Service On Celluloid: Recent Episodes
National WWII Museum
Click HERE to follow the new podcast by The National WWII Museum: Making Masters of the Air.
Masters of the Air is an Apple Original series from executive producers of Band of Brothers and The Pacific, streaming January 26 on Apple TV+.
The series follows the men of the 100th Bomb Group (the “Bloody Hundredth”) as they conduct perilous bombing raids over Nazi Germany and grapple with the frigid conditions, lack of oxygen and sheer terror of combat conducted at 25,000 feet in the air.
Masters of the Air is based on the best-selling book by Donald Miller, and features a stellar cast led by Academy Award nominee Austin Butler, Callum Turner, Anthony Boyle, Nate Mann, Rafferty Law, Academy Award nominee Barry Keoghan, Josiah Cross, Branden Cook and Ncuti Gatwa.
The Making Masters of the Air podcast by The National WWII Museum is co-hosted by Playtone’s Kirk Saduski and Donald Miller, author of the book, Masters of the Air.
Listen to the premiere episode featuring an interview with Executive Producer Tom Hanks on Friday, January 26.
Masters of the Air is an Apple Original series from executive producers of Band of Brothers and The Pacific. Streaming on January 26 on Apple TV+
After 15 years as a historian at The National WWII Museum, Seth Paridon has accepted a position as Deputy Director of the Mississippi Armed Forces Museum at Camp Shelby.
"Stalag 17" is known for its attention to detail, but in this minisode we expand on aspects of the barracks in which the film did not highlight. Tune in as we discuss life at Stalag 17-B from the eyes of a prisoner at war.
Adapted from a play by fellow prisoners of the camp, "Stalag 17" is dubbed as one of the most realistic portrayals of the American POW experience in Europe. Follow along as we delve into the details—set decorations, acts of deception, morale, and more—in this 1953 film.
The controversy of the flag raisers was more complex than an identity crisis, but did it matter to the US Marines who were fighting on Iwo Jima? Hear a firsthand account from Colonel Dave Severance of E Company, 28th Marines speak about the moment the second flag was raised.
The flag raisers on Iwo Jima helped the Seventh War Bond Drive raise $26 billion dollars for the United States in 1945. Our panelists break down "Flags of Our Fathers" and whether the film accurately portrays the drama behind the most popular photograph of World War II.
"You nearly starve to death on a troop ship. We were really happy to get off that thing, even if it meant we were going to be killed,” said late US Marine, Dr. Sidney “Sid” Phillips. The fighting on Guadalcanal was just one purgatory of the first offensive in the Pacific.
In a film produced for the Home Front, "Guadalcanal Diary" was made to boost morale while capturing the hallmark of US Marine Corps history. Families back home got a glimpse of the Pacific theater, but were they being told the truth?
Operation Barbarossa launched Nazi Germany’s plot to conquer the Soviet Union on the Eastern Front in 1941. Death was certain for millions of soldiers and civilians.
Director Sam Peckinpah paints a slow motion picture of the Eastern Front during World War II, where German Wehrmacht no longer know why they are fighting. Tune in as we discuss if Sergeant Steiner and his men accurately represent history in "Cross of Iron."
Hear WWII veterans Edgar Cole, Harold Ward, and Roscoe Brown discuss their time in the segregated armed forces, where German POWs were treated better than African American soldiers.
The War Department’s production of "The Negro Soldier" was culturally significant in 1944, but what is missing from this film? Listen as we discuss the US government’s first acknowledgment of African American contributions to war in this Frank Capra documentary.
"The Remagen bridgehead causes the Führer much anxiety,” wrote German Nazi politician Joseph Goebbels in his diary. Tune in to hear the late Sergeant Charles Hensel of the 291st Engineer Combat Battalion discuss the capture of the Ludendorff Bridge, and discover why Hitler was so anxious about the Americans entering Germany.
From lightning-speed tanks to real set demolition, we take on 1969’s "The Bridge at Remagen" this week. Tune in as we delve into the accuracy of this WWII film made at the height of the Vietnam War.
Hear veterans David Roderick and James Flanagan describe how they conquered “the Westwall” in this week’s discussion about Hitler’s most daunting defense—the Siegfried Line.
In our discussion of "Hell Is for Heroes" (1962), we talk about the repercussions of the “replacement soldier” during the stalemate warfare on the Siegfried Line in 1944. Listen as we discuss the accuracy of this forgotten film that depicts the overlooked 95th Infantry Division.
Henning von Tresckow, a plot leader in the July 1944 assassination attempt of Adolf Hitler, once said, “It is almost certain that we will fail. But how will future history judge the German people if not even a handful of men had the courage to put an end to that criminal?” Follow along in our minisode to "Valkyrie" as we reflect on the “what-ifs” of the assassination attempts on Adolf Hitler, and if they could have changed the war or saved lives.
This week our panelists are joined by critically acclaimed author and professor, Dr. Alexandra Richie, to judge the 2008 thriller "Valkyrie." Tune in as we explore the role of Claus von Stauffenberg in the last assassination attempt of Adolf Hitler, and whether the film replicates the actual attack on the Nazi régime.
"Pearl Harbor" (2001) may not tell the most accurate version of history, but in this minisode we tell the real stories of heroes Doris Miller, Kenneth Taylor, and George Welch. Listen to our host Seth Paridon and the voice of Roy “Swede” Boreen, a sailor who was aboard the USS Oklahoma on December 7, 1941, describe the date that will live in infamy.
This week we bring you the much-anticipated dissection of Michael Bay’s grandiose portrayal of "Pearl Harbor" at the turn of the 21st century. Tune in to hear our experts review Hollywood’s take on the event that plunged the United States into war.
In the minisode to “Operation Finale,” Seth Paridon explores the escapes and trials of SS officers Josef Mengele, Josef Schwammberger, and Franz Stangl. From the “Angel of Death” at Auschwitz to superintendent of the T-4 Euthanasia Program, we take a look at the Nazis’ roles in the most notorious concentration and extermination camps.
The story of Adolf Eichmann has been told and retold, but how does 2018’s “Operation Finale” compare to the past? Hear our panelists debate—in front of a live audience—the depiction of the Nazi officer responsible for Hitler’s “Final Solution” and if the film lives up to Eichmann’s truly dramatic capture.
Following last week’s discussion of “From Here to Eternity,” tune in this week to hear WWII veterans Clarence Herbert Weatherwax and Nolan Albarado discuss their experiences at Schofield Barracks during the attack on Pearl Harbor.
With its blockbuster cast—Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift, Donna Reed, Frank Sinatra, to name but a few—1953’s “From Here to Eternity” is the study of a peacetime Army. How well does this Academy Awards winner capture life in Schofield Barracks on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor?
Many of the historical figures in 2004’s “Downfall” are lesser known to American audiences. In this minisode, we provide additional context on those who surrounded Hitler during his final days.
The 2004 German film “Downfall” is much more than the Internet memes it’s arguably most known for. This week our panelists look at the depiction of Hitler and his inner circle in their last days, living within a bunker during the end of the war in Europe.
Tune in to this week's minisode to hear the real story behind the construction of the Railway of Death from WWII Navy veterans Howard Brooks (pictured) and Alois Kopp. Listen to see if the movie's depiction of the Burma–Thai railway was accurately portrayed.
“The Bridge on the River Kwai” won 1958's Academy Awards for Best Picture, along with six other Oscars. Tune in to see if our panel feels that the 1957 British-American epic captured the true history of the construction of the Burma Railway.
This week our panelists dissect the 2015 film “April 9th," about a little-known action of the war—the German invasion of Denmark in 1940. Tune in to see if the filmmakers accurately portrayed this brief but dramatic WWII clash.
While “The Dirty Dozen” is fiction, there were many actual covert operations in World War II. Tune in to hear about some of the real-life stories that inspired the movie.
“Train them! Excite them! Arm them! . . . Then turn them loose on the Nazis!” read a marketing slogan for 1967’s “The Dirty Dozen.” The “Service on Celluloid” panel’s mission this week is to explore the real WWII history behind the blockbuster film’s wild story.
In this week’s follow-up to our “Catch-22” episode, we dive into the realities of the air war over Europe and learn how it was far from glorious.
In 1970, Roger Ebert had some harsh words for the Mike Nichols-directed cinematic version of Joseph Heller's WWII classic: "'Catch-22’ the movie is essentially a parasite, depending on the novel for its vitality.” Will our panel agree?
In this companion minisode to our discussion of the Home Front melodrama “Tender Comrade,” we hear firsthand accounts of wartime work from Betty Reid Soskin (California's Kaiser Shipyards) and Rosemary Elfer (Higgins Industries in New Orleans).
A vehicle for Ginger Rogers to inspire patriotism on the Home Front, 1944's "Tender Comrade" later had unintended consequences for its writer and director. The "Service on Celluloid" panel explores the stories behind the story.
This week we follow our episode on “The Pianist” with firsthand accounts from Holocaust survivor and piano prodigy Zhanna Arshanskaya Dawson (pictured).
This week our panel sits down with Sara Abosch-Jacobson from The Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum to discuss 2002’s “The Pianist” starring Adrien Brody as Wladyslaw Szpilman.
This week we hear from veterans Raymond Wells and Joseph Hochadel (pictured) as they recount their experiences at the battles of Monte Cassino and San Pietro, as seen in “The Story of G.I. Joe.”
General Dwight D. Eisenhower referred to "The Story of GI Joe" as "the greatest war picture I've ever seen." Will the "Service on Celluloid" panelists agree?
Following our "Service on Celluloid" panel’s discussion on the anime classic "Grave of the Fireflies," tune in to hear from WWII veterans Paul Dietzel, Richard Baile, and Maynard David (pictured) as they provide their firsthand accounts of the firebombing of Japan.
The firebombing campaign on Japan near the end of World War II was waged with devastating success. In “Grave of the Fireflies” - considered an amine classic - filmmaker Isao Takahata explores how the bombing affected the civilian population. Join the “Service on Celluloid” panel for a discussion of the film’s historical accuracy and emotional impact.
After you’ve heard the “Service on Celluloid” panel’s discussion about the 1977 epic “A Bridge Too Far,” return to Operation Market Garden on a new minisode featuring WWII veteran eyewitnesses T. Moffatt Burriss and Theo Finkbeiner.
Operation Market Garden, the ill-fated Airborne action of mid-September 1944, is the subject of Richard Attenborough’s star-studded “A Bridge Too Far” (Sean Connery, Michael Caine, Gene Hackman, Ryan O’Neal, and many more). Critic Roger Ebert wrote that it “went two or even three bridges too far.” Will the "Service on Celluloid" panel agree?
On this week’s minisode we’ll hear from Harry L. Ettlinger (pictured), who was the inspiration for the Private Sam Epstein character (as portrayed by Dimitri Leonidas) in "The Monuments Men." (Image courtesy of the National Museum of American Jewish Military History.)
Based on the research of author Robert M. Edsel, the 2014 film "The Monuments Men" has a big-name cast (George Clooney, Matt Damon, Bill Murray, Cate Blanchett, and others) and a gripping true story about rescuing the art treasures of Europe from the Nazis. The "Service on Celluloid" podcast panel weighs how well it tells that story.
The 1970 satire "Kelly's Heroes," starring Clint Eastwood and a large cast of scene bandits (including WWII veteran Don Rickles), looked at World War II through the lens of the Vietnam era. Our "Service on Celluloid" panel observes that the film gets a surprising number of details just right.
The 1942 drama “Mrs. Miniver,” subject of the most recent "Service on Celluloid" podcast, depicts life on the British Home Front during the time of Dunkirk and the Blitz. Tune in to this week's minisode for a deeper dive into these historic events.
Winston Churchill said “Mrs. Miniver” was “propaganda worth 100 battleships.” Join the "Service on Celluloid" podcast panelists to explore how the film also provides an insightful look at the lives of those on the Home Front during World War II.
The "Service on Celluloid" exploration of “Casablanca” and its real-life setting continues with the story of Hélène Cazès-Benatar, who founded the Moroccan Refugee Aid Committee in 1940 to help Jewish refugees arriving in Casablanca.
Rick came to Casablanca for the waters. He was misinformed. This week, the “Service on Celluloid” podcast panel informs your appreciation for “Casablanca” by exploring the WWII history behind the 1942 Warner Bros. classic.
Following our discussion of "Run Silent, Run Deep," hear from Billy Leibold and Jim Allen (pictured) who served in the silent service.
“You have to like submarine pictures to like ‘Run Silent, Run Deep,’ ” wrote "New York Times" film critic Bosley Crowther when the film was released in 1958. Will the "Service on Celluloid" panelists agree?
Following our panel’s discussion of “Sands of Iwo Jima,” hear from veterans Dave Severance and James Goodrich (pictured) as they discuss the fighting and famous flag raising on Iwo Jima.
John “The Duke” Wayne landed an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of flawed Marine Sergeant John Stryker in 1949’s “Sands of Iwo Jima,” but how much does this propagandistic film get right about one of the most iconic battles of World War II? The “Service on Celluloid” panel knows.
This week’s “Service on Celluloid” minisode follows on our discussion about 1970’s “Patton” with oral history visits with two servicemembers—Fred Hirsekorn and Captain Abraham Baum (pictured)—who had memorable encounters with the film’s legendary title character.
The 1970 blockbuster “Patton” was honored with multiple Academy Awards, including a Best Actor trophy for George C. Scott (who didn’t attend the ceremony to accept), but how true is the film biography to the historical record and to its subject, General George S. Patton?
This week, our “Service on Celluloid” panel dives into the film for a lively conversation about its historical hits and misses as well as its standing among Hollywood’s greatest WWII-set movies.
Following our episode about “Empire of the Sun," listen to oral histories from Howard Hart (a civilian internee) and Phillip Schweitzer (who helped liberate Los Baños internment camp).
This week we review "Empire of the Sun," a shenanigans-heavy coming-of-age story with artful cinematography and a swelling John Williams score—all the markings of a 1980s Steven Spielberg film—but how accurate is it?
Though World War II takes only a few minutes of screen time in “It's a Wonderful Life,” the film has many links to the war and wartime America. Listen to learn why the holiday classic is the topic of conversation on a podcast dedicated to screen depictions of World War II.
Following our discussion of “A League of Their Own,” we will hear from Virginia Hamilton (pictured) describing her WWII reporting about women taking over jobs previously held only be men, then WWII veteran and big-league pitcher Lou Brissie.
This week the panel tackles “A League of Their Own,” the story of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Founded by chewing-gum magnate Philip K. Wrigley in 1942, the league was born at a time when male ballplayers were being drafted to serve in World War II. (Photo courtesy of The History Museum South Bend)
Following our conversation about 1943’s “Bataan,” we hear from Lester Tenney (pictured), Robert Rosendahl, and Glenn Frazier, who experienced the harrowing Bataan Death March.
This week, “Service on Celluloid” examines the 1943 film "Bataan,” which focuses on the American and Filipino defensive retreat on the Bataan Peninsula in early 1942. The panel will address what this film does well and what is curiously missing.
Following our discussion of “Battleground,” we will discuss the lingo showcased in the film and hear from veterans John Pogue, Edward Heffron, and Donald Malarkey (pictured).
This week our panelists discuss the misery, hope, and humor seen in 1949’s “Battleground,” a tale of the 327th GIR of the famous 101st Airborne Division while it is encircled at Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge.
Following our conversation about "Anthropoid," we take a deeper look this week at the lives and actions of Reinhard Heydrich (pictured), a main architect of the Final Solution, and Jozef Gabčík and Jan Kubiš, the exile Czechoslovak soldiers who assassinated him.
This week our panelists look at the 2016 film Anthropoid and its depiction of the true story of Operation Anthropoid, code name for the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich, a main architect of the Final Solution. See what our team thinks of this Jamie Dornan/Cillian Murphy vehicle’s depiction of WWII-era resistance, betrayal, and heroism.
Following our discussion of "Tora! Tora! Tora!" we venture into territory rarely visited here at "Service On Celluloid"—history’s what-ifs. In this minisode, we discuss potential signs that an attack was imminent and the response options that were available. Hear from veterans Don Stratton, Kermit Tyler (pictured) and Sterling Cale, who were all at Pearl Harbor that fateful day.
Roger Ebert opened his review of 1970s’s Tora! Tora! Tora! by calling it “one of the deadest, dullest blockbusters ever made.” Tune in to see how our team of historians and local film critic Mike Scott (NOLA.com|The Times-Picayune) view this classic depiction of the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Following our discussion of “The Great Escape,” hear from veteran Malcolm Higgins (pictured) as he describes how his family learned that he was a POW in Stalag Luft III. Additionally, listen to Colonel Robert Ingraham, who helped dig the tunnels later made famous by the film, reveal how he became part of the breakout team.
This week we look at the often-imitated Steve McQueen hit “The Great Escape.” It’s certainly drenched in cool, but how accurate is it? Our panelists discuss what life was really like in Stalag Luft III.
Following our discussion of the 2014 Brad Pitt vehicle “Fury,” tanker John Rogers (pictured) describes attacking Tiger tanks in Normandy. As a bonus, listen to veteran Robert Christie’s poem “The Hunter,” which describes the existential guilt of fighting a defeated but dangerous enemy during the closing days of war.
For this week’s episode, our panel takes on the Brad Pitt vehicle "Fury." We will be discussing director David Ayer’s graphic depiction of the 2nd Armored Division during the closing days of World War II in Europe.
Following our conversation about "Midway," hear veterans Don Hoff (pictured) and Dusty Kleiss retell what it was like to fly in the Battle of Midway.
This week the panel takes aim at 1976’s "Midway," co-starring Charlton Heston, Henry Fonda, and Hal Holbrook—as well as recycled footage from several previous (and much better) WWII films.
Following our discussion of "Schindler's List," hear survivor Luna Kaufman speak of the horrors she endured as a child in Płaszów concentration camp.
This week our experts look at the masterpiece, Schindler’s List. Exploring the relationship between businessman Oskar Schindler and SS officer Amon Göth – how two men of similar circumstance, chose such vastly different paths.
Following our review of Saving Private Ryan, hear from veterans Dr. Hal Baumgarten and Harley Reynolds, who saw firsthand the chaos and carnage of D-Day.
Celebrated WWII epic "Saving Private Ryan" turns 20 this summer. It remains one of the most famous depictions of World War II to date. Is it true to history? We sought to answer that question on this week’s episode.
Following our review of "The Best Years Of Our Lives", hear from veterans Francis Resta and John “J.J.” Witmeyer, who recount the struggles they faced upon returning from World War II.
This week’s episode takes a hard look at The Best Years of Our Lives, the timeless film about veterans and the battles they fight upon returning home. Special Guest: Dr. Marsha Gordon, Professor of Film Studies at North Carolina State University.
Following our review of Twelve O'Clock High, hear from veterans George Roberts, John "Lucky" Luckadoo, and Bob Shoens, who saw firsthand what was happening within the US Army Air Forces during World War II.
Upon seeing the WWII film, Twelve O'Clock High, Curtis LeMay is reported to have said that he "couldn't find anything wrong with it." Tune-in to see if our historians agree.
Service on Celluloid is a new, captivating historical podcast that takes a deep look at depictions of World War II on film over the last 70-plus years. Set for an initial run of six episodes, in-house experts at The National WWII Museum along with special guests will hold lively debates on the historical merits of treasured classics and smaller films alike. Debuting the week of June 18th, films will include Fury, Midway, Saving Private Ryan, Schindler’s List, The Best Years of Our Lives, and Twelve O’Clock High. This entertaining series promises to reveal the good and bad of how Hollywood depicts the 20th century’s most dramatic event.