Hollywood's Second World War (2019): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 2019, Hollywood's Second World War is a war, tv movie, history and documentary film directed by Jascha Hannover, running about 90 minutes.

What it’s about. For the USA, World War 2 was an all-out war - to mobilize the masses, the US government launched a huge propaganda campaign and cinema, the medium of the masses, was quite simply their most important weapon. Government authorities monitored the production of feature films and the military itself produced documentaries aimed at rallying the American people to support the troops. This film tells the story of four Hollywood directors of European origin, who returned to the "Old World" during the Second World War to make propaganda documentaries for the US Army at the front: William Wyler from Alsace, Frank Capra from Italy, Anatole Litvak from Ukraine and - in post-war Germany - Billy Wilder from Austria.

Who’s in it. Hollywood's Second World War stars Volker Schlöndorff as Himself, George Stevens Jr. as Himself, Catherine Wyler as Herself and Anatole Litvak as Self (archive footage), among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 8.0/10, Hollywood's Second World War sits among the best-reviewed titles in the catalogue.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Hollywood's Second World War page.

If you liked it. Fans of Hollywood's Second World War tend to enjoy Schindler's List, Grave of the Fireflies, The Pianist and Apocalypse Now.