Target-Invisible
| Target-Invisible | |
|---|---|
| File:Target Invisible 1945.jpg | |
| Starring |
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| Narrated by | Arthur Kennedy |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Motion Pictures and Special Events Division of the War Finance Division, U.S. Treasury Department |
Release date |
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Running time | Eight minutes. 23 seconds |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Target-Invisible is a 1945 documentary short film produced by the First Motion Picture Unit after World War II. The film depicts the uses of radar in aerial direction-finding and precision high-level bombing by the United States Army Air Forces during World War II.
At the end of Target-Invisible, the air force narrator (Arthur Kennedy) thanks Americans for their contributions to the war effort, which by then had concluded with Allied victory, and explains that the film was an example of the research and development being funded through the purchase of Victory Loan war bonds encouraging the viewer to buy and hold more such bonds to continue these projects into peacetime.[1]
Plot
[edit | edit source]In 1945, a USAAF Boeing B-29 Superfortress squadron of bombers flies from their base in the Marianas on their mission to attack a target in Japan. Although the target will be invisible due to overcast conditions, the mission will continue as a high-altitude bombing raid.
After six hours of flight time, the radar operator (Clayton Moore) is able to identify the islands that lie off the coast of Honshu. Directions from the radar operator to the bombardier help guide the B-29 to its ultimate target. The pilot is also given discrete flight adjustments to fly directly to the objective.
After arriving above the target at 23,000 ft altitude, although obscured by a thick cloud cover, the bombardier uses the Norden bombsight to aim, before releasing the bomb load. The attack is successful with widespread destruction of the Kiyoshi aircraft plant located north of Tokyo.
Cast
[edit | edit source]- Arthur Kennedy as Air force narrator (Uncredited)
- Clayton Moore as B-29 radar operator (Uncredited)
Production
[edit | edit source]Target-Invisible was produced for the Motion Pictures and Special Events Division of the War Finance Division, U.S. Treasury Department. The short has an orchestral score, and has a combination of live-action shot in the Culver City, California studios and stock combat footage of B-29s.[2]
Intended Purpose and Audience
[edit | edit source]Target-Invisible was typical of the films of the period produced under the auspices of the Office of War Information.[3] In the closing minute, the narrator states that the movie's purpose is to encourage the post-WWII public to buy bonds so that scientists can continue to develop inventions like radar for the security of the nation at peace.
See also
[edit | edit source]References
[edit | edit source]Notes
[edit | edit source]- ^ Moore and Thompson 1998, p. 71.
- ^ "Overview: 'Target-Invisible'." IMDb. Retrieved: January 28, 2017.
- ^ Koppes and Black 1987, p. 58.
Bibliography
[edit | edit source]- Koppes, Clayton R. and Gregory D. Black. Hollywood Goes to War: How Politics, Profits and Propaganda Shaped World War II Movies. New York, The Free Press, 1987. Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value)..
- Moore, Clayton and Frank Thompson. I Was That Masked Man. New York: Taylor Trade Publishing;, 1998. Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value)..
External links
[edit | edit source]- Target-Invisible at IMDbLua error in Module:WikidataCheck at line 29: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
- Complete film at Google Video