World War II Documentary Double Feature: With the Marines at Tarawa (1944) / Fury in the Pacific (1945)

WITH THE MARINES AT TARAWA (1944): This Academy Award-winning documentary is the definitive look at one of the bloodiest battles of World War II, from its original planning stages to its final, fateful execution. Filmed graphically and violently in full color as it happened, it includes life on the transport vessels as they make their way to Tarawa, views of the landing craft heading to shore and the arrival of the Marines, aerial bombardment, mortar fire and some truly brutal combat scenes. In fact, the unflinching violence on display was so ghastly that President Franklin D. Roosevelt had qualms about releasing the film, only changing his mind after discussing it with his friend, TIME magazine photographer Robert Sherrod. Much of the action was actually filmed by actor Louis Hayward, who charged into battle with a 16mm camera in hand and was eventually rewarded with a Bronze Star for his heroism. Hayward is best known for swashbuckling films like The Son of Monte Cristo (1940). Narration is provided by William Lundigan, who in addition to starring in potboilers like State Department File 649 (1948) and The White Orchid (1954), was also the host of the popular CBS anthology series Climax! (1954-1958) Despite the initial controversy surrounding the film's releases, With the Marines at Tarawa received the 1944 Oscar for Best Documentary Short Subject. A replica of the original award is still on display today at the National Museum of the Marine Corps.

FURY IN THE PACIFIC (1945): Fury in the Pacific is an eyewitness account of two crucial battles in the Pacific Theater: the Battle of Peleliu and the Battle of Angaur. It is unique in that it is a co-production between three different branches of the United States Military - the Navy, the Army, and the Marines. Though often credited to Frank Capra, Fury in the Pacific was actually directed by a series of combat cameramen - eight of whom perished during filming. It is also noted for its particularly gruesome images of the war dead. The take-no-prisoners narration is by Richard Carlson, best remembered for his roles in classic sci-fi films such as It Came from Outer Space (1953) and Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954) as well the TV series I Led 3 Lives (1953-1956), in which he played real-life spy Herbert Philbrick.

BONUS: The Omar N. Bradley Story (1963): To combat flagging patriotism during the Cold War, the U.S. Army Signal Corps Pictorial Center produced The Big Picture, a weekly television series that combined actual wartime newsreels with Hollywood footage to revisit the greatest victories of World War II. "The Omar N. Bradley Story", part of The Big Picture's 'Famous Generals' series-within-a-series, familiarizes us with the humble man who led the Allied forces on D-Day and then into Germany during the final days of WWII. An on-camera introduction is supplied by Walter Matthau, who himself served with distinction as a radioman-gunner stationed in England. The Big Picture must have struck a patriotic chord, as new episodes continued to be produced until 1971, eventually branching out into the Korean and Vietnam wars. (The Big Picture is now available from Alpha Video in both individual volumes and multi-disc sets.)