Victory in St. Lo; rubble; US military parade; German prisoners
Creator(s)
- Library of Congress - Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Division (MBRS)
- Special Coverage Unit (SPECOU) (Producer)
- 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
Long line of troops, camera mounted on jeep. Civilians wheeling belongings in wheel barrel. Excellent shot of cameraman shooting on tripod on jeep covering. Tanks through crowd down road. MPs walking with French civilians. Tracking shot, civilians waving. Hamilton, Stevens toasting with French civilians. Americans drinking with French civilians sitting on jeep. Stevens gives "V" sign. Stevens and other Americans by sea. A flurry of activity near hedgerow. Ambulance truck has overturned. Bill Hamilton trying to unbend a crushed helmet. Moving shot down bombed out road, many overturned trucks including hospital trucks. Shot of Bill Mellor. Shot of sign pointing in direction "St. Malo." French women in front of cafe "A' la haute Becassiere, Rouault- De Pouez Cafe." Rubble and bombed out street (St. Malo). Buildings are still on fire. Shot of what might be a town hall and other scenes of bombed streets. Two GIs drinking wine by the roadside. CU of bottle, the vineyard is "Johnston." Civilian trying to sell Hamilton a bottle. Town square, a larger less damaged town. Considerable civilian activity, bicycles, etc. French flags, British and American flags on Buildings. CUs of GIs drinking from wine bottle. Sign reads: "Rue de L'Hermine." An African soldier. Sign pointing to "Rennes 13 kms" to right, "Antrain 32 kms" to left. "N776" Jeeps pull out of bivouac with weapons carriers attached. Mobile half track artillery unit firing over water apparently toward island in distance. Explosions over sea. Planes in air. Chateau with formal gardens, French flag. Two GIs boxing in courtyard of chateau. Shot through window of chateau to town in BG. Large crowd of civilians gathered around jeep. Group of 50 waving to camera. Stevens sitting on jeep talking to young children. Shot of truckloads of German prisoners coming through town. GIs riding shotgun on fenders. American Lt. Colonel standing on back of truck typing. Shots of civilian activity in town. French band marching through town past cathedral. Free French forces, some civilians carrying weapons and marching through town, apparently these are French nurses. Pans up to statue of nurse. VS of French military, including a woman in a helmet. Stevens and Captain Holly Morse talking with French. Shots of tanks with GIs and other vehicles coming through town, flags in windows, including tanks. Women throwing flowers to GIs on tank as it passes through town. Civilians waving. Shot of chateau through iron gate. Americans exit. Stevens, Moffat and others in jeep in active street. Studying map. Pan up to cathedral spires. Sign reads: "Prefecture." Ten German prisoners being marched through town, VS. Traveling shot, large sign reads: "Paris --->." A road sign reads: "Versailles 41 kms, Paris 57 kms, N12." Gene Solow, war correspondent, screenwriter. Tracking shot showing jeeps and panning over to river. Bridge across river, Stevens jeep crosses it. Sign says: "Bridge is prohibited for civilian traffic." LS of cathedral with bombed out buildings in FG. Stevens looking through binoculars down river. River barge, named "Charles" in shot. Signs, point to "Sureux 47 kms," "Rouen 81 kms," to right, "Houdon 26 kms" to left. Apparently the place is "Sein-et-oise." Ambulance going across pontoon bridge. Stevens's jeep as it crosses bridge. LS from rear of single jeep crossing bridge.
People
- Stevens, George, 1904-1975.
Corporate Bodies
- United States. Army. Signal Corps. Special Coverage Unit
Subjects
- PRISONERS (GERMAN)
- PRISONERS (FRENCH)
- WEAPONS/ARMS
- BICYCLES
- SOLDIERS/MILITARY (FRENCH)
- STEVENS, GEORGE
- MOVIE CAMERAS
- FRANCE
- BRIDGES
- PHOTOGRAPHS
- MILITARY VEHICLES
- CIVILIANS
- TOWNS
- RUBBLE
- POWS (GERMAN)
- REPORTERS
- STREETS
- TRUCKS
- CAFES
- SOLDIERS/MILITARY (GERMAN)
- CHURCHES
- DESTRUCTION
- MILITARY OFFICERS
- SOLDIERS/MILITARY (AMERICAN)
- CAMERA OPERATORS
- FIRES
- RIVERS
- LIBERATION
- CAMERAS
- JEEPS
- FOOD
- PRISONERS
Places
- , France
Genre
- Unedited.
- Film