WWII In Color (Goldhil Home Media)
Price 12.73 - 14.98 USD
This collection of color footage shot during World War II focuses primarily on America"s involvement in the war, beginning with Col. Jimmy Doolittle"s legendary raid on Tokyo in 1942 and proceeding up to the liberation of the concentration camps in Europe. The footage assembled in this package is often quite fascinating, and while some of it is occasionally marred by scratches and other signs of age, the quality is generally very good. The 16 selections in the main feature all focus on a particular aspect of the war and include footage shot during bombing missions over Germany, on the invasion beaches of Normandy, and on aircraft carriers battling in the Pacific. Some of the film, such as hand-held footage shot during the U.S. Marine"s desperate fighting on Tarawa, are inherently dramatic, and some shots, such as the celebrations of liberated French citizens, show the human side of war. Seeing all of this in color, as it truly appeared, is a vastly different experience than the black-and-white newsreels that form the basis for most documentaries. Besides the main feature, which runs for more than an hour and a half, the disc also includes a bonus movie, a one-hour color documentary on American bomber crews that was filmed in England and is narrated by actor Clark Gable, who was serving as an officer in the Eighth Air Force. --Robert J. McNamara