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Mark_Harris132 karma

I can think of a lot of documentary filmmakers who put themselves in danger in battle zones already. But I can't imagine a situation in which the Defense Dept. would ask Hollywood filmmakers to help. We're in such a different world now, and there are so many more ways for people to get news about a war...

Mark_Harris100 karma

For me the biggest research surprises came when I was working on the book, and they were mostly contained in the letters these five directors wrote back to their wives or loved ones. I got a great sense of them as people thrust into a situation in which they'd never imagined they'd find themselves. Also, seeing the "outtakes" from John Huston's staged "San Pietro" at the National Archives was revelatory in terms of having a glimpse of how a great director developed his technique.

Mark_Harris75 karma

It was Gen. George Marshall's idea to use Hollywood directors instead of journalists or the makers of newsreels. He admired the storytelling skills of Hollywood directors--he had seen how much emotion their movies could spark in audiences during the Depression--and he thought they could bring some of those narrative skills to their war work. He felt their passion would come across to both homefront moviegoers and new recruits.

Mark_Harris74 karma

I'm not sure what it is NOW, but here's a confession: Before I started research on the book, I had never seen Casablanca! That's a pretty big omission, don't you think?!

Mark_Harris43 karma

On so many levels, you have the wrong Mark Harris.