Movies of 1944

An in-depth look at aircraft carrier combat operations during World War II. Real combat footage. Very strong and compelling.

A downed American bomber crew quickly falls prey to the clever interrogation techniques of the Germans in this dramatic training film.

Documentary short film depicting the harrowing battle between the U.S. Marines and the Japanese for control of the Pacific island of Tarawa.

Conductor Arturo Toscanini is shown at his home in New York City and leading tenor Jan Peerce and the NBC Symphony Orchestra in Verdi's "Hymn of the Nations" and "Overture to 'La Forza del Destino.'"

This documentary short portrays WWII refugees from Europe obtaining citizenship and adapting to the United States of America during wartime.

When young Father O'Malley arrives at St. Dominic's, old Father Fitzgibbon doesn't think much of his new assistant.

An insurance representative is seduced by a dissatisfied housewife into a scheme of insurance fraud and murder that arouses the suspicion of his colleague, a claims investigator.

Ten years after her aunt was murdered in their London home, a woman returns from Italy in the 1880s to resume residence with her new husband. His obsessive interest in the house rises from a secret that may require driving his wife insane.

With her husband away to fight in World War II, a housewife must care for their two daughters alone.

A chronicle of the political career of US President Woodrow Wilson.

Tom's new book on "how to catch a mouse" doesn't prove too helpful against Jerry; actually, Jerry seems to make better use of it than Tom.

Third of the seven Academy Award® nominated Puppetoons for Best Animated Short Subject and the second based on a story by Dr. Seuss. Marco, a young boy re-imagines progressively more elaborate scenes on Mulberry Street.

An alley cat attempts to steal the goldfish Andy Panda just bought from a pet shop, but the fish proves too clever for him.

Taking all the places on both teams, Goofy demonstrates the game of football with varying results, having problems with the coach and the goal post.

An animated WWII propaganda short film that shows, in fantastical comedic fashion, what every US soldier (or "Jonny") can come to expect on their victorious return home to the USA.

Porky Pig's egg farm faces production problems when a crooning rooster distracts the hens from their jobs.

An Academy Award-winning Paramount Headliner short featuring a tour of the animal kingdom with the animals tossing around quips and jokes via dubbing and special effects. The narration is by Ken Carpenter, and the ending is a rendition of "Cow-Cow Boogie" by a "cow soloist" and some cow-pasture harmonizers.

Created under the guidance of jazz impresario and Verve Records founder Norman Granz, this short captures the spontaneity of a jam session and is one of few film records of black jazzers of the day including tenor sax legend Lester Young.

A humorous look at the inconsiderate pests whose annoying habits make enjoying a movie impossible.

In this Warner Bros. short, a Marine in a South Sea island during World War II, Joe Fingers, tells tales of the influence he's had on various personalities. In the words of one of his buddies, he's either the biggest liar in the world or the most important man in show business. He claims to be a piano player and his stories are brought to life in the minds of the boys, especially those that involve a pretty girl. When a piano arrives on the island in a shipment, he refuses to play, convincing the doubters that he's been telling them lies all along. They change their tune however when a Hollywood movie star stops on the island.

This patriotic MGM short film, set in World War II, has a factory owner who produces the breech block for a key piece of army artillery. The military wants to increase production by 50%, but they can barely meet their production targets as it is. Going to a third shift in the plant will need manpower, 500 in total, that is sorely missing due to the number of men in the military. The film then looks at the town's Main Street seeing where the workforce might come from. Their brainstorming identifies 220 men, but then one of them comes up with the solution: if everyone worked just a bit harder and contributed just a bit more, the war will be won. The fictional factory found its workers, mostly women who hadn't previously worked, and others who already had a full-time job but also worked part-time at the plant.

When an itinerant reluctantly returns home to help his sickly mother run her shop, they are both tempted to turn to crime to help make ends meet.

Woodrow is discharged from the military for hay fever, but fabricates receiving a heroic honorable discharge before returning home.

Young love and childish fears highlight a year in the life of a turn-of-the-century family.