The Shining Future

"The Shining Future" is a short film made to further the bond drive in order for the United States to fight WWII. It is available on YouTube if you are interested.

The film is a strange one when it begins...supposedly in 1954 in a family's living room. In this screwy view of the future, it's already a lot like the Jetsons! You see folks flying all about in airplanes instead of cars...and one of the characters talks about wanting one of those rocket instead of a helicopter! Soon after, they turn on a television-like device and watch to see what life was like back in 1944!

What follows are a variety of famous Hollywood actors singing about war and victory as well as Cary Grant reading a very moving letter from a dying soldier. All in all, very interesting due to the many guest appearances. Worth seeing.

By the way, the same material in this film was used in another short from 1944...."The Road to Victory". However, "The Road to Victory" was shorter and this expanded version was apparently aimed towards Canadian viewers, as there's a short prologue with Herbert Marshall to that effect.

The acts featured in "The Shining Future" which are not in "The Road to Victory" are Deanna Durbin, Benny Goodman with Harry James, a skit with the Great Gildersleeve (Harold Peary) as well as a song and lecture from Bing Crosby. All in all, an interesting and unusual peek into the past.