Camera pans down from the top of St. Thomas Church (1 W 53rd St, New York, NY 10019, United States) on W 53rd Street and 5th Avenue in New York City. Cars and double-decker bus are seen on the street. Views of other churches in the South. African American children entering a Sunday School. An African American Army Lieutenant in uniform and a woman sit in the balcony of a church with a predominately African American congregation. Camera focuses on the choir singing in a loft on the first floor. An African American soldier in uniform sings a solo with the choir. The African American pastor of the church steps to the pulpit and looks up at the Church's Service flag where numerous stars represent members of the congregation serving in the Armed Services. The Pastor notes that some are present that morning, pointing out Private Roberts, Sergeant Jackson, and Lieutenant Carter, all of them in Army uniforms. He also acknowledges a Woman's Army Corps member, who identifies herself as Private Parks, First Class. As the Pastor speaks, scene shifts American Joe Louis beating German Max Schmeling in their second boxing match in 1938 at Yankee Stadium. Scene shifts to Max Schmeling training with German paratroopers and Joe Louis running an obstacle course during U.S. Army basic training in World War 2. The American flag and constitution are seen in contrast to the German Nazi flag and Adolf Hitler's book, Mein Kampf, now seen being held by the Pastor of the church, as he reads excerpts from it to the congregation. Several views of church attendees listening to the Pastor, as he reads despicable remarks about African Americans from Hitler's book.
American forces in Leipzig, Germany near the end of World War 2 in Europe. Landmarks include the heavily damaged New Town Hall, Burgplatz, and a church. At start of film, German civilians are seen running along railroad tracks, past war-damaged platform, to reach a train. Hungry German civilian men wrestle with a man on a sidewalk holding a large piece of meat. American soldiers walking across a city square in single file. Two Sherman tanks move across city square following the tracks of a tramway. The overhead electric wires for the tram are visible. More views of American soldiers walking and some in jeeps. A tilted view of the Reform Evangelist Church. Then camera straightens out and shows it properly. In front of the church, two American soldiers sit on a half-track with M45 Quadmount (Maxson) Anti-Aircraft guns installed on it. Back of the half-track has "660 AAA" stenciled on it. Many Jerry cans are held in racks along the sides of the half-track. Scene shifts to a formation of German prisoners of war with their hands over their heads. Close-up views of faces of German soldier prisoners of war. Camera pans across them, closeup. They carry all their personal gear, including bed rolls, but no weapons. View from behind them. Wider glimpse of the prisoners under guard. The severely damaged 1928 Kroch Building (Krochhochhaus) is seen in the background. Several German prisoners sit in a jeep, guarded by an American soldier with an M3 .45-caliber sub-machine gun ("grease gun"). At the end of the film, the bomb damaged 1905 New City Hall (Neues Rathaus) is seen in the background.
Italian conductor Arturo Toscanini is seen in a room of his house, Wave Hill, in the Hudson Hill section of Riverdale in the Bronx, New York City. Toscanini is handed a record by teenage boy (possibly his grandson) and Toscanini plays the record on a console phonograph player. He walks up and down in the room as he listens to the music. Narrator discusses Toscanini's rejection of fascism. and then names various other Italians living in the U.S. who similarly reject fascism: Next shot shows Italian historian Gaetano Salvemini delivering a lecture to a class at Harvard University. Italian writer Giuseppe Antonio Borgese leads a small workshop class at the University of Chicago. Italian American press publishers of newspaper Il Nuovo Mondo (Giuseppe Lupus, Aurelio Natoli, and Carlo Emanuele Prato) are seen gathered at a desk in New York City. An Italian editor, Colonel Randolfo Pacciardi, works at a newspaper establishment. An Italian priest and patriot, Don Luigi Sturzo, reads a book. Another close-up view of Arturo Toscanini.
Opening scene shows women gathering for a bridge club party. They each drive to the party in their own cars and park in front of the house. While waiting for the last club member to arrive, they relax on the front porch of the hostess's home. They wear the fashions of the period, including Cloche hats, and some like flappers. The last woman to arrive drives a new Ford sedan, which attracts immediate attention from all the other women, who leave the porch and admire her car. Scene shifts to the next gathering of the bridge club, when all the womens' cars parked in front of the house, are new Fords.
In a laboratory, a scientist places a rat in a small cage containing another rat. The latter attacks the new rat, after it felt threatened by its unfamiliar presence. The attack stops and the rat sniffs the newcomer. The new rat walks away. The rat attacks the newcomer again.
View of Paramount Pictures movie studio entrance. Hollywood film executives such as Paramount Picture’s Adolph Zukor in a meeting. View of Motion Picture Daily with news saying “Federal- NBC Units to Use Film Houses”. Two men buy theater tickets for a vaudeville show by the Federal Theater Project of the Great Depression organization called the Works Progress Administration (WPA). Works Progress Administration staff under the Federal Theater Project create props and stage design. A Works Progress Administration carpenter uses a Delta woodworking machinery. Works Progress Administration costume designer shows a design for a dress. Close up shot of Works Progress Administration costume designer. WPA technicians work on stage set design. A Works Progress Administration tailor measures a portly actor’s waistline. Seamstresses working in the costume department of the Federal Theater Project. Artist painting a background for a stage play. A seamstress adjusts a high slit dress of an actress. A milliner arranges a Fascinator, with tulle and pom-poms, on an actress’ head. Two actors and an actress practice a dance number together. Men and women dancers practice a dance. A pair of dancers perform a no-touch tango. Theater marquee saying, “Oh say can you sing WPA Music Comedy”. Newspaperman announcing show business news on newspaper. Orchestra plays inside a theater. Actors and actresses, in different period costumes, perform “Oh Say Can You Sing” as an ensemble after the curtains opened. View of faces of audience members as they clap and smile after watching the performance.
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