Women in Defense
Women in Defense is a 1941 short film produced by the Office of Emergency Management shortly before the United States entered the Second World War. It was directed by John Ford.
| Women in Defense | |
|---|---|
 Film still | |
| Directed by | John Ford |
| Written by | Eleanor Roosevelt |
| Produced by | John Ford |
| Narrated by | Katharine Hepburn |
| Distributed by | War Activities Committee |
Release date |
|
Running time | 18 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The Academy Film Archive preserved Women in Defense in 2008.[1] The film is part of the Academy War Film Collection, one of the largest collections of World War II era short films held outside government archives.[2]
Synopsis
Opening with a shot of a statue of "the pioneer woman who helped win a continent", the film briefly outlines the way in which women could help prepare the country for the possibility of war. Among the various way women could help were:
- working in a war materials manufacturing plant
- sewing parachutes for US servicemen
- attending free lectures on how to prepare nutritious meals on presumably rationed food
- Joining the WAC or the Red Cross
- donating blood
There is also a segment on the types of costumes women would wear while engaged in war work. At the end of the film, the narrator explains women are vital to securing a healthy American home life and raising children "which has always been the first line of defense".
See also
References
- "Preserved Projects". Academy Film Archive.
- "Academy War Film Collection". Academy Film Archive.
External links
- Women in Defense at IMDb
- The short film Women in Defense is available for free download at the Internet Archive.