Hollywood Goes to War

Monday, August 4 at 3 a.m. ET!

Hosted by Oliver North

Hollywood was instrumental in shaping the resolve of the American public during the gloomy days of World War II. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, President Franklin Roosevelt used America’s love affair with the movies to keep the public firmly behind the war effort. FDR established the Office of War Information, which became heavily involved in regulating the Hollywood studios as they churned out war films at breakneck speed. Films like “Confessions of a Nazi Spy” and “The Purple Heart” helped galvanize the American public against two brutal enemies.

In this special episode of “War Stories,” Oliver North sits down with actors Cliff Robertson and Tony Curtis, who talk about how movies like “Dawn Patrol” and “Crash Dive” inspired them to join the military. Tony Curtis also describes witnessing the Japanese surrender in Tokyo Bay. In a rare interview, Alfred Hitchcock’s daughter, Patricia, explains how her father used his films to take on the Nazis. And Hollywood legend Mickey Rooney reminisces about putting on “jeep shows” in brutal combat areas throughout Europe.

Eddie Albert, who later starred in television’s “Green Acres,” tells how he saved many Marines from certain death at Tarawa in the South Pacific. And you’ll hear how superstars Clark Gable and Jimmy Stewart left Hollywood at the height of their careers to fly dangerous bombing missions over Germany.

Staff for this episode:

Executive Producer: Pamela K. Browne

Produced and Written by: Steven Tierney

Associate Producers: Christina Diaz; Michael Weiss

Editor: Eddie Montague

Designer: Yong Kim and Murugesan Sundaramurthy