Negro Soldier, The (1944)

US War Department

Director: Stuart Heisler

Starring: Carlton Moss

Honors:

National Film Registry

In 1944 the United States’ engagement in World War II was in its third full year and the armed forces were looking for ways to keep morale up while attempting to recruit more men to aid in the struggle. In a nation still very segregated the US War Department attempts to broaden their nets for fresh soldiers would reached out more so to minorities as the struggle became longer. An example of this is seen here in this motion picture as the War Department efforts to recruit African Americans with a propaganda film. The result is a rare feature of good quality where African Americans are praised as Americans and equals beyond the normal motion pictures seen up to that point.

The Negro Soldier is a propaganda documentary featuring the accomplishments of various African Americans and the general call to arms of blacks to aid in the nation’s strife in World War II. Set within a traditional African American church service we watch as a minister delivers a message to his congregation while honoring members fighting the good fight overseas. In his sermon he reviews men of color that played great, honorable roles within American history and society from the founding days of the nation to modern heroes of Lou Louis and Jesse Owens. He reminds the congregation of the racial pillars on which Nazism stands and calls praises those that are bravely serving their nation. A proud mother tells of her son’s time in training, glorifying the way the army prepares a soldier. The message ultimately rests on the general coming together as men to fight determined against evil, concluding on a kaleidoscope of military images featuring proud and distinguished US armed forces members.

For a propaganda documentary produced by the US War Department this film has some rather good production quality and decent writing. Enough is mentioned in the movie to educated, entertain, and stir the patriotic notions within individuals of a casual American viewer. A product of its time, glossed up with the notion that the United States and it military are right, just, and fair to all men for its entire history, this feature is misleading, straying clear of slavery and racial segregation with its message to motivate a race to sign up for the war effort. Its result would fortunately to some degree accomplishe it goals beyond what expectation would have been.

A direct result of the Why We Fight film series produced and directed by the enlisted celebrated Hollywood film direct Frank Capra for the war effort, The Negro Soldier was meant to stir the same emotions within the African American community. Originally the picture was intended for African American military audiences only, but men in charge of the feature became determined to distribute to wider audiences, adding further to the production quality.

Writer Carlton Moss portrays the minister, the main character in the film.

Under the helm of director Stuart Heisler and producer Frank Capra the production for The Negro Soldier took a movie crew to 19 different army posts for documenting and staging of military practices as well as sampling various stocks of footage filmed by both American armed forces and enemy documentaries. With the professional supervision of Capra the final assemblage of the feature comes together with superior quality compared to the dull work usually commissioned for the war effort. Although the acting is a bit flat and force by unprofessional actors, including screenwriter Carlton Moss playing the part of the minister, the production quality allows the film to clearly share its message of harmony within the army ranks and morale building patriotism for the war effort.

The 43 minute finished picture was feared by its military creators for possibility of negative responses from African American audiences, feeling that they may be falsely portrayed in the movie. However when the film was screened to its target audience of black soldiers their initial responses were that other audiences should see the film as well. The film would spread all over military recruitment sites and bases with some White soldiers even being show the feature at their orientation as a requirement to positive reactions.

Frank Capra felt that despite the feature was intended for a specific audience that the film deserved a commercial release. With its running time falling shorter than one hour, the film suffered from an awkwardness to find itself on theater billings as it was too long for a short, but too short for a feature. In the end the film would not be a commercial failure, but did receive praise for it quality and message.

With the aid of films such as The Negro Soldier began a shift in how African American were perceived in media. Slowly blacks were shown less as a lesser class of people as well as slower, dimmer individuals, now beginning to be manifested as respectable members of society in roles as doctors, lawyers, musicians, and athletes. History clearly demonstrations this was far from an immediate shift. In fact, it is an ongoing struggle still seen in many respects today.

Films such as this would help start a more progressive way of thinking for Americans within the 20^th century. Soon after the war social injustice would eventual hit a boiling point as African Americans returned home from war to communities that still had yet to embrace them. These men who had fought bravely to help preserve the nation, but it would take more time for that nation to end segregation and evolved away from treating an entire race as second class citizens despite their service. Looking back film’s like The Negro Soldier are now seen by general audiences for what they truly were, contrived visions of the nation that falsified what life was like at that time. But, films like this were merely a step, not an answer.

For director Stuart Heidler, this picture may be one of his greatest legacies in film history despite his many contributions in the business as director and editor outside of his special effects Oscar nomination in 1949 for his work on Tulsa. Carlton Moss would become somewhat of a major member of the African American independent cinematic world making motion pictures and political stances for the sake of advancing his race. The most famous name attached to the picture, Frank Capra, would continue to serve in the US Army producing more films within his Why We Fight series. By the end of his service time he would be a colonel, decorated for his achievement by the armed forces and the cinematic community.

The legacy of The Negro Soldier would not be felt directly, but it did serve as a small, quiet, yet important stepping stone in American social reform. Praised as being one of the better military propaganda films not only because of its quality, but for its great positive message, The Negro Soldier continues to serve as a treasured culturally reminder of the nation’s past. For this reason the film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry in 2011 will it will remain in perpetuity.