The Rear Gunner (1943)

Directed by

Ray Enright

Genre

drama film

Country

United States

Runtime

26 min

Rating

6.4 of 10 from 7 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

This 1943 short film shows the role of a rear gunner in a bomber crew. It aims to recruit men into service and boost morale during World War Two.

instructionalinspirationaldirectpatrioticearnestdatedinformativerecruitment-focused

What happens

The Rear Gunner is a 1943 American short instructional film, directed by Ray Enright and produced by Warner Brothers. Previously, Warner Bros. had produced three short documentary films, Winning Your Wings (1942) starring Jimmy Stewart, Men Of The Sky (1942) and Beyond the Line of Duty (1942). Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Hollywood rushed to turn out films to help win the war. The studios produced more than features, with countless cartoons and short subjects that were intended to inform the public, boost morale, encourage support of the Red Cross and other organizations that were helping at home and overseas or in recruitment. There were also films that were shown only to members of the armed forces. These films either trained them or entertained them. Rear Gunner is one of the best examples of how Hollywood pitched in and worked to boost morale and also recruit men into military service. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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