What We’re Watching – WWII in the Movies III

In honor of our upcoming event, Dinner with a Curator – “WWII in the Movies” on April 16, 2013, we asked our staff to take a moment to send us their favorite WWII films.

The response was so overwhelming that we decided to share them with you in a series of blog posts. Feel free to share your favorites in the comments section or on our Facebook wall.
 

Musicals

South Pacific (1958)

My dad and I actually starred in a community theater production of the play together. He played Emile de Becque and I played his daughter. I can still sing all the lines to the little song in French! I was in middle school at the time and taking French, so I taught the lines to my “brother” in the play. I had the biggest crush on the guy who played Lt. Cable! My dad and I watched the movie at home (on a VCR, remember those?!) and studied our characters and lines together. I loved the movie and remember being very intrigued by how the colors changed to evoke the mood of the scene. At first, I didn’t understand why it was doing that and told my dad something was wrong with the tape! I also didn’t understand why Nellie and Emile couldn’t be together, and especially why she was so upset that he had children. I distinctly remember the concept of racism being hard to understand, because it just seemed mean and sad. So, I learned a lot of life lessons and experiences from the play and movie!

Lisa Werling, Archival Technician

View the trailer for South Pacific here.

South Pacific was not the only time the dramatic juxtaposition of love and loss and victory and defeat of WWII was set to music. Here are some others that came up in a number of emails and “water cooler” discussions on the subject!

The Sound of Music (1965)

View the trailer for The Sound of Music here.

Cabaret (1972)

View the trailer for Cabaret here.

View all of our “WWII in the Movies” posts here.

Tuesday, April 16, 2013
6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Dinner with a Curator – Larry Decuers presents “WWII in the Movies”
Stage Door Canteen

From factual to fantastic, Museum Curator Larry Decuers will highlight examples of the diverse array of WWII films. Covering what many consider the best of the genre, the presentation will include 1940s propaganda pieces, gritty combat films from the ‘50s and ‘60s and some of the more reverent works of the past two decades. Clips from Air Force, The Sands of Iwo Jima, 12 O’Clock High, Kelly’s Heroes and many others will be shown and discussed

View the Full Menu

Purchase Tickets.

Dinner with a Curator is a seasonal series where Museum staff and guests discuss a featured topic related to World War II while enjoying a delicious three-course dinner. All dinners catered by Chef John Besh at the Museum’s American Sector restaurant. Space is limited. Reservations are required.