German military hospital; liberated German town
Creator(s)
- Special Coverage Unit (SPECOU) (Producer)
- Library of Congress - Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Division (MBRS)
- George C. Stevens (Director)
Biographical History
George Stevens (December 18, 1904 – March 8, 1975) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter and cinematographer. During World War II, Stevens joined the U.S. Army Signal Corps and headed a film unit from 1943 to 1946 under General Eisenhower. His unit shot footage documenting D-Day — including the only Allied European Front color film of the war — the liberation of Paris and the meeting of American and Soviet forces at the Elbe River, as well as horrific scenes from the Duben labor camp and the Dachau concentration camp. Stevens also helped prepare the Duben and Dachau footage and other material for presentation during the Nuremberg Trials. In 2008, his footage was entered into the U.S. National Film Registry by the Librarian of Congress as an "essential visual record" of World War II.
The Special Coverage Unit (SPECOU) was placed under the control of the Supreme Headquarters' Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF). The SPECOU consists of 45 people: writers like Ivan Moffat, William Saroyan and Irwin Shaw; cameramen like Dick Hoar, Ken Marthey, William Mellor, Jack Muth; sound operators as Bill Hamilton, who comes from Columbia, assistant directors, as Holly Morse, who has worked with Hal Roach.
Scope and Content
Building that is serving as hospital (German military hospital). Patients in yard. German ambulances with Red Cross symbol. German officer in uniform walking down street with white band on left arm. Shot of street, old man, horse drawn cart. Gene Solow (war correspondent) and GIs walking down the street. LS of street with horse drawn cart and civilians pulling wagon. Street sign unreadable indicating direction to neighboring towns. Shot of street and woman and other civilians, giving it the feel of a 'normal' town. Top sign reads: "Arolsan 43 kms" beneath it sign reads: "Ederze 13 kms." Grey building, letters engraved on wall "Gewerdebank." Pan to civilians and children walking in streets as well as older man. Shot of town square, GIs with young German girl looking on. Two German military walk guarded by American soldier. Bill Hamilton smoking pipe on street. *In handwritten annotations to LoC cataloger's notes the town described above is listed as possibly being Wanzleben, Germany.
People
- Stevens, George, 1904-1975.
Corporate Bodies
- United States. Army. Signal Corps. Special Coverage Unit
Subjects
- CIVILIANS
- HOSPITALS
- WOMEN
- GERMANY
- RED CROSS
- STREETS
- CARTS/WAGONS
- CHILDREN
- SOLDIERS/MILITARY (GERMAN)
- ARMBANDS
- STEVENS, GEORGE
- WOUNDED
- SOLDIERS/MILITARY (AMERICAN)
- BUILDINGS
- SIGNS/POSTERS
- PRISONERS (GERMAN)
Places
- , Germany
- Duben, Germany
Genre
- Unedited.
- Film