WWII: Big Battles, Great Generals

WWII: Big Battles, Great Generals

Season 1
These WWII films were hand-picked by the U.S. National Archives for this collection. Includes rare and Technicolor WWII films, an Academy Award-winner, a banned masterpiece, confiscated Nazi footage, film from the battlefield, and narration by Ronald Reagan and Walter Cronkite.
19809 episodes13+
Available to buy

Episodes

  1. S1 E1 - Midway

    September 14, 1942
    18min
    13+
    Oscar-winning director John Ford, who shot most of this Academy Award-winning documentary himself, was seriously wounded during its filming. The footage was captured during the actual attack by Japan. In color. Includes narration by actor Henry Fonda.
    Available to buy
  2. S1 E2 - Tarawa

    March 2, 1944
    19min
    13+
    A harrowing Academy Award-winning short film from 1944 that shows an amphibious landing by the Marines on the island of Tarawa. They are there to capture a major Japanese airbase. Viewer discretion is advised.
    Available to buy
  3. S1 E3 - Pearl Harbor

    January 1, 1943
    1 h 21 min
    13+
    The longer version of Academy Award-winner John Ford's Oscar-winning short film (1944) about the Dec. 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor. Includes actual and re-created footage of the attacks. Features Walter Huston. Viewer discretion is advised.
    Available to buy
  4. S1 E4 - Eisenhower

    January 1, 1963
    29min
    13+
    This film, narrated by Oscar-nominated actor Raymond Massey, shows the life of a man who is a symbol and a leader of one of the greatest military victories ever won by the U.S.: Dwight D. Eisenhower. Introduction by Academy Award-winner Walter Matthau.
    Available to buy
  5. S1 E5 - Bradley

    January 1, 1963
    29min
    13+
    The story of General Omar N. Bradley, a man of quiet dignity, yet he had a punch that packed a terrific wallop. Find out what made him one of America's most successful Army generals. Introduction by Academy Award-winning actor Walter Matthau.
    Available to buy
  6. S1 E6 - MacArthur

    January 1, 1963
    29min
    13+
    Narrated by Walter Cronkite and with an introduction by Walter Matthau, this 1963 film chronicles the career of General Douglas MacArthur with an emphasis on World War II action in the Pacific and during the post-war era in Japan.
    Available to buy
  7. S1 E7 - Patton

    January 1, 1963
    28min
    13+
    A remarkable and informative documentary about General George S. Patton, Jr., narrated by Ronald Reagan, that tells the story of a soldier who lived for action and glory and reached the heights in serving his country.
    Available to buy
  8. S1 E8 - Nuremberg

    January 1, 1946
    1 h 14 min
    13+
    A grim account of the Nuremberg trials from 1946. The courtroom was dominated by a large movie screen upon which the prosecution showed films of Nazi atrocities. Much of this footage was confiscated from Nazi officials. Viewer discretion is advised.
    Available to buy
  9. S1 E9 - Light

    December 16, 1980
    58min
    13+
    This once-banned masterpiece by Oscar-winning director John Huston has been hailed as one of the greatest war films ever. The 1946 film, narrated by Oscar-winner Walter Huston, is an emotional look at the subject of war and its impact on the human psyche.
    Available to buy