World War II

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

Tabs

About

“When we declared war on Japan and Germany, we were given a task to train all of the civil defense people in New York City. We put together a whole list of shows on civil defense, and we broadcast those to all of New York City. All of the firemen and policemen in New York City had to take the course. They sat down in front of TV screens and viewed these programs. We quickly taught a lot of people about what to do in wartimes. Finally in 1942 the Federal Communication Commission said that television would have to close down. They didn't want the signals on the air. So NBC television closed down for the duration. Some of the people on the TV staff were taken into the Navy to work on special projects.” - Garry Simpson, Producer/Director

Interviewees discuss World War II (1939-45) and its coverage on television.

Highlights

Garry Simpson on showing civil defense films during World War II and NBC not broadcasting television during the war after 1942

Frances Buss Buch on working on the CBS TV news program when Pearl Harbor was attacked

Steve Allen on being drafted into World War II

Angela Lansbury on her recollections of the outbreak of World War II

Bill Dana on the Leopoldville disaster, the "Cheshire Cats," and visiting Dachau concentration camp

Delbert Mann on serving in the Air Force during World War II

Who talked about this topic

Robert Adler

Robert Adler on early projects he was assigned at Zenith and on Zenith and World War II

Mary V. Ahern

Mary V. Ahern on her experience during World War II

Steve Allen

Steve Allen on being drafted into World War II

Alex Anderson

Alex Anderson on his experiences during World War II

Howard Anderson, Jr.

Howard Anderson Jr. on his military service

Charlie Andrews

Charlie Andrews on his service in World War II

Army Archerd

Army Archerd on serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II

James Arness

James Arness on his experience with World War II

Bob Banner

Bob Banner on his service in World War II

Erik Barnouw

Erik Barnouw on how World War II impacted him and his work

Erik Barnouw on forming and heading the Armed Forces Radio Services education unit

Ralph M. Baruch

Ralph M. Baruch on his family's experiences in World War II in Germany and France

Joe Behar

Joe Behar on getting drafted in World War II

Donald Bellisario

Donald Bellisario on early memories of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor

Donald Bellisario on his childhood town's reaction to World War II

Dick Berg

Dick Berg on his experiences in World War II

Walter Bernstein

Walter Bernstein on being drafted in 1941, serving in public relations during World War II, and writing a musical comedy play for the troops (pre-USO)

Walter Bernstein on getting transferred to do public relations for the Irving Berlin play "This is the Army" during World War II, controversy over a piece he wrote for The New Yorker, and getting transferred again to write for Yank magazine

Walter Bernstein on writing for Yank, the official magazine of the Army, and traveling overseas as a magazine correspondent

Walter Bernstein on the Army being aware of his left-leaning political beliefs

Walter Bernstein on reporting for Yank magazine from Jerusalem during World War II; on the atrocities against Jews during World War II

Walter Bernstein on reporting for Yank magazine from combat situations during World War II and interviewing Tito in Yugoslavia without the Army's consent

Wade Bingham

Wade Bingham on the types of films he made as a child, and on making training films during World War II

Lucille Bliss

Lucille Bliss on performing at Armed Forces Talent Shows during World War II and auditioning the Marine Corps Band

Haskell Boggs

Haskell Boggs on his activities during World War II

Al Borden

Al Borden on his experience in World War II and living through the Great Depression

Al Borden on his service in World War II

Eric Braeden

Eric Braeden on growing up in Germany during World War II

David Brinkley

David Brinkley on his World War II experience

Frances Buss Buch

Frances Buss Buch on working on the CBS TV news program when Pearl Harbor was attacked

Ken Burns

Ken Burns on producing the WWII documentary The War: A Ken Burns Film

Josie Carey

Josie Carey on the impact of World War II on her family as she was growing up

Marge Champion

Marge Champion on her experiences during World War II

Julia Child

Julia Child on her time in the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) during World War II

Julia Child on her time in the OSS during World War II (continued)

Sam Christaldi

Sam Christaldi on World War II's impact on Du Mont

Robert Clary

Robert Clary on being placed in a concentration camp with this family during World War II

Robert Clary on being liberated from Buchenwald in 1945

Robert Clary on how Hogan's Heroes was vastly different from his own real life World War II experience, and more on his character, "LeBeau"

Robert Clary on his eventual decision to share his and his family's story of being placed in a concentration camp during World War II

Robert Clary on his work speaking about the Holocaust for the Shoah Foundation, and on being the subject of the documentary "Robert Clary A5714: A Memoir of Liberation"

Art Clokey

Art Clokey on working with film during World War II

Nick Clooney

Nick Clooney on how his family was affected by World War II

Shelley Berman with Emerson College

Shelley Berman on the importance of comedy in his life, on the importance of comedy during World War II, and on Jewish humor

Henry Colman

Henry Colman on serving in the Air Force during World War II

Fred de Cordova

Fred de Cordova on his experiences in World War II

Alexander Courage

Alexander Courage on becoming a bandleader in the Army during World War II and attending the Army Music School

Alexander Courage on starting to arrange music while he was in the Army

Richard Crenna

Richard Crenna on his activities during World War II

Bill Dana

Bill Dana on the Leopoldville disaster, the "Cheshire Cats," and visiting Dachau concentration camp

Bill Dana on being sent to witness the concentration camp at Dachau by President Eisenhower

Ossie Davis

Ossie Davis on his experience during World War II

James Day

James Day on his experiences in World War II

Sam Donaldson

Sam Donaldson on being a child during WWII

Louis Dorfsman

Louis Dorfsman on joining the Army during World War II

David Dortort

David Dortort on his activities during World War II

Hugh Downs

Hugh Downs on getting drafted into the Army during World War II

Bob Doyle

Bob Doyle on his experience during World War II

Dominick Dunne

Dominick Dunne on his service in the Army during World War II

Ralph Edwards

Ralph Edwards on his bond, paper, and copper drives with Truth or Consequences during World War II

Ralph Edwards on the 1958 episode of This Is Your Life set in Hawaii to honor those who perished at Pearl Harbor and raise funds for a memorial

George Faber

George Faber on his experiences during World War II

Irving Fein

Irving Fein on trying to serve as a publicist for a General during World War II

Les Flory

Les Flory on commercial television coming to a halt when World War II started and the development of new technologies during the war years

Horton Foote

Horton Foote on his activities during World War II, and on bringing his play "Only the Heart" to Broadway

June Foray

June Foray on writing scripts for the Office of Civilian Defense during World War II

Jonathan Frid

Jonathan Frid on his experience during World War II

Murray Fromson

Murray Fromson on seeing his Japanese-American classmates taken out of their classroom a few weeks after the attack on Pearl Harbor, and the discrimination he witnessed against Japanese-Americans

James Garner

James Garner on his family and World War II

Greg Garrison

Greg Garrison on his experience in World War II

David Gerber

David Gerber on his experience in World War II

Thomas T. Goldsmith, Jr.

Thomas T. Goldsmith, Jr. on World War II interrupting and delaying the development of television

Thomas T. Goldsmith, Jr. on DuMont Laboratories' activities during World War II

Lewis Gomavitz

Lewis Gomavitz on his experience with World War II

Lewis Gomavitz on his experiences with World War II and on working at an experimental television station

Julian Goodman

Julian Goodman on serving in World War II for a short time and contracting pneumonia

Earle Hagen

Earle Hagen on joining the radio production unit of the Air Force during World War II

Paul Henning

Paul Henning on writing for the radio version of The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show during World War II

Albert Heschong

Albert Heschong on his activities during World War II and on doing sets for "Pursuit of Happiness"

Don Hewitt

Don Hewitt on his experience during World War II

Pat Hitchcock

Pat Hitchcock O'Connell on coming to the United States as a child and her recollections of World War II

Martin Hoade

Martin Hoade on his experience with World War II

Martin Hoade on directing the made-for-television movie Duty Bound, about the Vietnam War

Hal Holbrook

Hal Holbrook on going into the Army during World War II

Stanley Hubbard

Stanley Hubbard on the pause in the development of television during World War II and his father's early radio stations

Roy Huggins

Roy Huggins on his activities during World War II

Alan Jaggs

Alan Jaggs on his service in World War II

Joseph Jennings

Joseph Jennings on his activities during World War II

Loren Jones

Loren Jones on having been privy to the development on the atom bomb

Hal Kanter

Hal Kanter on his experience of World War II with Bob Hope

Sidney M. Katz

Sidney M. Katz on his experience as an editor and filmmaker in World War II

Bob Keeshan

Bob Keeshan on his experiences in World War II

Lynwood King

Lynwood King on his experiences in World War II

Jack Klugman

Jack Klugman on being drafted in War World II

Perry Lafferty

Perry Lafferty on his activities during World War II, including working for Armed Forces Radio

Rita Lakin

Rita Lakin on the first time she saw television, and on her experience with World War II

Angela Lansbury

Angela Lansbury on her recollections of the outbreak of World War II

Ring Lardner, Jr.

Ring Lardner, Jr. on his experiences during World War II

Peter Lassally

Peter Lassally on how his German family was affected by World War II

Norman Lear

Norman Lear on his experience with World War II in the Air Force

Jim Lehrer

Jim Lehrer on his experience growing up during World War II

Richard Lewis

Richard Lewis on his experience during World War II

Frank Liberman

Frank Liberman on his experience with World War II

William Link

William Link on his family's experience of World War II

Jay Livingston

Ray Evans and Jay Livingston on how World War II affected them

Ray Evans and Jay Livingston on how World War II affected them

James L. Loper

James L. Loper on how World War II affected his family

Sidney Lumet

Sidney Lumet on his experience during World War II

Stewart MacGregory

Stewart MacGregory on getting into radio in New York and the onset of World War II

Stewart MacGregory on his experiences in World War II

Stewart MacGregory on becoming a cryptograph specialist in World War II

Robert MacNeil

Robert MacNeil on his experience of World War II

Delbert Mann

Delbert Mann on serving in the Air Force during World War II

Delbert Mann on entering World War II, his recollections of Pearl Harbor, and joining the Air Force

Delbert Mann on D-Day, V-E Day and V-J Day; on seeing special service troops perform

Abby Mann

Abby Mann on writing the Playhouse 90 classic "Judgment at Nuremberg"

Abby Mann on writing Playhouse 90: "Judgement at Nuremberg"

Martin Manulis

Martin Manulis on his experience during World War II

Peter Marshall

Peter Marshall on his service in World War II

Garry Marshall

Producer Garry Marshall on being a child in New York during WWII

Leslie H. Martinson

Leslie H. Martinson on his experiences in World War II

Bob May

Bob May on continuing to work with Olsen & Johnson when he was drafted into the Army during World War II

Ed McMahon

Ed McMahon on his activities during World War II

Bill Melendez

Bill Melendez on his experiences during World War II

Vic Mizzy

Vic Mizzy on serving in the Navy's welfare recreation office during World War II - working on films and writing shows

Vic Mizzy on composing songs that became hits during World War II

Vic Mizzy on playing the organ for the Navy during World War II and falling ill

Paul Monash

Paul Monash on his experience during World War II

Thomas W. Moore

Thomas W. Moore on his experience with World War II

Priscilla Morgan

Priscilla Morgan on her brother's experience in World War II and joining the WAVES

Priscilla Morgan on her experiences in the Navy WAVES

Pat Morita

Pat Morita on his family being placed in an internment camp during World War II

Pat Morita on starring in Farewell to Manzanar, which portrayed the Japanese internment camps

Tad Mosel

Tad Mosel on growing up in the Great Depression and his experience in World War II

Frank Nastasi

Frank Nastasi on his service in World War II

Anne Nelson

Anne Nelson on CBS Radio during World War II, and on content concerns

David Newell

David Newell on how World War II impacted his family

Hugh O'Brian

Hugh O'Brian on his World War II service

Fess Parker

Fess Parker on his experience during World War II

Arthur Penn

Arthur Penn on his experience with World War II, and on meeting Fred Coe and Lester Shorr

Arthur Penn on putting on plays while touring around Europe during World War II

Don Pike

Don Pike on engineering cameras for bombs during World War II

Abraham Polonsky

Abraham Polonsky on his experience with World War II

Abraham Polonsky on being involved with the OSS during World War II

Tom Poston

Tom Poston on his service in World War II

David Pressman

David Pressman on his service in World War II

Jacques Pépin

Jacques Pépin on his family's experience with World War II, and on food rationing during the war

Ward Quaal

Ward Quaal on the country entering Word War II and on announcing the attack on Pearl Harbor

Arthur Rankin, Jr.

Arthur Rankin Jr. on World War II delaying his career

Sumner Redstone

Sumner Redstone on code breaking during World War II

Del Reisman

Del Reisman on his service during World War II, and on his education

Del Reisman on the impact World War II had on Rod Serling's writing, and on Serling's celebrity, brought about by The Twilight Zone

Gene Reynolds

Gene Reynolds on his service in the Navy in World War II

Larry Rhine

Larry Rhine on his experience with World War II

Hank Rieger

Hank Rieger on serving in World War II and having his first experience with public relations during the war

Heino Ripp

Heino Ripp on being in the newsroom on D-Day

Andy Rooney

Andy Rooney on his experience in World War II, and on writing for Stars and Stripes

Andy Rooney on his work at Stars and Stripes during World War II

Andy Rooney on the CBS Radio coverage of World War II, and on going to Normandy in the wake of D-Day

Andy Rooney on his editors at Stars and Stripes and on encountering Ernest Hemingway

Andy Rooney on covering the end of World War II for Stars and Stripes

Phil Rosenthal

Phil Rosenthal on being named after his grandfather and how his grandfather survived during World War II

Stanley Rubin

Stanley Rubin on serving in the Motion Picture Unit during World War II

Morley Safer

Morley Safer on being a child of World War II

Isabel Sanford

Isabel Sanford on her experience with World War II, and on her early memories of television and movies

Thomas W. Sarnoff

Thomas W. Sarnoff on his military service during World War II (and briefly on his father being a general)

Edgar J. Scherick

Edgar Scherick on getting drafted into the Air Corps as a meteorologist during World War II

Bob Schiller

Bob Schiller on his five-year service during World War II

Daniel Schorr

Daniel Schorr on his experiences during World War II

Daniel Schorr on his experiences during World War II

Sherwood Schwartz

Sherwood Schwartz on serving in the U.S. Army and writing for Armed Forces Radio during World War II

Ralph Senensky

Ralph Senensky on serving in World War II

Mel Shavelson

Mel Shavelson on Bob Hope's travels around the world entertaining soldiers during World War II

David Shaw

David Shaw on his activities during World War II

Sidney Sheldon

Sidney Sheldon on serving in the Air Force during World War II and writing plays

John Silva

John Silva on how World War II affected his family; on becoming a radar officer in World War II

John Silva on the technological innovations he learned about as a a radar officer in World War II

Garry Simpson

Garry Simpson on serving in the Navy as a test engineer

Garry Simpson on showing civil defense films during World War II and NBC not broadcasting television during the war after 1942

Abby Singer

Abby Singer on his time in World War II

Howard K. Smith

Howard K. Smith on getting arrested by the Gestapo

Howard K. Smith on censorship he faced at CBS radio in Berlin during World War II

Howard K. Smith on leaving Germany and arriving in Switzerland on December 7, 1941

Bob Smith

"Buffalo" Bob Smith on his experience with World War II

Sid Smith

Sid Smith on joining the Marine Corps College Program during World War II; on transferring to the Navy

Ben Starr

Ben Starr on serving in World War II as an Air Force Navigator and earning the Distinguished Flying Cross

Fred Steiner

Fred Steiner on his experience of World War II, composing music for propaganda

Jerry Stiller

Jerry Stiller on serving in World War II

Brandon Stoddard

Brandon Stoddard on developing The Winds of War and War and Remembrance

Gale Storm

Gale Storm on her involvement with the war effort during World War II

George Takei

George Takei on being confined to an American internment camp during World War II

Stanford Tischler

Stanford Tishchler on serving in World War II as a film editor

Clint Walker

Clint Walker on serving in the Merchant Marines during World War II

James Wall

James Wall on his service during World War II

James Wall on going overseas to serve during World War II

James Wall on dancing to boost the morale of the troops during World War II

James Wall on segregation in the Army during World War II

Joseph A. Wapner

Joseph Wapner on learning of President Roosevelt's death during World War II

Ruth Warrick

Ruth Warrick on World War II

Bob Weiskopf

Bob Weiskopf on his service in World War II while working for The Fred Allen Show

Bob Weiskopf on his wife almost going to an internment camp during World War II

Lou Weiss

Lou Weiss on moving up through the ranks at William Morris and his experience with World War II

Betty White

Betty White on her experience with World War II

Ethel Winant

Ethel Winant on her experience during World War II

Perry Wolff

Perry Wolff on his experience in World War II and writing a novel about it

Bud Yorkin

Bud Yorkin on his service in World War II

Frederic Ziv

Frederic Ziv on how his company was affected by World War II

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