ALL AMERICAN NEWS
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Year Published: 1942
Format: 16mm
Description: You're watching something few people got to see during WWII -- a special African American newsreel made by and for African Americans. The story behind this begins in November 1942 when producer E.M. Glucksman founded All American News of Chicago, Illinois. The company began releasing newsreels showcasing the lives of America's African Americans, including showing their contributions to the WWII war effort. The newsreels were shown only in African American movie theaters (and did not get shown in all of them -- the nation had 451 segregated theaters in 1943, and these newsreels were shown in 365 of them) . This fragment of one of the newsreels is typical of what audiences would have seen and enjoyed, with various segments including news, lifestyle and fashion, and sports. It begins with a look at a military field hospital in Burma in the Pacific Theater that is staffed entirely by African American doctors, lab technicians and dentists. African American officers are shown working taking x-rays, doing laboratory work, and operating. This is not altogether surprising considering that In the China-Burma-India Theater, 60 percent of the engineer units that built the Ledo Road from India to the connection with the Burma Road were African Americans. The segment ends with a plea to donate to the Red Cross and for blood donations. At 2:42, John G. Shackleford, a Cleveland attorney, is seen. He has just joined the new United States League of Negro Ballclubs as its president. This organization included teams in Pittsburgh, Detroit, Philadelphia and elsewhere. John Shackelford, born July 17th, 1905 in Tennessee, was a Negro league baseball player, manager and executive. The USLNB league operated from 1945-1946, but competition from already existing Negro leagues, as well as difficulties associated with wartime economics, ultimately caused it to fail. Shackelford returned to law thereafter. At 3:12, a student receives a sorority award and wins a scholarship to Yale University. At 3:40, a Pittsburgh man who raises prize Collies is profiled. Given the proud tone of All American News and the accomplishments it profiled, it's a shame that the company did not survive long after WWII. What happened to All American News? Well unfortunately after 1946 with the war over, audiences turned away from newsreels. All American News gave up making them and began to turn towards drama and comedy films including "Chicago After Dark", a series of comedy sketches performed by Lollypop Jones and the feature film "Big Timers" starring a controversial "lazy Negro" character called "Stepin Fetchit". These unfortunately stereotyped films were a sad contrast to what the company made during the war -- namely, films everyone in the African American community could be proud of.
Complete Record: You're watching something few people got to see during WWII -- a special African American newsreel made by and for African Americans. The story behind this begins in November 1942 when producer E.M. Glucksman founded All American News of Chicago, Illinois. The company began releasing newsreels showcasing the lives of America's African Americans, including showing their contributions to the WWII war effort. The newsreels were shown only in African American movie theaters (and did not get shown in all of them -- the nation had 451 segregated theaters in 1943, and these newsreels were shown in 365 of them) . This fragment of one of the newsreels is typical of what audiences would have seen and enjoyed, with various segments including news, lifestyle and fashion, and sports. It begins with a look at a military field hospital in Burma in the Pacific Theater that is staffed entirely by African American doctors, lab technicians and dentists. African American officers are shown working taking x-rays, doing laboratory work, and operating. This is not altogether surprising considering that In the China-Burma-India Theater, 60 percent of the engineer units that built the Ledo Road from India to the connection with the Burma Road were African Americans. The segment ends with a plea to donate to the Red Cross and for blood donations. At 2:42, John G. Shackleford, a Cleveland attorney, is seen. He has just joined the new United States League of Negro Ballclubs as its president. This organization included teams in Pittsburgh, Detroit, Philadelphia and elsewhere. John Shackelford, born July 17th, 1905 in Tennessee, was a Negro league baseball player, manager and executive. The USLNB league operated from 1945-1946, but competition from already existing Negro leagues, as well as difficulties associated with wartime economics, ultimately caused it to fail. Shackelford returned to law thereafter. At 3:12, a student receives a sorority award and wins a scholarship to Yale University. At 3:40, a Pittsburgh man who raises prize Collies is profiled. Given the proud tone of All American News and the accomplishments it profiled, it's a shame that the company did not survive long after WWII. What happened to All American News? Well unfortunately after 1946 with the war over, audiences turned away from newsreels. All American News gave up making them and began to turn towards drama and comedy films including "Chicago After Dark", a series of comedy sketches performed by Lollypop Jones and the feature film "Big Timers" starring a controversial "lazy Negro" character called "Stepin Fetchit". These unfortunately stereotyped films were a sad contrast to what the company made during the war -- namely, films everyone in the African American community could be proud of.
Transcription
there's another technician the hospital is made of bamboo with a canvas roof but all equipment is the most modern a deadly equip setup this hospital is as fine as any in the United States there is a large staff of trained nurses there's every kind of medicine in the sufficent pharmacy and the staff of experts a laboratory technician is going to make a blood test for our boys don't only suffer from wounds many of them fall victims of tropical diseases [Music] United States Signal Corps cameraman show technicians studying the blood specimen to identify microbes if any are present a fluoroscope to detect lung and chest ailments actually there is nothing that is lacking in this hospital in the craggy mountains of Burma [Music] as the fight against Japan rages the casualties are numerous [Music] there are casualties too in the course of the hard labor required to keep the Burma Road open so surgeons are busy all that as long as friends and relatives can't come to call doctors and nurses service visitors and cheer up the boy you're going to be fiddles a pickle says not daily exercises will make fingers it is new a Red Cross worker brings gifts all this gives everyone a good idea of why funds are needed for the Red Cross and why blood plasma is needed [Music] when we buy bonds and contribute to the Red Cross we give new life to our sick or wounded men John G Shock report brilliant Cleveland attorney assumes office is the named president of the newly formed United States League of Negro ball clubs hitting teens of sickened to associate teams included are teams of Detroit Chicago Buffalo st. Louis Philadelphia and Pittsburgh [Music] Hilda Bryant Zeki div a Phi Delta of Kappa national sorority presents a medal - Evelyn boy in addition to the medal miss Boyd a Washington DC girl wins a scholarship to Yale University dr. J Christ McCain Pittsburg position and dog enthusiast raises five colleagues he's won many awards for them in the 18 years this has been his hobby he took many first Awards in Madison Square Garden last year and has his dogs in the movie mrs. price attends to the feeding which is all important one of the pies dogs a temper sell as produce six other Prize winners [Music]
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