This is the Army (1943)

At the time when public commitment to World War 2 was critical in the USA, this publicly funded film was made, intended to generate patriotic feelings -- and cash -- for the war effort. It was based on actual stage entertainment put on by military units for the entertainment of members of the armed services, most of whom had been conscripted. The story skips quickly through some of the human side of this, and spends most of the film replaying numbers from the actual performances.

In the picture, what was probably then called a "nigger minstrel" number is in progress, a song and dance routine purporting to show black people as entertainers. All the performers are male, and I am fairly sure all of them are really white: the US forces were segregated at that time.

Later in the film, more travesty routines are inserted; here a girly chorus includes an unwilling disciplinarian sergeant. It is interesting to compare the American approach to this characterisation with that of British film makers, for example the stern, but inwardly soft-hearted, training sergeant in Carry On Sergeant.

There is a song and dance number with beauties and their beaux ... a man in the audience nudges his neighbour and says, "That's my son -- the fourth from the left."

The other man replies, "Very pretty, isn't he!"

A black twosome do a very energetic jive dance routine.

Here Irving Berlin chats with a performer in a break in filming -- from a studio still.

The film was made with the willing help of many many gay men who had been called up (drafted), and at that time the armed forces were still pretty much anti-gay; however the popularity of the film prevented the forces of reaction from doing much about it.

HF April 2006

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