![]() In addition to authentic war newsreels, much of the docu consists of film taken from wartime signal corps and training films, and even Hollywood features. Now some of it is more than a little suspect. When we were young, we marveled at the amazing footage. Miles of newsreel and combat footage were gathered to tell a story with a very broad scope. Nothing like Victory at Sea had yet been done in 1952. Call the show a music video for armchair admirals: millions of ex-servicemen undoubtedly felt ennobled by the tribute. Perhaps not great art, the specially commissioned score holds Victory at Sea distinct from other TV war docus when the choice of combat footage becomes repetitive (or questionable), the thundering music usually saves the day. I remember the opening theme as the first 'soundtrack' a four year-old kid could understand: a giant ship pitching in high seas, steaming against the elements on some valiant mission. Richard Rodgers' impressive music brought Victory at Sea to life. The show is organized in 26 half-hour episodes that tell the story of WWII at sea, starting with the English Navy's efforts against the Axis in the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, America's entrance into the war after Pearl Harbor, the battle for the North Atlantic and the Navy's key role in the South Pacific Theater. Although it violates most of the rules of fairness in documentary filmmaking, Victory at Sea still evokes potent emotions. Edited from hundreds of hours of (at the time) unseen combat footage, and with a sweeping symphonic Richard Rodgers music score, this series set the standard for WW2 nostalgia, affirming that the war was a righteous struggle that saved the world from chaos and tyranny. A staple on 1950s television made just seven years after the end of hostilities, this NBC program was a must-see for veterans, the first time their story of combat (emphasizing the role of the Navy) was told in an extended format. Victory at Sea seems to have been running in my head for the last 50 years. It's ridiculously cheap, and comes in either normal packaging or a "Collectible Tin". As the quality of that release was good but not great, I jumped at the chance to review a new boxed set from a company called Mill Creek. Seven years Savant reviewed a History Channel multi-disc DVD set of the old Victory at Sea docu TV series. Written by Henry Salomon with Richard Hanser Original Music Richard Rodgers, conducted by Robert Russell Bennett Tech advisors Frank Coghlan Jr., Captain Walter Karig, USN ![]()
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