During World War I, the medium of film took on a worldwide role. Capitalizing on its potential for persuasion, governments made unprecedented use of film to record actual fighting, help train combatants, sway neutral opinion, and make civilians on the home front aware of the need for sacrifice and patriotic commitment. Propaganda, including film propaganda, became an indispensable part of the equipment of the modern state at war. In this volume, the first of a five volume, 6000-page series, the editors bring together representative unpublished government documents relating to film production in the United States during World War I. Emphasis is on unpublished material rather than actual film scripts or reviews of popular feature films of the era available elsewhere.

World War I is the largest collection of archival government documents on the subject ever published, and includes letters, legal documents, and memoranda for the years 1913 to 1921. Letterheads and other identifying marks have been reproduced whenever possible. Citations at the head of each document include name of author, recipient, date sent, and the collection from which the document is taken, providing a valuable guide to further research. The documents, presented in chronological order, are arranged in eight general categories. The volume is indexed by film title, name, and subject. World War I will be of particular value to students of film, film propaganda, and the military who are interested in connections between film policy and overall government war aims.