I was surprised to learn how many World War II-era U.S. Army training films are available on YouTube. Among my favorites was the Private Snafu cartoon series aimed at teaching recruits about everything from good hygiene to booby traps. The series was created by Hollywood director Frank Capra and produced by Warner Bros. The writing staff included Theodor Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss, and starred the voice of Mel Blanc. Many of the episodes would be rated R today. For a sample, visit www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGmIhhMi8cg
Other training films produced by the U.S. Army Air Forces’ First Motion Picture Unit features actors who were already famous or who would soon become famous. They included Rear Gunner (1943), featuring Ronald Reagan and Burgess Meredith (www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKdLbEQ6Dv8), Reconnaissance Pilot (1943), starring William Holden and Photographic Intelligence in Bombardment Aviation (1943), starring Alan Ladd.
Meanwhile, other well-known Hollywood actors such as James Stewart and Clark Gable were the real deal. Stewart piloted B-24s in the 445th Bombardment Group (www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Visit/Museum-Exhibits/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/196679/brig-gen-james-m-stewart), while Gable was assigned to the 91st. Gable’s role was mainly to produce propaganda films, but he did fly a few combat missions.