Plot: What’s it about?
This is the second release in a series of Showbiz releases from FocusFilm and this time around, the piece focuses on Hollywood’s efforts around World War II. The scope of impact from the movie business is deeper than you might think, as evidenced by the information provided in this documentary. This one clocks in at ninety minutes and once again, actor/director David Steinberg serves as host and while I don’t like him much, he seems tolerable in this case. I knew Hollywood played a role in the homeland war efforts, but I was surprised at how much the industry was involved in, so I was very taken in by Showbiz Goes To War. This piece shows the simple motions such as using movies to give people a break from the war, even if only for a couple hours and I like that this side is covered here, but it also shows other more complex issues too. From monetary donations to traveling shows to raise military morale to propaganda style pictures and beyond, Hollywood was very active during World War II and in truth, I think that was more important than you might assume.
As I just viewed and enjoyed Showbiz Ballyhoo, I was looking forward to Showbiz Goes To War, as it comes from the same makers. This holds the same format and style as that release, which means another rock solid and informative documentary here. Once again, I don’t care for host David Steinberg, but I don’t think he detracts much in the end. Of course, I’d love to have seen another host, but even as it stands, Steinberg handles his duties well enough. The content is superb and gives a good look into Hollywood’s efforts in war time, which I don’t think most people are aware of. I especially liked the section that deals with how Hollywood used films to help folks escape from reality for a while, which was terrific and a perfect example of what this piece covers. This one features a ton of celebrities also, such as Clark Gable, Marlene Dietrich, Bob Hope, Abbott & Costello, Lucille Ball, James Cagney, and a host of other top notch famous folks. As I said with the other release, I don’t think I’ll watch this one very often, but it is well worth a look nonetheless.
Video: How does it look?
Showbiz Goes To War is presented in a full frame transfer, which is how this piece was intended to be shown. The new footage looks terrific here, although a little dated at times, due to faded color patterns. But despite the slight muting evident, I don’t think any real problems surface there. The clips look a little worse for wear, but let’s remember, they’re older and as such, some slack shall be cut here. In the end, when you consider the nature of this piece, I think the video looks just fine, if not as sharp and impressive as I would like.
Audio: How does it sound?
Not much to discuss here, as this is a documentary driven by dialogue, so not much audio power is present. The narration sounds clean and crisp here, with no volume issues in the least to contend with. The audio found in the flick clips also sounds good, but not as rich and crisp as a dedicated presentation would allow. This one won’t push your home theater to the limits, but as far as this material goes, this mix is adequate.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes no bonus materials.
