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OPEN CLASSIC CINEMA · 060

This Is the Army

1943113 minUnited States
ComedyMusical
Video edition
YouTube
Original language
English
This copy runs
125:19
Subtitles
English

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Synopsis

An entertainer organizes a soldiers' show during the First World War, establishing a tradition that his son is later asked to continue. A new conflict brings a new cast of servicemen to the stage, while the younger man's reluctance to marry creates a private dilemma. Irving Berlin's songs frame this musical made to support wartime morale.

Cast

DirectorsMichael Curtiz

Historical context

The revue preserves forms of wartime popular entertainment, including material shaped by racial stereotypes and minstrel traditions. These elements belong to the historical production and are relevant to understanding both its appeal at the time and the limitations of its representation.

Inspirations

Irving Berlin's wartime stage revue became a screen musical intended to support morale and Army Emergency Relief. Berlin himself appears, connecting the Hollywood production directly to the creator of its songs.

Sources and availability

General references identify the work and its copy. A reference beside an editorial section is linked to the claims checked in that section.

WikipediaInternet Archive

Work catalogued as public domain in the United States.

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Availability checked on September 10, 2026.

Photograph credit

Photographs cropped, resized and optimized as WebP, displayed in monochrome.

  • George Murphy — U.S. Congress · Public domain
  • Joan Leslie — Dell Publishing, 1946, sourced from https://archive.org/details/modernscreen3233unse Possible copyright status Library of Congress has determined that this item is not in copyright Language English Call number PN1993 .M334 Digitizing sponsor Library of Congress, Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Division Book contributor Library of Congress, MBRS, Moving Image Section · Public domain
  • Ronald Reagan — Michael Evans · Public domain
  • George Tobias — New York Sunday News-at right side of rotated photo-see above. · Public domain

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