During World War 2, the US government was responsible for producing many films that would be categorized as propaganda in order to inspire people from all over America to answer the call of their homeland. While the term "propaganda" is typically used to describe rousing posters or films utilized by less reputable regimes (such as the Nazis), this film can't really be construed as anything but. It even has a few lies in it to make america look more powerful than it really was back then. The film starts with a trainer aircraft piloted by Jimmy Stewart landing at an airbase. He climbs out and starts explaining how the Army Air Forces (formerly the Army Air Corps) has been busy recruiting americans so that they can put this extremely destructive war to an end as fast as possible. He says how people in his time period are living through the greatest mobilization of people in the entire history of the world. Men and women from all occupations, from every corner of the US leave their old lives behind and sign up for a new one in the armed forces. Stewart says how even those currently in college are technically allowed to drop out and join the military, even if they don't have a degree yet. The military on the other hand actually wants students to earn degrees as various skills will come in handy depending on what your job in the army is going to be. Not just this, but people can also join the Air Force Reserve, allowing them to work towards their diplomas (and upon completing the term) enter the air force as the first rank of commissioned officer (Second Lieutenant). The film then goes on to say how in large planes such as the workhorse Boeing B-17, each person inside has a specific role, and they all need to work together in order to accomplish their objectives and make sure they're brought home safely. Obviously the pilot and copilot don't need an introduction for what they do, but the navigator, an often overlooked position, is just as critical. The navigator is responsible for plotting the course of the plane while it's in flight and making sure it doesn't get lost. The bombardier is essentially the sniper of the air, and is responsible for dropping high explosive ordinance from miles up onto targets with unerring precision. The plane also has engineers who are working tirelessly to ensure every mechanical device in the aircraft is not going out of order. The plane has men on the ground working to keep it airborne as well. Back at base, the plane's bomb load is supervised by a guy (who has most likely taken a class on engineering) called an armaments officer. His job is to make sure all the bombs are loaded into the plane correctly, as well as the belts of ammo for each one of its machine guns. The air force even has a need for meteorologists. The film ends with an inspiring monologue from Stewart, saying how america's factories are going into overdrive and building about 100 thousand planes a year so we can beat the Axis (which is just plain nonsense). Given that John Huston directed this, I'm tempted to give it a high rating since he was actually involved in ww2 (as was Stewart). However, like most other second world war shorts, this one feels done to death for me. It's decent for what it is, but if you're like me and have dozens of books on this particular conflict, you won't find much here that's unknown to you. I mostly watched this to acquaint myself with an important moment in film history, as Stewart got upwards of 150 thousand people to enlist because of this film.
