Land Of Liberty DVD (1939-1941) (Harold S. Bucquet and Cecil B. De Mille)
Product Description
A rare find. This film traces the history of America as edited by Cecil B. DeMille from scenes taken from many early motion pictures dealing with historic happenenings.
This 1941 Land of Liberty is a condensed theatrical edition of the original 1939 documentary produced by the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America (MPPDA, later MPAA). The original two-hour version was created for the U.S. Government Buildings at the New York World’s Fair and the San Francisco Golden Gate International Exposition (1939–1940), serving as a sweeping cinematic tribute to American history, ideals, and democratic values.
This 80-minute version, released as the United States edged closer to direct involvement in World War 2, retained the film’s core patriotic message while streamlining the historical content for general theatrical audiences. It chronologically traces America’s development from colonial times through the Civil War, the expansion westward, immigration, labor struggles, and the Great Depression.
Notably, the film incorporates scenes drawn from numerous earlier Hollywood motion pictures depicting historic events—creating a vivid, dramatized tapestry of America’s past. These segments, combined with archival footage and original narration, offer an emotionally resonant and visually rich experience.
Land of Liberty was produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) in cooperation with the MPPDA. It was directed by Harold S. Bucquet and Cecil B. DeMille, with narration by Walter Huston, and featured performances by Raymond Massey, John Boles, and Beulah Bondi portraying key historical figures.
This 1941 Land of Liberty is a condensed theatrical edition of the original 1939 documentary produced by the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America (MPPDA, later MPAA). The original two-hour version was created for the U.S. Government Buildings at the New York World’s Fair and the San Francisco Golden Gate International Exposition (1939–1940), serving as a sweeping cinematic tribute to American history, ideals, and democratic values.
This 80-minute version, released as the United States edged closer to direct involvement in World War 2, retained the film’s core patriotic message while streamlining the historical content for general theatrical audiences. It chronologically traces America’s development from colonial times through the Civil War, the expansion westward, immigration, labor struggles, and the Great Depression.
Notably, the film incorporates scenes drawn from numerous earlier Hollywood motion pictures depicting historic events—creating a vivid, dramatized tapestry of America’s past. These segments, combined with archival footage and original narration, offer an emotionally resonant and visually rich experience.
Land of Liberty was produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) in cooperation with the MPPDA. It was directed by Harold S. Bucquet and Cecil B. DeMille, with narration by Walter Huston, and featured performances by Raymond Massey, John Boles, and Beulah Bondi portraying key historical figures.
USA, 1941, B&W, Approx. 80 Minutes.
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NTSC Region 0 encoding (Entire World)
