Your Job in Germany

A short film supervised by Frank Capra, scripted by Dr. Seuss (!) and narrated by Dana Andrews for the US War Department.

It's powerful, direct, no-nonsense stuff, skillfully put over and fascinating to watch. It is very different from anything one would usually associate with Frank Capra or Dr. Seuss.

Just a few notes about this picture. First, the narrator is John Lund, not Dana Andrews as mentioned in an earlier review. Second, this OWI short was slightly expanded, re-scored (by William Lava), the narration re-recorded by Knox Manning, was re-titled "HITLER LIVES?" and released theatrically by Warner Bros. While the images are striking and the script disturbing, John Lund's reading of the text is, for the most part, adult and instructive. Compare this with Knox Manning's over-the-top, almost rabid, alarmist narration. Musically, the Tiomkin-Newman et al scoring for the War Dept. version is sober while William Lava's treatment is typical Warner Bros. bravura. The same film intended for two entirely different audiences. Only slightly different in the footage (the Warner version includes some studio-shot material of race-baiters and rabblerowsers) yet the execution of the aural elements legions apart. And, as noted by another reviewer, it is striking how in both versions the word Jew is not uttered once, nor are the Jews identified as the primary target of the Nazi atrocities. When I first saw this film (I recently acquired a 16mm print of the Warner version), one thing struck me dead center. The plea for children to be children and not to be molded into tools for the state. Some might make the same plea today.

The makers of this film obviously knew that the American soldiers on occupation duty would be fraternizing with the German populace. Many American soldiers, then as now, were of German descent. They would naturally be tempted to explore their ethnic homeland. Other soldiers would simply be responding to the kindness that the German population showed them, or the tragic poverty that the German civilians experienced after the war. But the threat of counter-insurgency was a real concern, and soldiers needed to retain their perspective as an occupying force. So this film, an obvious piece of propaganda, wildly exaggerated German history to paint the German populace as being something different from their American military occupiers. It is a blatant attempt to dehumanize one of the world's most vibrant and creative cultures. To view this film as an accurate representation of German behavior and culture or as an explanation of the root causes of the Holocaust is ludicrous. Before one condemns the German populace of extraordinary callousness or zeal in supporting its government, I would offer a reminder of the Japanese and German-American citizens who were entered in concentration camps in the United States during the Second World War with the full cooperation of the American populace. Do we know even today what the U.S. government is doing to those it has interred in Guantanamo Bay, again with the full support of the American people? Perhaps we should look to our own glass house before we start throwing stones at others.

I am not going to give a numerical score to this film--it really isn't very easy considering that "Your Job in Germany" is pure propaganda--and very angry propaganda to boot. Now I am not saying that the film isn't true in many ways nor am I ignoring that the anger was more than justified--but the film isn't one you can easily rate or classify. It is, however, a fascinating look into the mind of the Allied cause at the end of the war in Europe.

The film was made to be shown to occupying troops in Germany. Much of it is a history lesson about German militarism beginning with the conquests of Kaiser Wilhelm I and Otto Von Bismark and moves to the present time. Interestingly, the film never really talks about the Holocaust, though it essentially brands the German people as evil. Considering the deaths of many millions at their hand, this view is certainly understandable though clearly not politically correct. It also admonishes soldiers NEVER to talk to the Germans or be friendly in any way towards them--just be professional and keep on guard for any indications that another war could be brewing. It's all quite paranoid and angry--but it is also a sign of the times--and an interesting piece of our history.

By the way, although it's not listed on IMDb, a companion film "Our job in Japan" is also available like this film from archive.org (whose films are frequently linked to IMDb). In this Japanese occupation film, the Japanese people are described more as dangerous but misguided and soldiers are encouraged to show the conquered people decency and friendship. Interesting, that's for sure.

Also, this film (and probably the Japanese one as well) was written by Theodore Geisel--that's Dr. Seuss to most folks.

This film was previewed by several US generals before being shown to the troops. Most of the generals approved of it. However, General George Patton didn't like the film and gave it a one word review, "Bull....".

See "General Patton, A Soldier's Life" by Stanley Hirshson, published 2002.

I have seen the film but have not seen the similar film for Japan, which I understand is even more strident.

It is interesting that Dr. Seuss (Theodore Geisel) made Army training films that received academy awards (Oscars).