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They Drew Fire: Combat Artists of World War II - Currently Unavailable
During the second World War, each division of the military commissioned artists to document the experiences of troops at war. These artists-enlisted men who participated actively in combat-created more than 12,000 drawings and paintings, which were widely exhibited throughout the nation during the war. In the pre-television era, these first-hand images were often the most striking documentation for the public of the tragedies and horrors of war. The artwork was the property of the U. S. government, and after the war it was stored away in archives, unseen until now. Painters Thomas Hart Benton and Jacob Lawrence were among the American war artists. (In England, art historian Kenneth Clark was in charge of British war artists.) In this film, seven surviving artists recall their experiences as young soldiers, sailors, and marines: Franklin Boggs, Howard Brodie, Manuel Bromberg, William Draper, Richard Gibney, Robert Greenhalgh, Edward Reep. Curator's Comments: Gripping and moving accounts of the disasters and heroism of war, as witnessed by these men who vividly recall their youthful confrontations with death and terror. Sensitively edited, interweaving the artists' reminiscences, with paintings and drawings, film footage, and photographs of combat: many sequences allow these powerful images to speak for themselves, without voice-over. In addition to the military artists, civilian agencies also sent artists into the battlefields, including Abbott Laboratories, which documented field medical services. It is interesting to note that this PBS production was sponsored by Abbott Labs. DATE: 1999 COUNTRY: United States CREDITS: PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: TOPICS:
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