After the First World War, the intense scrutiny of and not insignificant phobia around the issue of propaganda made it unacceptable to present evidence without backing it up with empirical evidence.1 Increased isolationism and the severe drain of the Great Depression directed focus away from Europe and onto domestic issues back home. The fear of propaganda was only enhanced by the rise of fascism in countries such as Germany and Italy, thanks to the blatant usage of propaganda in those states.2 Despite the general public's consistent anti-war and isolationist stance, Americans also became increasingly pro-Allies as war broke out again in Europe. And when the United States declared war after the bombing of Pearl Harbor by Japan, the American public was once again "the target of massive propaganda campaigns both on the home front and in the armed services."3
With improving technology, the public was also subject to even more forms of propaganda as the mediums through which messages were relayed and the forms they took evolved. Posters, newspapers, and other print-based forms of propaganda were still in high circulation, but this time, with the discovery of psychological warfare, employed with the fixed intent of scientific appeal and persuasion to target specific audiences. The Second World War also witnessed the emergence of the wonders of international radio, resulting in a fierce radio war, every side exploiting the fact that the original sources could remain anonymous. In the United States, there was also strong opposition to immigration due to economic and employment difficulties as well as social frustration and anti-Semitic rhetoric that resulted in adverse reactions to Jewish refugees.4
Purpose
The pro-war propaganda leading up to and during World War 2 generally followed the predictable pattern of pushing economic and military mobilization while boosting morale and support for the war. As the goal was to get messages across large audiences, movies were a promising medium to achieve this thanks to the "golden age" of commercial cinema during the interwar years.5 After America entered the war, however, more Hollywood films were produced for the purpose of entertainment rather than messaging. Entertainment became a necessity when combined with the public's growing knowledge of propaganda and techniques and the bleakness of another major war. What’s more, audiences were much more "sophisticated" than expected, and blatant targeting had to be balanced with more careful, subtler messaging.6