Showbiz goes to war

Hosted by David Steinberg, this documentary about Hollywood stars, World War II and the Hollywood film industry, focuses on the three “P’s” - Patriotism, Propaganda, Pin-ups. Films have always proven to be the great escape during times of hardship, and no more so than during World War II. Hollywood and its stars were the number one morale builder for both the troops and the civilians. Nationalism and patriotism were spawned by the image of the all-American war hero on the big screen prepared to die for his country, a symbol of self-sacrifice whilst at the same time portraying the enemy as a cruel and heartless villain to be destroyed no matter the cost. For the troops it was the entertainment provided by the Hollywood stars that kept them going, in particular, the pin-up girls such as Betty Grable, Rita Hayworth, Jane Russell. And of course there was nothing better than a bit of comedy to lighten up their lives through such stars as Bob Hope and Abbott and Costello. “Showbiz goes to war” is a wonderful documentary put together with many classical film excerpts, trailers, archival newsreel footage of World War II, and includes such Hollywood stars as Fred Astaire, Lucille Ball, Humphrey Bogart, Marlene Dietrich, Clark Gable, James Cagney, Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, John Wayne and a cast of thousands. Watch out for that gem of a comedy sketch by Abbott and Costello “Who’s on first?” - it’s a classic.