Interviewees discuss World War II (1939-45) and its coverage on television.
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
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
Joseph Behar
Joe Behar on getting drafted in World War II
Donald P. Bellisario
Donald P. Bellisario on early memories of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor
Donald P. Bellisario on his childhood town's reaction to World War II
Dick Berg
Dick Berg on his experiences in 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
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
Robert Caminiti
Robert Caminiti on his childhood experiences, World War II and witnessing anti-semitism as a kid in New York City
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
Henry Colman
Henry Colman on serving in the Air Force during 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 being sent to witness the concentration camp at Dachau by President Eisenhower
Bill Dana on the Leopoldville disaster, the "Cheshire Cats," and visiting Dachau concentration camp
Ossie Davis
Ossie Davis on his experience during World War II
James Day
James Day on his experiences in World War II
Fred de Cordova
Fred de Cordova 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
Ray Forrest
Ray Forrest on his on-air announcement of the start of World War II
Ray Forrest on being drafted into the TFPL (Training Film Production Laboratory) in World War II
Ray Forrest on working for the Signal Corps during World War II and then joining the OSS (because he spoke fluent German), and getting into a serious vehicle accident
Ray Forrest on visiting the TV station and appearing on television in uniform 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
Don Herbert
Don Herbert on his experience with 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 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
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
Norman Lear with Emerson College
Norman Lear on where he was on December 7, 1941 and on his time in the army
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
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
Abby Mann
Abby Mann on writing the Playhouse 90 classic "Judgment at Nuremberg"
Abby Mann on writing Playhouse 90: "Judgement at Nuremberg"
Delbert Mann
Delbert Mann on entering World War II, his recollections of Pearl Harbor, and joining the Air Force
Delbert Mann on serving in the Air Force during World War II
Delbert Mann on D-Day, V-E Day and V-J Day; on seeing special service troops perform
Martin Manulis
Martin Manulis on his experience during World War II
Garry Marshall
Producer Garry Marshall on being a child in New York during WWII
Peter Marshall
Peter Marshall on his service in World War II
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
David McCallum
David McCallum on his memories of bombs falling in England during World War II
Jim McKay
Jim McKay on his experience of World War II
Ed McMahon
Ed McMahon on his activities during World War II
Barney McNulty
Barney McNulty on his experience of World War II
Bill Melendez
Bill Melendez on his experiences during World War II
JP Miller
JP Miller on how the great depression and World War II impacted him
JP Miller on getting hurt while fighting in 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
Louis Nye with Emerson College
Louis Nye on material he did about World War II that he performed for G.I.s and for officers
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
Jacques Pépin
Jacques Pépin on his family's experience with World War II, and on food rationing during the war
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
Ward Quaal
Ward Quaal on the country entering Word War II and on announcing the attack on Pearl Harbor
Sterling Quinlan
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on his experience with World War II
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
Doris Singleton
Doris Singleton on her husband, Charlie Isaacs, volunteering for service in World War II
Howard Smit
Howard Smit on his experiences during World War II
Howard Smit on participating in making training films for World War II
Bob Smith
"Buffalo" Bob Smith on his experience with 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
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
Noel Taylor
Noel Taylor on his experience of 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
Joseph Wershba
Joseph Wershba on his experience with World War II
Betty White
Betty White on her experience with World War II
Andy Williams
Andy Williams on his brothers being drafted into World War II and singing in other groups until his brothers returned
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