Movietone News - 1940s

[altfactor]

This was likely from the late Spring or early Summer of 1940, given the invasion of Norway, the second year of the 1939/40 New York World's Fair, and the 1940 Deb Ball.

[altfactor]

The narration scripts for these old newsreels were written in a very hokey style.

This kind of script-writing wouldn't be allowed in a TV news organization today.

[Kihoods]

@rkmugen I think its called transatlantic accent I tried to find myself and that's what its called :)

[rkmugen]

The way they used to speak back then is so different than they do now. Tempo, accent, articulation, tone... it's very distinct.

So, does anyone know the specific name or what kind of UK English or American English accent this particular radio announcer is speaking in?

[kenshirotakahashi]

Roger Rabbit: "Argh, another newsreel! I hate the news!"

[tk339]

So did Blockade win or what?

[dale9532]

oh this is awesome!

[Thelookoutslookout]

I wish the news was still like this....so great!

[bluetruckredstate]

WTF? You cut the newreel off in mid-sentence? Now I'm gonna be awake all night wondering if "Blockade" won the race.

[RkivUnderground]

I wish news would be this exciting today. As a precursor to Fox News, this is quite questionable.

[Byakamura]

Not much has changed as far as the quality of news form the 40's to now. Turning serious issues into entertainment. The music and the narration is really distasteful. This is how they reported war back then? Well I guess today they put rock n roll soundtracks to war and create vivid graphics so not much has changed.

[fromthesidelines]

Not only that, 'mumma'- at one time, there was at least one theater in New York that did nothing but show newsreels from the various studios [Movietone, Pathe (later Warner-Pathe), Paramount, Universal, Hearst's "Metrotone" (later known as "News of the Day"), and "The March Of Time"]. The name of the famous theme that began each reel was "World Events".

[EagleOnTheRhine]

Go Norway!!!

[Rico8458]

norway troops had it made. they got to marry nice blood girls, while the other germans were on the eastern front. lol.

[Phatheya]

@Rico8458 you'think that Norwegian women have been attracted to the Germans? No way! Ask old Norwegians what they'thought about the German envaders.

And as you might know from to-day: the most attractive women are in eastern Europe anyway.

[rturnerful]

I love the predictions of what it would be like in the future. I'll bet if any of them could be here now (we-I know some are ) but it's my guess - they'd rather be back in the 30s & 40's. Yes I know folks, it was very tough and hard back then too, but there was a lot more they had back then, that America has lost! Most of you will know what I mean !!

[Byakamura]

@rturnerful Yeah like racism and lynchings....you're an idiot.

[rturnerful]

@Byakamura ---I'd attend your lynching if this is the best you can do then you're taking up valuable space. Before you'd continue calling anyone an idiot, I'd look at what you've accomplished with your life, then keep your fabulous words of wisdom to yourself!! Go eat and go back to bed. you'll feel better.

[juantrippe82]

@rturnerful What that the politicians have finally stopped lying about a mythical abundance of oil?

[rglinNewMex]

Don't forget Pathe News. It rans in nearly as many movie theaters as Movietone.

[airmanslice]

I should have been born in 1930

[mrgoodvibrations]

1918-20

[m1rock]

Old enough to be there but to young to get drafted? lol

[Iagreetothethermsof]

@airmanslice I feel that way every minute of my waking day.

[Phatheya]

@airmanslice but hopefully not in Germany because then'chances would be high to fight the 1945 last resistance until the last blood-trip. But in America'okay because they would never ask you to fight'war inPacific'orEurope. The best time to be born was in 1950 all over the world. These guys have now'pension and'can enjoy their lifes with'good money! But what will come for us?

[airmanslice]

Already a disabled vet.

[preciousmumma]

thanks to the person who put this on.Just so the teenagers who left responses on here, this is HOW it was in "real life".Noone had television then and it was the movies who let this to let us know what was going on in the world, if anything appreciate how lucky you are now compared to people in war time, oh and there was no editing using technology of "make believe" movies we see now.

[Jeffieboi]

@ preciousmumma...

That's actually very interesting. I'm only 25 so I never knew that. It's crazy how much times have changed. It never would have even occured to me that people used to go to movie theaters to get non-paper news. It makes sense though.

[Phatheya]

@preciousmumma even at this'time it was not real life any-more. Movies can never reflect'real-life. And what you see there is'just one foreign material from Germany and the rest is sporting activities with'animals and high society bullshit. That's America! But you never learned what is really going-on in the world through the media.

I further dont think that'young people now are more lucky than at this time. America was very lucky not to experience'total destruction like it was'in Europe.

[schweppers]

@preciousmumma There was "no editing using technology of "make believe" movies we see now"? I'm sorry, that's just incorrect, there was plenty of technology being used to edit films in the 40's.

[godwhyisthistaken]

its somthing like that future today the city

[vtecivicsib18]

no its something like the past its 1940s i mean jesus people are stupid today thats true about the future people in the past didnt have to deal with morons like this

[godwhyisthistaken]

i suppose....goverment, militants...

[fromthesidelines]

The 20th Century-Fox "Movietone" newsreel was the most famous of all theatrical "news digests", with veteran radio news commentator Lowell Thomas as chief narrator- this is from a 1940 reel, as the New York's World's Fair was still operating, and the "Glamour Deb Of 1940" is referred to at 7:07; Lew Lehr usually presented the "lighter side of the news" in his 'Dribblepuss Parade' [with a German accent- "Monkeys is der cwaziest peoples!" was his catchphrase]...