare’s comedies, Mark Twain’s novels and the Three Stooges’ knockabout. But with some humor, time is not an ally and it can difficult for later generations to appreciate what their predecessors were laughing about.
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The Holocaust and the Cinema

Posted on November 8, 2021 by Phil Hall

In the aftermath of World War II, filmmakers have been challenged to capture the depth and scope of the Holocaust in narrative and documentary productions. On this episode of “The Online Movie Show,” Rich Brownstein, author of the new book “Holocaust Cinema Complete,” offers insight on this difficult subject.

The episode can be heard here.

The Bootleg Files: Our Job in Japan

Posted on May 14, 2021 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 766: “Our Job in Japan” (1946 U.S. Army propaganda film.).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube and Internet Archive.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: In collections of U.S. World War II military films.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: No copyright was ever filed on this film, so it can be duped endlessly.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: A digital restoration for commercial home entertainment release is unlikely.

One of the most bizarre news stories of this year involved the decision by Dr. Seuss Enterprises to discontinue the publication of six books by the beloved children’s author due to racially insensitive illustrations of Africans and Asians. The books in question were minor additions to the author’s canon and were never adapted into films or television productions, but for many people the idea that a Dr. Seuss book would be taken off the shelves due to political correctness was the epitome of cancel culture run amok.
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The Bootleg Files: The Battle of China

Posted on November 27, 2020 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 748: “The Battle of China” (1944 documentary in the “Why We Fight” series).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: On public domain labels.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: It never had a copyright, so anyone can make a crummy dupe.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Condemned to public domain hell.

In 1942, the U.S. government commissioned Oscar-winning filmmaker Frank Capra to create a series of films that would explain the nation’s involvement and goals for World War II to both the American public and the servicemembers being sent into battle. The “Why We Fight” films became a seven-part series that primarily focused on the threats that Nazi Germany posed to the U.S. and to its British and Soviet allies.
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The Bootleg Files: Know Your Ally – Britain

Posted on September 25, 2020 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 740: “Know Your Ally – Britain” (1944 U.S. War Department documentary).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: On public domain labels.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: The absence of a copyright allows anyone to make dupes.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: It’s been on DVDs featuring wartime documentaries.

In 1944, the U.S. War Department (the forerunner of today’s Department of Defense) produced “Know Your Ally – Britain,” a 45-minute documentary to be shown to American servicemembers. From today’s perspective, it might seem peculiar that this type of a film would be made relatively late in the war.
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