WATCH NOW
The idea of making one of the most unforgettable films in the form of a documentary came from the mind of Henry ‘Pete’ Salomon, Jr (1917-1958). He operated within NBC radio prior to the war, and once he joined the US Navy in 1942, he was seated in the Secretary of the Navy Public Relations Office. He later produced a popular radio show called Victory Hour, which was the stepping stone to becoming a member of the Samuel Eliot Morison staff, A Lieutenant Commander. During that time, Lieutenant Commander was writing the 15 epic novels edition of History of United States Naval Operations in World War 2. So, Salomon was appointed to handle the research work. From that point until 1948, he travelled across the Pacific, which included Japan, and as a result of his extensive naval research, earned a commendation.
The year 1948 was when Henry Salomon left the Service. Soon after, he began making the rough outline of a “elementary” that would serve as a base of the Navy’s victorious campaigns in the Second World War. The amount of visual source materials set aside only for this documentary was astonishing thousands of reels of hundreds of thousands of feet’s of films were captured and set aside in the United States, Europe, Great Britain, and even India.
He reached out to his old buddy, Robert Sarnoff, who worked for NBC, and in January 1951, it was agreed that the firm would create a Television Series with a budget of $500,000. It was decided that the companion would oversee the review of 60 million feet of film to be edited into a 26 part Television Series, each episode using 60 thousand feet of footage.
The stunning accounts broken down into half hour segments where narrated by Salomon included the whole drama of the old sea. The renowned songwriter Richard Rodgers was contacted by the NBC executive Pat Weaver in order to incorporate his tunes into the episodes. As Richard had already made a name for himself with South Pacific, The King and I, Roedeers took him aback by claiming ‘Of course I wouldn’t refuse to consider a deal from the United States Navy.’
Rodgers set the term that he had no desire to reap profits from the show, `Victory at Sea’, and NBC had a gold mine in sight, telling Pat Weaver that he surely does not want to work for the Navy. He was fresh from working on King and I but imaginative as he was, he single handedly took care of all the dire arrangements Victory at Sea required. Even with Roedeers commanding the ship of the music, the arrangements took him aback. Whoever made the arrangements was surely a genius but not in a manner the millions of Americans were accustomed to.
This distinction went to American composer Robert Russell Bennett (1894-1981). One of Kansas City, Missouri’s prominent music composers and performers, Bennett specialized in military music. He had started his career by conducting an army band’s music during the First World War. After that, he relocated to Broadway where he worked with famed American composers like Kern, Berliner, Porter and Gershwin. He arranged music for Broadway shows, such as Show Boat, Annie Get Your Gun, Kiss Me Kate, and later worked with Rodgers and Hammerstein on the Broadway musicals, Oklahoma!, South Pacific, and The King and I. Bennett was also a natural collaborator with Rodgers on orchestral Victory at Sea; this extended documentary single score and orchestration was composed by Bennett. He integrated the bronzed American Victory at sea with wide, sweeping imagery gunfire, jungle noises, airplane engines, and more. He also conducted NBC Symphony when they recorded it.
The show ‘Victory at Sea’ came out on October 26, 1952, with actor Leonard Graves reporting the events. As the veterans transitioned into the familial stage of their lives, the TV slowly became a central piece in American households. This enabled the series to dominate hit ratings. The show was reminiscent of war news reports. However, the use of soaring music in juxtaposition to shocking combat visuals created an entirely new perspective to the experience of the war.
To watch more movies like ( Victory at Sea (1952)) visit 123Movies.
Also Watch for more movies like:
