Hollywood WW11 films from  the 1940s

 

1: ‘Waterloo Bridge ‘  2:’ Three comrades’

3: ‘ Casablanca’

4: ‘Idiot’s Delight ‘ 5: ‘Above Suspicion’

6:’The mortal Storm’ 7: ‘Mrs Miniver’

It’s that time of year again when we glorify  wars past and present. Why do we do it? Could it be that war  gives us breathing space?We no longer have to worry about the petty mundane things of every day life because war forces us to look at the bigger picture.  Because people were so aware of time during a war everything was speeded up. Love became the priority and the home became a palace no matter how humble. The movies reflected the intensity of family relationships, lovers separated and the need to ration everything for the benefit of all.  The Hollywood films made duringWW11 in the 30s and 40s were full of intrigue and suspense as often with a love story being central to the plot.  There were so many films made during this time on that it is virtually impossible to name them all. Here are some of the best of  the bunch.  See if you can match the with the plot summaries with the film stills.

1: A family staying together through thick and thin in a small English village with a brave woman at the centre. A wife and mother protecting home and family.

2: Three friends in Munich who are torn apart by the events leading up to the beginning of the war and a girl who steals the heart of one of them and then dies.

3: A German professor refusing to support the Nazi party but who’s sons decide to join. Their sister falls in love with an old family friend who is against the Nazi’s and together they try to escape.

4: A young dancer falls in love with a soldier who is off duty. When he returns to the field she loses her job and must work as a prostitute to make ends meet. When he returns the shame is too much for her.

5: A married couple become spies in order to help the Americans find a top secret German weapon.

6: An entertainer is stuck in a hotel in Germany with a German singer pretending to be a Russian baroness during a bombardment. Turns out he knew her before the war and can expose her as a fake.

7:  A great scientist is smuggled out of Germany and moves to a new country with his young wife where he thinks they will be safe. Unfortunately their safe haven is controlled by the Vichy government and his wife meets up with an old lover . She tries to resist his charms but ….