Sergeant York: A Heroic Tale…But Propaganda

Gary Cooper delivers a marvelous performance as the acclaimed World War 1 hero in Sergeant York but the film is propaganda of the era. Alvin C. York’s (Gary Cooper) story was a dream for any studio executive in the 1930s.  Here’s a guy who was not only a religious man but a grew up poor in Tennessee.  York may have been a pacifist but conscientious objectors were required to serve.  His service record includes killing…

"Sergeant York: A Heroic Tale…But Propaganda"

To Be Or Not to Be: A Great Holocaust Satire

Ernst Lubitsch’s To Be Or Not to Be, starring Jack Benny and Carole Lombard, is a top-notch World War 2 satire taking place during the Holocaust. The film starts out in prior to the 1939 Nazi Invasion of Warsaw, Poland.  We meet a play of theatrical actors led by husband and wife, Josef Tura (Jack Benny) and Maria Tura (Carole Lombard).  They’re leading the rehearsals for a satirical play, Gestapo.  Bronski (Tom Dugan) passes for…

"To Be Or Not to Be: A Great Holocaust Satire"