Overview
- Description
- Reel 10 maps the Russian encirclement of Nazis at Stalingrad. Marshal Nikolai Voronoff confers with his aides. The encircling Red armies meet in Dec. 1942. Flamethrowers, rockets, and artillery are used to force the surrender of remnants of 22 Nazi divisions. The final scene maps Russian gains and cites statistics on Nazi losses thus far in the campaign.
- Film Title
-
Why We Fight: The Battle of Russia, 1943
- Duration
- 00:10:21
- Locale
-
Soviet Union
Stalingrad, Soviet Union
- Credit
- Accessed at United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, courtesy of National Archives & Records Administration
- Contributor
-
Director:
Frank R. Capra
- Biography
-
Frank Capra was an Italian American film director, producer, and writer born in Italy and raised in Los Angeles from the age of five. Capra became one of America's most influential directors during the 1930s, winning three Academy Awards for Best Director from six nominations, along with three other Oscar wins from nine nominations in other categories. Among his leading films were "It Happened One Night" (1934), "You Can't Take It with You" (1938), and "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" (1939).
Capra served in the US Army during World War I and became naturalized shortly thereafter. He reenlisted after Pearl Harbor and was offered a commission as a Major at the age of 44. Chief of Staff George Marshall bypassed the US Army Signal Corps and assigned Major Capra the job of producing seven propaganda films (the Why We Fight series) that would be seen less as propaganda pieces and more as the inspiring films that Capra had made.
After World War II, Capra's career declined as his later films, such as "It's a Wonderful Life" (1946), performed poorly when they were first released. Outside of directing, Capra was active in the film industry, engaging in various political and social issues. He served as President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, worked alongside the Writers Guild of America, and was head of the Directors Guild of America.
Physical Details
- Language
- English
- Genre/Form
- Documentary.
- B&W / Color
- Black & White
- Image Quality
- Fair
- Film Format
- Master
Master 4267 Digital: ProRes HD HQ 422 - HD
Master 4267 Digital: ProRes HD HQ 422 - HD
Master 4267 Digital: ProRes HD HQ 422 - HD
Master 4267 Digital: ProRes HD HQ 422 - HD
Rights & Restrictions
- Conditions on Access
- You do not require further permission from the Museum to access this archival media.
- Copyright
- Public Domain
- Conditions on Use
- To the best of the Museum's knowledge, this material is in the public domain. You do not require further permission from the Museum to reproduce or use this material.
Keywords & Subjects
Administrative Notes
- Legal Status
- In process
- Film Provenance
- Jack Penman donated high definition film transfers of World War II materials from the National Archives and Records Administration to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in April 2017.
- Film Source
- Jack Penman
- File Number
- Source Archive Number: 111 OF 5 R-10
- Special Collection
-
Steven Spielberg Film and Video Archive
- Record last modified:
- 2024-02-21 07:18:24
- This page:
- https://collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/irn562808
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