The True Glory (1945). Photofest.
(Garson Kanin, US 1945, 87 min., 35mm)
Senior Matinee—Free for 55+. Commissioned by the United States Office of War Information and the British Ministry of Information, this documentary uses actual footage and illustrations to chart the victory on the Western Front of World War II, from Normandy to the collapse of the Third Reich. Introduced by General Dwight D. Eisenhower, the film uses multiple first-person narrators to tell the story. The title is taken from a letter of Sir Francis Drake, which is quoted in a final caption: “There must be a beginning of any great matter, but the continuing unto the end until it be thoroughly finished yields the true glory.” This restoration from the National Archives and Records Administration brings the past back to life.