Radio at War

Radio at War is a short film from ca. 1944 released on 16mm. It is held in the Prelinger Archives collection.

PA-4010 Radio at War

01:00:00:11 - 01:21:54:00 B/W Sound 1940s

           Radio at War (1943-1946) WWII short subject extolling virtues of
           radio as weapon as used by the military in the war. U.S. Navy
           Signal Corps. Shows training camps, combat, War in Pacific, radio
           equipment.
           "RCA wishes to thank the United States Army and the United States
           Navy for their cooperation in making this picture possible."

01:00:00:11 - 01:02:30:26 B/W Sound 1943

           Opening credits, "Radio at War." Teenage boys in bedroom w/
           homemade radio sets / ham radios. Listening on headphones. Radio is
           "weapon to play a part in the defense of our land" Idyllic Ivy
           League-looking college campus. Boys read newspaper headline "U.S.
           Forces Smash Nazi lines" Young men see U.S. Navy Signal Corps
           posters, recruitment office, enlistment. Kiss goodbyes to
           sweethearts, parents at train station. Departures. Boys off to war.

01:02:30:27 - 01:07:33:05 B/W Sound 1940s

           U.S. military basic training camp (Navy signal corps). Bunk beds,
           dressing, Military drills. Jogging in shorts! Exercises. Writing
           letters home. Father reading letter, smiling. Signal corps in
           uniform in classroom. Taking notes. RCA dynamic demonstrator.
           Headphones of men decoding, typing. Radio equipment. Recruit runs
           to barracks, sews US Navy Signal Corps 3rd Class "crow" emblem onto
           uniform. Radio corps men marching, receiving diplomas. Mother in
           apron reading letter, overlay as calendar pages move past each
           month. Passage of time. Home front.

01:07:33:06 - 01:12:56:25 B/W Sound 1940s

           Sergeant enters "radio-equipped scout car," i.e. jeep. Motorized
           striking force takes off. Jeeps & trucks cross pontoon bridge. VS
           troops marching, jeeps drive thru water. Reenacted combat footage.
           Bombers dropping bombs on jeeps on dirt road. VS men of Signal
           Corps communicating. Battle: gunners, howitzers, shelling,
           telephone. Loading guns. Officers reading radio reports. CU map,
           strategy. Couriers, portable radios. Communications in the field.
           Reconnaissance. Radio men in field take commands. WS explosions. VS
           paratroopers parachuting from aircraft. Transport planes (Douglas
           Skymaster?). CU pilots using radios. Men disembarking.

01:12:56:26 - 01:13:46:11 B/W Sound 1940s

           Washington, D.C. US Capitol building w/ animated radio signal
           emanating, then w/ overlay of various hands using telegraph. Army /
           Navy top brass talking in message center offices. Montage military
           operations / communications imagery (telephone lines). Animated
           map, radio signals sprouting from Washington D.C. to all parts of
           world, ticker tape. Military plans, secrets.

01:13:46:12 - 01:21:54:00 B/W Sound 1940s

           Pacific Theater. Troops boarding transport ship in port. Convoys at
           sea, warships, AERIAL from patrol planes (Consolidated PBY
           Catalina) of convoy. INT cockpit. RV from plan of tail. Aircraft
           carrier. Radio operator on ship. Fleet of battleships. Crew below
           decks in bunks. U.S. Navy. Naval officers on bridge. All hands on
           deck. VS pilots rush to aircraft. RV POV airplane taking off from
           convoy. AIR to AIR shots.  Flyovers. Heavy artillery guns on
           battleship firing. VS air and sea battle. Explosions, bombing. Good
           sound effects w/ no music interrupting. Gunners loading shells.
           Task force landing on beach / invasion. Radio units on beach.
           Combat footage--GIs using machine guns. Fighters & bombers return
           to carrier, landing. More troops storming beach. Combat in jungle,
           palm trees. More Washington D.C. naval communications.  Officer w/
           map. CU hand pushing American flag pin into map in Pacific island
           area. LA Signal Corps radio man in front of waving US flag.

Patriotic.

Radio at War
Produced by	Ganz (William J.) Co.
Production company	Ganz (William J.) Co.
Distributed by	Ganz (William J.) Co.
Release date	ca. 1944
Running time	20:36
Language	English

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