Big Picture, The

Synopsis

The Cold War of the 1950s resulted in many US television programmes produced by government and industry to promote their own interests. The longest running and best received of these was the U.S. Army’s BIG PICTURE series. From 1951 to 1964, in syndication or on the ABC television network, these public relations programmes presented straight documentary films produced by the Army Pictorial Center. These productions depicted various facets of the U.S. Army in action, including great battles, new weaponry, training and equipment and the historical roles played by the Army’s various divisions and branches. Most of the footage used in this series came from the Army’s own vast authentic and re-enactment training film library.

Disc 1
6TH INFANTRY DIVISION - The 6th Infantry Division of World War II holds the unchallenged record for consecutive days of continuous combat in the Pacific Theater, 219 days.
1ST CAVALRY & 41ST DIVISION - The 1st Cavalry has seen action from Bull Run to Baghdad, but during WWII, the first team played a pivotal role in retaking the Philippines.
AIRBORNE TO BATTLE - Air mobility has been a key concept since World War II and in Korea and afterwards, the concept of "vertical envelopment" continued to evolve and grow in importance.
KING OF BATTLE - Field artillery is a category of mobile weapons used to support armies in the field, known as the King of Battle.

Disc 2
D-DAY ANNIVERSARY - During World War II, many invasions and operations had a designated D-Day, denoting the day on which a combat attack or operation was to be initiated.
PARIS ‘44 - The Liberation of Paris took place in late August 1944, marking the end of Operation Overlord.
TIGERS ON THE LOOSE - The 10th Armored Division, nicknamed the Tiger Division, served under General George S. Patton in World War II. When the German army launched its offensive in the Battle of the Bulge, the "Tiger" division provided support to Allied forces in the town of Bastogne, Belgium.

Language

English

Country

United States

Year of release

2008

Year of production

1951

Subjects

History; Media studies

Keywords

archive television; Cold War; propaganda; public relations; United States Army; public information films

Distribution Formats

Type

DVD

Format

Region 2 PAL

Price

£19.99

Availability

Sale

Duration/Size

235 minutes

Year

2008

Production Company

Name

Army Pictorial Center, The

Distributor

Name

Quantum Leap

Notes

The company ceased trading in 2018. It was previously a distributor and online retailer specialising in non-fiction DVD titles on a wide variety of subjects, particularly in the areas of music instruction, music performance, sport instruction, and health. Some titles also available through retail outlets.

 

Available from retail outlets