Films from DuArt Find Their New Home

On August 16th, 194 boxes of film arrived from DuArt to the Film Archive. Most of them contain original picture and track negatives. As I mentioned in a previous post, this includes many docs, but also shorts, independent features, and student films. About a week later, I began processing the materials into the collection. So far, I've worked on:

1) Sharon Sopher's 1986 Doc Feature Nominee, WITNESS TO APARTHEID
2) Several of Robert Richter's films, including his 1982 Doc Short Nominee, GODS OF METAL, as well as ASBESTOS ALERT; BEN SPOCK, BABY DOCTOR; and FOR EXPORT ONLY: PESTICIDES AND PILLS - http://richtervideos.com Mr. Richter has also placed more of his films at the Film Archive that he had held in private storage.
3) Three of James Rutenbeck's docs, LOSING GROUND, RAISE THE DEAD, and COMPANY TOWN. http://www.jamesrutenbeck.com/jr_portfolio.html
4) Amy Talkington's student short films, SECOND SKIN and NUMBER ONE FAN - http://www.amytalkington.com/
5) The Doc Short Nominee CITY OUT OF WILDERNESS (1974)
6) Chris Columbus' NYU student film, I THINK I'M GONNA LIKE IT HERE. 

This is, of course, just the tip of the iceberg, and there's a long, long way to go (and before I finish with these boxes, we'll be getting another shipment from DuArt, with perhaps another 100 boxes.) But I know what I'll be doing the next 6 months or so, and will be giving periodic updates on my progress.

By the way, you might be interested to know what we do with the films when we process them into the collection. We remove them from their original cans or boxes, and make note of any significant information from these containers, including technical information, when the elements were made, etc. We separate any paper materials enclosed, such as lab notes, timing tapes and so on. These are stored separately in acid free envelopes, and a note of this is made in the database record for the item. All important bibliographic data is entered in the title record for the film, and the physical information put into the individual "item" record - film gauge, film stock information, length, type of element, and condition (scratches, dirt, warping, color fading, etc.) Of particular importance is notation of any acetate deterioration (aka "vinegar syndrome"). Thankfully, all the materials I've looked at so far have been in very good to excellent condition. The films are then wound off their cores or reels, onto "archival" cores made of inert plastic, and inspected for any other physical defects. The items are then placed into "archival" cans, and a barcode, printed out from the database record, is placed on each can. Before the cans are put into the vault, the barcode is scanned, so the location information goes into the item record (so we can find it later!)

THE BEGINNING OF THE DOCUMENTARY CATEGORIES OF ACADEMY AWARDS®

The Academy Award® Documentary Categories did not begin until the 14th Awards in 1941. But the Academy did recognize non-fiction films (many by notable filmmakers) prior to that, in the Short Subject categories. A 1935 winner, Ivor Montagu’s WINGS OVER MT. EVEREST, showed the first airplane flight over the world’s tallest peak. Fred Zinnemann’s THAT MOTHERS MIGHT LIVE, a winner in 1938, dramatized the medical advances made by a noted Hungarian physician. But these films were not deemed by many to be “documentaries,” a term which then connoted more serious accounts of contemporary issues and events. For the first time in 1940, the Academy considered easing the entry rules for Shorts, to include such “true” documentary films, but only if they had had commercial runs in regular theaters. 

Though some filmmakers were happy to have their films accepted due to this decision, many were not so thrilled, and confusion and controversy ensued. Many fine films, including Willard Van Dyke’s VILLAGE TOWN and CHILDREN MUST LEARN; and John Ferno’s SO THEY LIVE, were not eligible under these rules, as they had not been exhibited in commercial houses, and U.S. government productions played for no charge. But two fine documentaries, Julien Bryan’s SIEGE, which captured on film Germany’s invasion of Poland, and LONDON CAN TAKE IT, by Harry Watt and Humphrey Jennings, that showed British resilience during the Blitz, received nominations in the One-Reel category. Both films are now considered classics.

It became clear to the Shorts Committee, and to the Academy at large, that documentaries could no longer be shoehorned into this category, and that these films had become significant enough to merit their own awards. The Committee considered the topic in their meeting of January 20th, 1941. Discussion on the issue continued throughout the year.

For most of 1941, the United States was still officially neutral in World War II, but being drawn closer into the conflict every day. Certainly the Academy’s recognition of SIEGE and LONDON CAN TAKE IT - films made the previous year about the war in Europe - demonstrated a keen interest in films depicting the foreign war that a majority of Americans still thought should remain foreign. The documentary had been gaining stature during the 1930’s, but the advent of the war signaled the real turning point for non-fiction filmmaking.

So, three days before the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Academy Board of Governors adopted a resolution to consider the possibility of granting Special Awards to documentary productions.  The general Awards Committee met two weeks later on the 17^th of December. This Committee consisted of six members from the Screen Actors Guild, four from the Screen Directors Guild, nine producer members from various studios, five Science Branch members, and seven Academy officers ex officio. It noted that,

“United States, British, Canadian, and Russian Government films, [the]‘March of Time,’ a number of other newsreel releases of documentary type, and some other films privately sponsored but shown in regular theatres have been a significant development in the motion picture medium, particularly during the past year, and should achieve Awards® recognition.”

The Awards Committee voted a recommendation that Special Awards be given for the Best Documentary Feature and the Best Documentary Short Subject. At a subsequent meeting of the Board of Governors, this recommendation was approved. Thus, by early January 1942, the Documentary Awards were born!

In a letter to Academy Librarian Margaret Gledhill [Herrick] and Academy Executive Secretary Donald Gledhill dated January 18, 1942, the Dutch born documentarian Joris Ivens wrote, “I am so very glad that at last we are recognized by the Academy and that the documentary film has become one of the ‘decent’ branches of the Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.” Unfortunately for Ivens, his landmark film about electrification of rural areas in the United States, POWER AND THE LAND, was declared ineligible two years in a row. In 1940, it could not compete in the Shorts category because it was a few hundred feet longer than the stipulated length. And since it had been exhibited during 1940, it was not accepted for the 14th Awards, for which only films released in calendar year 1941 were eligible.

It is worth noting that some other worthy films submitted in 1941 were declared ineligible, as they had not played theatrically during. Among them were A CHILD WENT FORTH, by Joseph Losey, concerning a haven for children evacuated from London during the Blitz; and THE FORGOTTEN VILLAGE, directed by Herbert Kline and Alexander Hammid, and written by John Steinbeck, examining the conflicts between modernization and traditional culture in a small Mexican village.

Next, the Academy formed a Documentary Awards Committee, consisting of Richard Macaulay (the chair), Henry Fonda, David O. Selznick, Joseph Valentine and Henry Hathaway.  Macaulay had recently written THEY DRIVE BY NIGHT and would soon pen ACROSS THE PACIFIC [a side note – I have not been able to find an photo of Macaulay anywhere. Very strange]. Fonda had been nominated in 1940 for THE GRAPES OF WRATH, and would narrate several wartime documentaries, including the Oscar® nominated IT’S EVERYBODY’S WAR, and the winner THE BATTLE OF MIDWAY. He also narrated the 1951 doc short winner BENJY, and the doc nominees THE REALLY BIG FAMILY (1966), A SPACE TO GROW (1968) and AN IMPRESSION OF JOHN STEINBECK: WRITER (1969).  SPRING PARADE, WINGS OVER HONOLULU and MAD ABOUT MUSIC were all recent nominations for cinematographer Valentine. Hathaway had been nominated for directing LIVES OF A BENGAL LANCER.

Selznick was coming off his twin triumphs of GONE WITH THE WIND and REBECCA, which won consecutive Best Picture awards. For the 15th Awards, Academy President Walter Wanger asked him to chair the Documentary Committee, and Selznick initially refused, as he wanted to devote all his energies to his next production. A flurry of correspondence from Wanger and his fellow Committee members eventually persuaded Selznick to reluctantly accept the post.

The Documentary Committee first met on February 4th, at 7PM in the Academy Board Room (in the offices in the Taft Building in Hollywood), with Donald Gledhill and Academy Publicity Counsel Hal Hall in attendance (Hathaway couldn’t make the first meeting). They reviewed the list of films to be screened for consideration; Fonda and Hall conducted a drawing by lot to determine the order of presentation. In the early years, the Academy actively sought out documentary entries, with members of the Committee and the Academy at large suggesting appropriate films. In subsequent years, the Academy sent invitation letters to studios, individuals, and the film commissions of many countries. The new category proved to be somewhat ill defined, so the Committee stated,

“It was agreed that the definition of documentary and the eligibility rules were far from clear and comprehensive, and that definite action should be taken during the year to remedy the situation and propose improvements for next year’s Awards Committee.”

And in a move designed to showcase documentaries and increase general awareness of non-fiction films, the Committee

“strongly endorsed a proposal to recommend to the Academy Board that monthly showings whenever feasible be held for the Academy Membership at which outstanding documentary films be featured. It was also recommended that in connection with such showings that the Academy Library should prepare and distribute to the Academy membership small pamphlets describing the new releases and serving to keep the membership up-to-date with developments in the ‘documentary,’‘actuality’ and ‘war reporting’ fields of film use.”

In the feature category, two films stood out: TARGET FOR TO-NIGHT and KUKAN.  Harry Watt’s TARGET FOR TO-NIGHT, the story of a British bomber raid on Germany, had an incalculable morale boosting effect in the United Kingdom, and was eventually shown to an estimated 50 million people in 12,000 theaters in the Western Hemisphere. KUKAN (subtitled THE UNCONQUERABLE SPIRIT OF CHINA) detailed St. Louis journalist Rey Scott’s epic travels through China, documenting both the wide range of cultures as well as the horrific events of the Japanese invasion and the staunch Chinese defense.  Both were then currently in release, but the Committee suggested holding a double bill screening for members who hadn’t yet seen them. The Committee then made an interesting decision:

“We find that during the past year two particularly outstanding documentary features have been shown, KUKAN and TARGET FOR TO-NIGHT. These are each of high quality and production origin as to make competitive voting difficult inasmuch as the field is still too new for standards of comparison to be generally agreed upon, without a competitive vote, a recommendation be made by the Awards Committee that an Awards Certificate of Merit be given to the producers of KUKAN and a similar certificate to the producers of TARGET FOR TO-NIGHT in recognition of their production of these films.”

Thus, there was no official Documentary Feature winner that year. At an Academy Board meeting at the Brown Derby on February 20th, Selznick, Howard Estabrook, John Aalberg, and James Hilton formed a committee to write the text of the citations for KUKAN and TARGET FOR TONIGHT.
The first voting screening for documentaries was held at the Filmarte Theatre at 1228 Vine Street (a block from the current location of the Academy’s Pickford Center and Film Archive), on Tuesday, February 10th. Some of those in attendance (in addition to the Documentary Committee) were Olivia DeHavilland, Farciot Edouart, Howard Estabrook, John Garfield, Norman Reilly Raine, Frank Partos, Sol Lesser, Lesley Selander, Pete Smith, Dorothy Tree and Walter Wanger. The ballots were collected by Price, Waterhouse & Company.

 

A look at the films in competition for the first Documentary Short Subject award:

ADVENTURES IN THE BRONX, produced by Film Associates, with commentary by John Kiernan. This was the first in a series of shorts sponsored by the New York Zoological Society. It shows the experiences of a boy who sneaks into the Bronx Zoo with his toy elephant before the gates are opened.

BOMBER, produced by the Office of Emergency Management, was written and narrated by poet Carl Sandburg. It shows the construction of the B-26 Martin bomber at the Glenn L. Martin plant in Baltimore, from the first production of its 25,000 parts to its first test flight.

CHRISTMAS UNDER FIRE, produced by the British Ministry of Information, and directed by Harry Watt. American journalist Quentin Reynolds narrates this look at the tenacity of British during the bombing by the German Luftwaffe.

CHURCHILL’S ISLAND, produced by the National Film Board of Canada, directed by Stuart Legg, and narrated by Lorne Greene. It describes the Battle of Britain, and shows that Britain could win the war because of the moral strength of its people.

LETTER FROM HOME, produced by the British Ministry of Information, and directed by Carol Reed. Another film salute to the courage of Londoners under the Nazi Blitz juxtaposes a letter from an English mother (Celia Johnson, in her first screen appearance) to her children, who have been evacuated to the US, with the details of her life. Reed later co-directed, with Garson Kanin, the 1945 Documentary Feature Winner THE TRUE GLORY.

LIFE OF A THOROUGHBRED, produced by Truman Talley. Shows how a champion horse is trained, and how he finally becomes a winner. The Calumet Farm in Lexington, Kentucky is depicted, as well as a real champion, Whirlaway. One of the two nominees not examining events of the war.

NORWAY IN REVOLT, produced by the March of Time. A dramatization of the formation of a Norwegian military force in exile, and of Norwegian resistance activities.

A PLACE TO LIVE, produced by the Philadelphia Housing Authority. In the tradition of the great progressive films of the late 1930’s and early 1940’s such as THE RIVER, VALLEY TOWN and THE LAND, director Irving Lerner shows the deleterious effects of slum housing. This lyrical work features a rousing, Coplandesque score.

RUSSIAN SOIL, produced by Amkino. This film, concerning the Russians’ defense of their homeland against the invading Germans, was a last minute replacement for another short subject from the Soviet Union.

SOLDIERS OF THE SKY, produced by Truman Talley. The second nominee produced by Talley, it depicts paratrooper training in Fort Benning, Georgia.

WAR CLOUDS IN THE PACIFIC, produced by the National Film Board of Canada, produced by Stuart Legg and narrated by Lorne Greene. The second NFBC/Legg/Greene film nominated this year, it examines the new and dangerous Japan, and the reaction of the democracies, which erected a vast defense system across the Pacific.

At the 14th Academy Awards ceremony at the Biltmore Hotel on February 26th, CHURCHILL’S ISLAND became the first film to win an Academy Award® in a Documentary category. John Grierson, Film Commissioner of Canada’s National Film Board and the man who coined the term “documentary,” presented the Award to CHURCHILL’S ISLAND, as well as the two Special Awards to TARGET FOR TO-NIGHT and KUKAN. Since all three were considered “special” awards (and because this was an “experimental” category), Grierson handed out Certificate of Merit scrolls, not Oscar statuettes. He began his presentation with a funny and trenchant speech, which brilliantly captured the state of the documentary film at that time:

“Long ago the documentary film set itself the not very popular task of talking about the facts when people were more interested in illusions; of describing social problems which were embarrassing to some and ugly to many; of keeping men’s consciences just a little closer to the dreadful grindstone of actuality. We are all tied today to the grindstone of actuality, and I am glad to be here if only as a symbol that all of us - whatever branch of film making we pursue - are all for one and one for all in a common effort.”

Willkie in China - the Intersection of Film and Politics

One of the joys of working at the Academy Film Archive is coming across an obscure, possibly unique film in the collection which turns out not only to be historically significant, but reveals all sorts of connections going in many directions. I'm a big fan of historical connections, threads and parallels, and find them endlessly fascinating - sometimes these threads seem to go on forever.  I'm not sure exactly when I came across WILLKIE IN CHINA, an unfinished silent newsreel in the Academy's War Film Collection, but it probably coincided with preparations for one of my two Academy-sponsored trips to China, the first in 2007, the second in 2009.

Willkie shakes hands with General Chiang Kai-Shek

I didn't know much about Wendell Willkie (1892-1944), but learned a lot more when I began to research this unique piece of film.  Though it's "only" an unedited newsreel, it's terrifically shot and composed, as these frame grabs demonstrate. And full of historical information. In the Academy War Film files in Special Collections at the Margaret Herrick Library, a folder contains a full "dope sheet" rundown of the film's content.

In 1942, FDR sent Willkie, whom he had defeated in the 1940 Presidential election, on a 49 day goodwill and fact finding mission around the world, with stops in South America, Egypt, England, Iraq, the Soviet Union, and China.  He flew in a converted B-24 Liberator aircraft, and left New York on August 26th, 71 years ago to the day as I write this. In the course of his journey, he discussed the problems of the war with King Farouk of Egypt, British General Bernard ("Monty") Montgomery, General Charles de Gaulle, Joseph Stalin and General Chiang Kai-shek.

A pilot in the clearly antiquated Chinese air force.

At the time, there was still doubt in parts of the world as to the sincerity of the American people in the support of  FDR's prosecution of the war. Who would be better prepared to dissipate doubts regarding the unity of the American people in carrying the war to an Allied victory than the leader of the loyal opposition in the United States? 

Willkie (on the left) at a United China Relief dinner, with Madame Chiang Kai-Shek (to the right of Willkie)

In China, he traveled to Chungking (now Chongqing) Lanchow (now Lanzhou) Sian (now Xi’an), and Chengtu (now Chengdu). At a time when the Chinese people were exhausted after their  resistance to the Japanese invasion for over ten years and their belief that the United States did not fully understand their plight, the visit was timely, to say the least.

Crowds at a Willkie speech

One of the members of the Willkie party in China, Hollington K. Tong (Vice-Minister of Information; graduate of Columbia University, 1913), has an Academy connection. In 1943, the Academy’s Board of Governors invited Tong to become a member of the Documentary Awards Nomination Committee. Mr. Tong declined the invitation, but suggested another person, Dr. H. L. Shia of the Chinese News Service, headquartered in New York City (at 30 Rockefeller Center). which provided the Academy with this Willkie in China newsreel.

Folk performances

When he returned to the US, he wrote of his travels in “One World,” which became a huge best seller. He sold the films rights to Darryl Zanuck and 20th Century-Fox (Willkie had become chairman of the board of Fox in 1942), and there was talk of Spencer Tracy portraying Willkie. In September of 1943 Zanuck asked the Academy if they had any Willkie footage, and a copy of a letter in the Academy files from Margaret Herrick (signed "Mrs. Donald Gledhill") to Zanuck informs him of this newsreel. A handwritten note of the letter notes that Zanuck's secretary called the next day to express his great interest in looking at it.

Six months before his "One World" trip, Willkie spoke for 20 minutes as a special invited guest at the 14th Academy Awards on February 26, 1942. He came on after the Documentary Awards presentation and before the Short Subject Awards. He talked generally about the state of the country and the world, as well as the role of the film industry in the war (remember this was less than three months after Pearl Harbor). Dr. Hu Shih, China's ambassador to United States, spoke at the Show as well.

Willkie with Madame Chiang and the General

It's interesting to note another China connection with the 14th Awards. As you'll know if you read my earlier posts, KUKAN received an honorary Academy Award at this ceremony. Too bad KUKAN's filmmaker, Rey Scott, couldn't attend the Awards Show, because he and Willkie would have had a lot to discuss concerning China.

Chinese officer meets with General Joseph Stillwell

The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez

I first met the great independent film director Robert M. Young about three years ago, introduced by our mutual friend Sandra Schulberg. She thought I might be interesting in bringing Bob's films into the Film Archive, and she was right! Bob and I communicated off and on for awhile, and he eventually introduced me and my wife Monica to his family, inviting us to dine with them periodically. Bob has had an amazing, long career, making both documentaries and features, and there is no question that his films belong at the Archive. My friendship with Bob coincided with the growing relationship between the Archive and DuArt, owned by Bob's brother Irwin.

Back in December of 2012, the Film Archive received many boxes of original elements from Bob's films, including SHORT EYES and THE BALLAD OF GREGORIO CORTEZ.

As I learned more about GREGORIO CORTEZ, the more interested I became, and thought it a perfect candidate for preservation. It was only available on home video in the US on VHS, and has not been widely seen theatrically since its release in 1982. However, its significance and influence is wide, with probably the first Chicano hero in modern American film, with Edward James Olmos in his breakout role as Cortez. It was one of the earliest, if not the first, feature shot on Super 16mm. A sort of informal team has developed to investigate the preservation of CORTEZ, including Bob Young, Eddie Olmos, Irwin Young, David Leitner, Dave Terman and Bill Baldwin. During a recent dinner with much of the group, Bob and Eddie regaled us with terrific stories about the production and distribution story of the film - it was like a live version of a DVD commentary track.

There are problems, however, both technical and legal. CORTEZ was shot on 16mm, but conformed in 35mm. The Film Archive received the original 16mm camera negative, but this is "flash to flash," with all the selected takes printed end to end. The "original" conformed 35mm negative is believed to be held by Canal Plus in Paris. They own much of the foreign rights to the film, and Sony and MGM split the US domestic rights.

So far, we've been unable to confirm that Canal has the 35mm negative or other pre-print, or the condition of these materials, as they've been less than forthcoming. Even if Canal has these materials, they may not give us access to them. It would be easier and cheaper to create new preservation materials from the 35mm materials, but if they're unavailable, our team may have to resort to plan B, which would involve scanning the original 16mm negative. This would be more complicated and expensive, because of the length of the negative - over 35,000 feet, and the need to basically re-edit the film from scratch (this is a very condensed version of the process, giving you the general idea of what we may have to do).

The search and planning continues. Hopefully soon I'll be able to update with good news on the project.

 

Film History on an Index Card

During World War II, the Academy created the War Film Library, an extensive collection of documentaries, propaganda shorts and newsreels, for use by the studios. The Film Archive has preserved many films from this collection - for more info, see: http://www.oscars.org/events-exhibitions/features/war-films/index.html) The Academy staff at the time thankfully kept very detailed records of this collection, as well as how they worked with it. In my research in Special Collections at the Academy's Margaret Herrick Library, I came across files containing step by step instructions on how to loan a film, including samples of every single form to be filled out and sticker to be affixed. If you studied all this, and were then transported back to 1942, you'd be able to do the job just fine.

In addition, several different card catalogs, documenting both the contents of the Library as well as the movements of the prints survived, and these are held at the Film Archive. I came across the following card while preparing the "Oscar's Docs" retrospective back in 2004.

This card is for a (nitrate!) print of CHURCHILL'S ISLAND, the first film to win an Academy Award in the newly created documentary category, for films made in 1941 (a caveat - two other Oscars were presented to films that year, for KUKAN and TARGET FOR TO-NIGHT, but they were officially "Special Awards."). This print had been submitted for consideration for those first documentary Oscars.

The first "out" is to the Filmarte Theatre, for the "nomination screening" evening. In the infancy of this category, the procedures for how to judge these films was still being worked out, so the sole showing of the submitted films took place in a commercial theater. In attendance were the five members of the Documentary Awards Committee, as well as many Academy members, including several Hollywood stars. Incidentally, the Filmarte Theatre, which was demolished in 1990, was located at 1226 N. Vine Street, just across from where the Film Archive is today.

The film is signed back in by "Sam" - Sam Brown, then assistant to Margaret Gledhill Herrick. Brown later became Herrick's successor, alas only for a short time, as poor health forced his retirement.

The next "out" is to Joris Ivens, the legendary Dutch documentary filmmaker, at USC. Ivens' connection to the new documentary awards is an unfortunate one. He'd submitted his film POWER AND THE LAND for awards consideration in 1940, the year before the doc category was created, for Live Action Short. Quite a few documentary films were nominated or won awards in this category before docs were officially recognized by the Academy. But at 38 minutes, it was 8 minutes too long to be considered a short. Undaunted, Ivens submitted the film in 1941, but was again rebuffed, since the film was ineligible because it had been released the year before!  The "D.G." who personally took the print to Ivens, is Donald Gledhill, Executive Secretary of the Academy, and husband of Margaret Herrick. He left the Academy for military service soon after, in 1943. The film is then sent by messenger to the Taft Building in Hollywood, the home of Academy offices.

Next, the film went to Murray Seldeen, a supervising film editor at Republic, and was signed back in by Grace - Grace Gaunt (my favorite Academy staff name from the period, who sounds like a Gothic novel heroine).

This popular title then went out again a few days later, to Hal Wallis, producer at Warner Bros. (who no doubt was working on CASABLANCA at the time). His papers are at the Herrick Library.

Finally, CHURCHILL'S ISLAND went out to Frank Lloyd Wright at Taliesin West, his winter home, studio and architectural campus (One shudders at the thought of a nitrate print out there in the desert, in the days before air conditioning). The first phase of construction of this landmark had been completed just two years before. One wonders about Wright's interest in the film. And though Hal Wallis and Joris Ivens had kept the film only a couple of days each, Wright was allowed to have the print "for an indefinite period." Thankfully, CHURCHILL'S ISLAND was returned to the Library. And good thing, too, because it became the basis of the Film Archive's preservation of the film in 2004, as it was the best known surviving source.

The Battle of San Pietro, Part 3 (for Super Film Geeks Only)

Here's a comparison between the earlier 38 minute version of SAN PIETRO, and the "standard" 32 minute version:

Long Version, 38 minutes

Corresponds closely to script of November 3, 1944

LS = Long Shot

MS = Medium Shot

CU = Close Up

LR = Left to right

RL = Right to left

Text Official Historical Film / H.R. 2 / War Department The War Department Presents SAN PIETRO Produced by the Army Pictorial Service / Music: The Army Air Force Orchestra / The Mormon Tabernacle Choir / St. Brendan’s Boys Choir Lira Valley lies in the Italian midland, some sixty miles northwest of Naples, to some forty miles southeast of Rome – a wide flat corridor, enclosed between four walls of mountains.   In winter, the highest peaks of the Liri range ascend into the snows, but the valley floor, with its olive groves and ancient vines, its crops of wheat and corn, is green the year around. That is, in normal times. Last year was a bad year for grapes and olives and the fall planting was late. Many fields lay fallow There are two ways from the south into the valley: one a narrow pass the other a high scenic road over the mountains They converge before the site of the ancient village of San Pietro which for seven hundred years has stood at the threshold of Liri Valley, welcoming the traveler. The stones of its walls were quarried out of the parent hill from whose slopes it rises. Population, fourteen hundred and twelve at the last census. A farming community. Patron saint: Peter Point of interest:  Saint Peter’s, 1438 Note interesting treatment of chancel As Saint Peter’s was erected by those who were to worship there, so each original dwelling was built by the ones who were to live there. And this practice had endured down through the centuries. The Italian peasant is a born mason. He cuts and lays and mortars in the stone with great skill and patience, building not for himself alone, but for future generations. From the end of October, 1943, until the middle of December, San Pietro and the surrounding ground was the scene of some of the bitterest fighting on our Fifth Army Front. The Italian Campaign had entered its second phase, the push forward again after a static period brought on by heavy seasonal rains. Our battle lines were haphazard as the terrain itself, with its flood swollen rivers that twisted back and forth across our line of march so that each river seemed like five. And where there was no river to cross, a mountain blocked our going – each peak ahead being a few meters higher than the last we had won so that each new peak had to be fought for the hard, uphill way with the enemy looking down our throats. They had had time to fortify and camouflage their positions No amount of artillery fire or aerial bombardment could force them to withdraw… that was for infantry to do, employing those weapons that can find and destroy life in narrow trenches, caves and fighting holes.  It was up to the man with the rifle, the man under fire from all weapons The man whose way all our weapons -  land, air and sea  - serve only to prepare It was up to the foot soldier – to attack a hidden enemy over ground that was sown with mines…the anti-personnel “S” mines that fly up at a footfall to explode beneath the groin. Nowhere along the entire front were enemy preparations more elaborate than in the San Pietro area. For San Pietro stands at the threshold of Liri Valley  and through Liri Valley wide and level runs the most highly prized length of road, south of Rome. By early December, we had taken and were holding high ground to the northeast, east and south of San Pietro…the Camino-Maggiore hill mass being last to fall. Italian troops under Allied command had made a vain attempt to capture Mt. Lungo. Possession of which would have acted greatly to our benefit in the impending action. But so excessive were the losses incurred that further operations against Mt. Lungo’s strategic heights were deemed unwarranted. No narration. It was thereon determined to make a direct frontal assault on enemy positions, around and within San Pietro Battalions of the 36th Texas Infantry division were rotated from position to position overlooking the valley so the troops might study the terrain ahead from various viewpoints No narration Patrol activity was continuous No narration Day and night, units went out to reconnoiter the ground, draw fire, take prisoners, thus adding to the sum of our information about the enemy. High points – Mt. Lungo’s 351 and Mt. Sammucro’s 1205 and 950, were all manned in force.  The town itself was strongly garrisoned with numerous mortar, machine gun and heavy weapon emplacements.  Four enemy battalions were dug into a line of connecting trenches and mutually supporting pill boxes in depth that extended from the base of Mt. Lungo northeast across the valley floor to the base of Mt. Sammucro. Another battalion was organized to defend the high ground northwest of San Pietro. Areas before these positions were heavily mined and held a confusion of barbed wire and booby traps.  On the afternoon before, D-Day and H-Hour were communicated to battalion commanders No narration December 8th at 0620 hours, the 1st Battalion of the 143rd Infantry Regiment to attack the summit of 1205, having moved up the mountain under cover of darkness. And upon achieving its objective to attack along the ridge to a point northwest of San Pietro.  The 3rd Ranger Battalion likewise to attack 950 – another feature of the Mt. Sammucro Hill Mass.  The 2nd Battalion of the 143rd to attack over the terraced olive orchards northeast of San Pietro. The 3rd Battalion, acting in support to follow the 2nd at four hundred yards. Of the original force to establish the beachhead at Salerno, the 143rd had since spent all but a fortnight in action under extremely bitter weather conditions. At Salerno -- at the Volturno crossing it had taken mortal punishment. The task ahead promised no less bloodshed, yet it was undertaken in good spirits and high confidence. The 1st Battalion began the long, rugged climb up Mt. Sammucro. No narration As night fell our artillery opened up and throughout the night hours intense fire was laid down on the enemy’s main line of resistance. No narration It had rained most of the night and it was raining at “H” hour when the 2nd and 3rd battalions crossed the line of departure  No narration Some 200 yards forward they encountered mines and automatic fire from pill boxes No narration Mortar and artillery fire were deadly accurate by reason of excellent enemy observation from Mt. Lungo overlooking our advance.  Which continued another 200 to 400 yards. No narration Many men gave their lives in attempts to jump the wire, reach pill boxes and throw hand grenades through the narrow gun openings. The 3rd Battalion was committed. No narration The advance never got more than 600 yards past the line of departure. Our initial assault on San Pietro had been repulsed with heavy casualties. No narration. The attack on Hill 1205, however, was a brilliant success. Leading elements of the 1st Battalion had gained the summit of the objective before a strongly entrenched enemy knew that an assault was in progress. No narration To the right of Hill 1205 the 3rd Ranger Battalion had also captured its objective, but only after successive attacks and costly casualties – for on Hill 950 the enemy was not taken unaware. Counterattacks were to be expected on both 1205 and 950. They were not long developing. No narration The first was launched during the early daylight hours and even as it was beaten off, another took form. No narration Day and night they followed in unremitting violence. No narration The toll of enemy dead mounted with each new attempt… no narration But German prisoners captured on 1205 and 950 said that they had been ordered to retake those positions at all costs. No narration Acting in excellent cooperation, the artillery’s supporting power disrupted numerous enemy counterattacks while they were in the process of being formed. No narration In addition to defending Hill 1205, the 1st Battalion obedient to the field order, undertook the reduction of enemy defenses which were organized along the ridge running west. No narration On the 12th of December the 1st Battalion was reinforced by the 504th Parachute Battalion, which took over and maintained the defenses of 1205 and 950, No narration thereby enabling the 1st Battalion to throw its entire remaining strength into the assault along the ridge. But the 1st’s strength had dwindled and shrunk in the five days past and there was now a question as to whether its existing numbers were sufficient to prevail. Reports during the night of the 14th of December stated that the enemy was offering bitter resistance and that the issue was in grave doubt. Meanwhile, on the olive terraces below, the 2nd and 3rd Battalions had twice again attempted to reach their objective. No narration Both times they had come up a wall of automatic weapon, mortar and artillery fire. No narration Volunteer patrols made desperate attempts to reach enemy positions and reduce strong points.  No narration Not a single member of any such patrol ever came back alive No narration Our attacking forces were furnished excellent aerial cover by Allied fighter patrols, but now and then enemy planes were able to slip through and to bomb and strafe our positions. Which to all purposes, had remained unchanged since the first day. To break the deadlock, orders were given for a coordinated divisional attack. The 2nd and 3rd Batttalions of the 143rd to proceed in the execution of the original orders.  Acting in conjunction, Company A of the 753rd Tank Battalion to attack San Pietro from the east over the high road. One battalion of the 141st to attack over the flat valley floor. After nightfall on D-Day the 142nd Infantry Regiment to attack the heights of Mt. Lungo. In preparations for the attack, all Fifth Army artillery within range including tanks and all-tracks was directed against San Pietro and the surrounding area. No narration [midway through shot] “H” hour, 1200 hours “D” day, the 15th of December [midway through shot] The 141st  Infantry advanced some 400 yards from its line of departure no narration to be born down and held powerless under the weight of enemy fire.  No narration The 2nd and 3rd Battalions of the 143rd advanced some one hundred yards beyond their former positions to a point almost directly before forward enemy defenses… and for the third time they were forced to take such cover as the quaking earth could offer. And the tanks…Orders were for them to enter the town and to locate and destroy the heavy weapons there, which were leveled against our attacking foot soldiers. No narration The high road into San Pietro is a narrow mountain road  and from the beginning of its winding descent into Lira Valley it was under direct enemy observation. No narration Sixteen tanks started down that road. Three reached the outskirts of the town. Of these, two were destroyed  and one was missing. Five tanks were immobilized behind enemy lines, their crews having to abandon them. Five tanks hit enemy mines within our lines and were thereupon destroyed by enemy gunfire. Four tanks returned to the bivouac area. After dark two companies, one from the 2nd Battalion and one from the 3rd Battalion finally succeeded in penetrating enemy positions before San Pietro. But receiving both frontal and flanking fire, they were forced to retire, Company “E” having been reduced in strength to eight rifleman and Company “L” faring little better. No narration On the Mt. Sammucro ridge the 1st Battalion fought its way to within a few hundred yards of the objective, but it had paid for ground gained at the rate of a man a yard, and they did not have strength to carry the fight any further forward. On Mt. Lungo, however, despite bitter resistance, battalions of the 142nd – in successive waves, kept pushing upwards  No narration Until in the early daylight hours of the 16th of December  its foot soldiers had gained the summit and were wiping up what remained of a stubborn enemy. No narration And that height proved to be a key position in the enemy plan of defense. For even as Mt. Lungo fell, the enemy throughout the San Pietro area made preparations to withdraw. Almost invariably the enemy will counterattack to cover a withdraw. The first violent thrust was delivered within a few hours. No narration (midway through shot) And thereafter, counterattacks came in waves, the roar of the last mingling with the rush and fury of the next to break. Many companies lost all their officers. Enlisted men came forward as inspirational leaders to rally their battered companies  into resisting yet one more onslaught. No narration Our own artillery was brought to fall within a hundred yards of our front line elements. No narration After five hours during which the earth never ceased to tremble, counterattacks ended, indicating that the withdrawal of the enemy’s main body had commenced. No narration In an effort to maintain contact, our patrols immediately pushed ahead. No narration (begins halfway through shot) Entering the town they discovered that San Pietro was ours for the taking. No narration The 2nd and 3rd Battalions, less than a rifle company in strength, weary to death, who were alive, stumbled forward past San Pietro to consolidate gains and re-establish contact with the enemy, now taking up new positions some five kilometers beyond. That is the broad shape of the battle of San Pietro, which was but the first of many battles  in Lira Valley.  It was a very costly battle. After the battle the 143rd Infantry Regiment alone required eleven hundred replacements. No narration (starts halfway through shot) The lives lost were precious lives, to their country, to their loved ones …and the men themselves. For the living of the 143rd Infantry Regiment more than one hundred decorations for acts of valor above and beyond  the call of duty. Many among these you see alive here have since joined the ranks of their brothers in arms who fell at San Pietro. For ahead lay San Vittori and the Rapido River  and Cassino and beyond Cassino more rivers and more mountains and more towns… more San Pietros…greater or lesser… a thousand more. As the battle passed over and beyond San Pietro, westward, townspeople began to appear, coming out of their caves in the mountains where they had staying in hiding during the enemy occupation. No narration They were mostly old people…And children. No narration Living was resumed in San Pietro. Children are able to forget quickly. Yesterday they wept… Today there are smiles and even laughter… tomorrow it will be as though the bad things had never happened. No narration Our prime military aim being to engage and defeat the enemy, the capture of the town itself and the liberation of its people is of an incidental nature.  But the people, in their military innocence, look upon us solely as their deliverers. It was to free them, and their farmlands, that we came.  Behind our lines, southwest, to the sea the fields are green with growing crops planted after our coming… by other people, of other towns, who believe likewise. The new won earth of San Pietro was plowed and sown. It should yield a good harvest this year. (starts midway through shot) And the people prayed to their patron saint to intercede with god on behalf of those who came, delivered them, and passed on to the north, with the passing battle. No narration

Image Text title Text Main Title Credits LS valley with sun streaming Second LS of valley Third LS of valley Closer shot of valley with buildings Dead trees (track right) Dead tree CU of dead tree and wooden frame Fallen dead tree LS of field with shell holes LS of blasted field with water filled hole LS through pass to valley LS of valley with box or truck(?) in right foreground Shot of map, zoom in to San Pietro LS of valley with shadows Low angle uphill of bombed out town (pan left) LS of fields Blasted statue of St. Peter LS, blasted church Looking up through bombed out dome, the rest of church (pan down) LS of church with dead tree in foreground Low angle of part of bombed out church Lowish angle, outlined piece of wreckage in upper middle of frame. High angle looking down on peasants with shovels. MS of peasants moving stones. LS of dead body in rubble. MS of dead body LS of valley with smoke (pan right) Trucks travelling through foggy street Map with pointer at line of squares LS of floodwaters Floodwaters, with dead trees in foreground Trucks crossing flooded river. Aerial shot of valley, moving left. MS, camouflaged artillery post CU, troops raising artillery piece LS of mountainside with smoke LS hillside with smoke, through trees CU of soldier affixing bayonet to rifle, pointing right CU prone soldier reaches for bayonet in belt (pan left) and affixes to rifle CU soldier attaching grenades to belt. MS field with barbed wire, soldier advances LR (LH) CU,  head of soldier moves RL CU head and shoulders of soldier with rifle (RH) moves RL CU head of soldier moves RL LS of hillsides and valley, pan LR LS of San Pietro half in shadow Trucks on road. LR Map of area. Pointer shows troop locations LS of smoke and explosions in valley MS Soldiers carrying stretcher with corpse down hillside, RL Longer shot, carrying stretcher down hillside, LR Loading corpses into truck CU of bodybags. LS line of troops walking RL CU of line of troops, toward camera, but RL MS three soldiers looking into the valley CU, two soldiers with maps LS of valley with smoke Two soldiers with maps (one pulls out binoculars) they look left. CU, soldier on phone Soldier going up bush hill, LR (gun in right hand ) CU soldier sliding on stomach through bushes, LR MS. Two soldiers talking, they salute and walk away MS, interviewing Germany prisoners CU, two German prisoners (helmeted one on left) Map with pointer CU of soldier on phone in left hand MS overhead of soldiers on phone MS of two soldiers on phones, leaning diagonally. CU low angle of soldier on phone MS, soldiers with rifles waiting around Map LS soldiers in foxholes CU, soldier in foxhole MS, soldier sitting with elbows on knees CU, smiling soldier (curled lapel on coat) CU, smiling soldier, chewing gum CU, soldier chewing gum (turns head screen right) CU, soldier with mustache, left half of screen CU, smiling soldier with netting on helmet CU, different smiling soldier with mustache, right half of screen CU, soldier looking up, left half of screen; turns head screen left. MS, soldier with mustache and rifle MS, soldier with tommy gun, back to camera MS, Line of soldiers walking uphill, diagonally RL Closer shot of same soldiers LS Soldiers advancing uphill away from camera, LR MS, line of soldiers going uphill, crossing RL Dissolve to night shots of artillery flashes of light (several different shots) LS daytime of valley LS, walking troops in orchards RL LS, troops in orchard, RL (some on hill in back) LS, troops walking fast, RL (one disappears behind large tree for a second) LS, one soldier walking slowly through orchard, seen through branches. RL LS, low angle, through branches, troops in orchard. RL LS, troops mid frame, moving away from camera, smoke in distance. Soldier is shot at end of shot. LS, troops running RL LS, very low angle, out of focus, two soldiers move RL LS, two soldiers run RL MS, soldiers move toward camera, and towards screen right, (very windy) LS, troops advance RL, lots of wind and smoke. MS, out of focus. Troops move RL MS. Out of focus. Troops move RL MS. Bright explosion Camera “pans” from straight ahead, and “falls” forward down. CU. Soldier pulls another into foxhole, toward camera, LR. LS, explosion at base of hill. MS. Closer explosion, lots of smoke MS. Soldier slides into foxhole of another, RL. MS. Explosion behind fallen dead tree MS. Soldier in foxhole looks at rock formations. Smokey. CU. Soldier pulls another into foxhole, left side of frame. MS, bright explosion Longer shot, bright explosion. Cut, same type of shot MS, two soldiers in foxhole in foreground, explosion in background. MS. Soldiers on ground, camera moves around wildly. Camera swerves around violently MS of corpse, half in shadow. MS, corpse with crossed legs, gun faces left. MS, troops through orchard, moving diagonally RL CU, out of focus, soldier moves RL MS, shaky camera pointed at ground, then pans up. (very short shot) LS, soldiers move RL LS, soldier moves RL MS, bright explosion near camera MS, soldier slides into foxhole with another, from screen left. MS, explosion behind fallen dead tree (same as shot above) LS, explosion in open field. MS, explosion closer to camera. MS, explosion in distance (same as one above) MS, explosion closer to camera MS. Putting corpses in white body bags. CU, putting a corpse in body bag. CU, putting corpse in body bag. CU, putting corpse in body bag. CU, putting corpse in body bag. CU, putting corpse in body bag. CU, crossing arms of corpse, Map MS, troops on ridge advance RL. CU, machine gun crew prepares. CU, machine gunner aims gun. LR CU, soldier with tommy gun puts rock in front of him.  LR CU, soldier behind rocks. LR MS, low angle, soldier prone on a rock. RL MS, line of soldiers walking uphill, LR. MS, line of soldiers walking diagonally (flat ground), LR. Smoke in background MS. Carrying stretcher downhill, LR. Closer shot, carrying stretcher downhill, LR. LS, soldiers at base of rocky hill. CU, prone soldier in Left foreground, looking uphill MS. Soldiers on ridge in left foreground, explosion downhill on the right High angle, soldiers on ridge in left foreground, explosion downhill to the right. LS, explosion behind some tall bushes MS. Soldiers hiding behind rocks, explosion behind rocks MS. Soldiers looking down into valley, explosion in front of them.  (very short) MS, helmet in close foreground, rocks and explosion in background (very short shot) LS, explosion in left background, soldiers barely visible in right middle distance.  (very short shot) LS, prone soldiers in foreground on rocky hill, explosion in middle distance. Shaky camera explosion in distance. CU, machine gun crew fires, RL LS, tracer bullets toward hillside in distance CU. Machine gunner in left foreground shooting. LS, tracer bullets hit far hillside LS, explosions on hillside CU. Mortar loaded and fired LS, explosions on hillside CU Dead enemy soldier, RL CU. German corpse, head in upper left. CU. German corpse. Head in lower left. CU. Germany corpse. Head in upper right. Mask pulled off face. CU. German corpse. Upsidedown in frame MS. Prisoners being lead downhill on zigzag trail CU. Three POWs, looking left . CU, POW. LS, artillery fires at town (emplacement in bottom of frame in foreground LS, artillery fires, gun is facing R LS, explosions in far distance, dead tree trunks in foreground. LS, artillery fires at town (same as above) MS. Canon fires RL, camouflage netting above. MS. Canon fires, lower left of screen, disappears from frame. MS. Tank fires, RL LS, artillery piece fires (three soldiers in foreground) LS, explosions on top of mountain  LS, explosions on hillside LS, explosions in valley. Map MS. Soldier in left side of frame throws hand grenade,  [from NFPF cover] right handed.  Pan right. MS. Explosion. Left of frame MS. Soldiers advance, away from camera. MS. Soldier runs uphill right to left, camera pans left.  Lays down on rocks Closer shot. Soldier on left side of frame throws hand grenade right handed.  He and another soldier pick up their rifles and advance. MS. Another soldier, in left side of frame, throws hand grenade, right handed. Pan right Cut. LS. Explosion in right side of frame. LS. Soldier in distance throws grenade right handed. Cut. LS. Explosion on hillside above two prone soldiers. MS. Line of soldiers walking LR. MS. Line of soldiers on hillside trail, walking LR LS, Prone soldiers behind rocks on hill shooting down into valley MS. Prone soldier behind rocks firing LR MS. Soldier from behind rock firing LR. LS, explosion on left of screen LS. Soldiers advancing uphill away from camera. Out of focus rock in foreground. Soldiers on hillside in middle distance. One dead? MS. Bringing down wounded in stretcher, toward camera Closer. Bringing down stretcher, LR MS. Soldier on telephone, soldier on rifle behind him. CU. Soldier in profile, facing screen right, in and out of shadow. LS, soldiers moving through very smoky orchard. RL LS, solider moving through orchard, diagonally RL MS, bright explosion MS, soldiers in foxhole in foreground LS, explosion in valley MS, explosion LS, explosions in valley LS, soldiers move into the open and go prone MS, soldiers run RL, one drops his gun, pan RL LS. Explosion in orchard CU. Soldier leaving foxhole away from camera, to the Left CU. Another soldier leaving foxhole away from camera to the left . Out of focus MS. Soldiers advancing away from camera, to the left. LS. Soldiers advancing through orchard away from camera, drop to prone. LS. Explosion LS. P-38 planes in sky. LS. Dive bomber attacking. Barbed wire in foreground LS. Explosions in valley MS. Officers in helmets looking at map, facing right. MS. Officers in caps looking at map. Facing left Map LS. Artillery piece raised CU of cannon breech. MS. Sherman tank moving RL MS. Artillery piece with camouflage netting above it. MS. Tank turret rotating clockwise MS. Artillery piece with breech open MS. Soldier with mustache on phone. LS. Cannon being raised MS. Soldier with glasses on phone. Faces right MS. Cannon next to tree is raised CU. Artillery soldiers working, overhead shot MS. Two soldiers carry shell in a carrier. Shell is loaded into breech. RL CU. Explosive loaded into breech, breech is closed MS. Soldier with glasses gives order to fire. CU. Soldier looks through binoculars. RL MS. Soldier fires cannon. MS. Soldier looks through binoculars. RL LS. Cannon fires. MS. Artillery fires at town (shot used previously) LS. Cannon fires LS. Sherman tank fires. Seen from rear. MS. High angle of artillery crew firing cannon. MS. Self propelled gun fires. Seen from behind. Soldier on top looking through binoculars. LS. Several tanks dug in firing. RL MS. Barrel of cannon seen firing. LS. Explosions on hillside LS. High angle. Explosions in town. LS. Low angle. Explosions in town. MS. Self propelled gun firing, being loaded. LS. Large cannon firing. LR MS. Small cannon firing. LR MS. Large cannon firing. Very short. LR MS. Cannon firing. Camouflage netting above. CU. Low angle of soldier looking through binoculars. Camouflage netting above. LS. High angle. Explosions in valley. MS. Crew fires cannon. LS. Sherman tank fires. Seen from behind LS. M-10 Tank Destroyers firing. RL CU. Cannon fires, seen from behind MS. Cannon fires, RL MS. Cannon fires, moves out of frame. LR MS. Tank fires, RL MS. High angle. Artillery crew fires cannon. CU. Soldier fires large cannon LS. Explosions in town CU. Soldier holding binoculars CU. Soldiers synchronizing watches CU. One soldier’s watch LS. Soldiers advance through field toward town, seen from behind. MS. Soldiers move RL. LS. Soldiers reach trees, continuation of the one just before previous. They fall prone when explosion hits. MS. Closer shot of same LS. Soldiers in foxholes LS. Prone soldiers in field. LS. Soldiers in foxhole. Blast shakes camera LS. High angle, troops advance through large bushes downhill MS. Low angle of barbed wire. MS. Prone soldiers behind barbed wire. MS. Closer of same RL LS. Soldiers and barbed wire MS. Soldier with rifle behind barbed wire LS. Soldiers behind barbed wire MS. Soldiers behind barbed wire. MS. Soldiers behind barbed wire. MS. Soldiers behind barbed wire. Post MS. Soldiers behind barbed wire. LS. Sherman tank moves out from behind building. LR. Pan right LS. Tank moving LR. LS. Tank moving LR in far distance.  Pan right LS-MS. Tank advancing on road straight at camera. LS. Switchback mountain road MS. Tank on road, moving LR toward camera. Pan right MS. Tank moving toward camera. LR MS Tank moving toward camera, RL. Pan left LS. Road into town CU. Tank moves past camera. LR, then away from camera. MS. Artillery fires LS. Valley and town. MS. Wrecked tank, turret blown off. LS. Turretless tank on hillside MS. Upside down tank MS. Upside down tank with tree branches behind MS. Carrying stretchers, LR MS. Low angle of tank moving in shadow LS. Night scene. Flares LS. Night gunfire and flares CU. Soldier with beard on stretcher. LR CU. Clean shaven soldier on stretcher. LR CU. Bearded soldier on stretcher. LR CU. Mustached soldier on stretcher. LR. CU. Another mustached soldier on stretcher. LR. LS. Soldiers among rocks. Pan left. Shaky camera. Camera swerves around. CU. Dead soldier head toward camera MS. Dead soldier. LS. Dead soldier. Feet toward camera MS. Dead soldier. Valley in background LS. Soldiers running in open. RL LS. Soldiers running across rocks, RL MS. Soldiers firing, partly obscured by bushes. RL CU. Soldier firing rifle. Seen from behind. CU. Soldier firing rifle. Seen from behind. No helmet. CU. Soldier firing automatic rifle. LR LS. Two soldiers throw hand grenades, right handed. MS. One soldier gets up from prone, throws grenade right handed LS. Soldiers advance LR. Pan right LS. Soldier on left screen moves down toward valley. MS. Soldier with tommy gun moves RL CU. Soldiers move uphill toward camera. RL MS. Low angle soldiers going uphill, past smoking hole. MS. Soldiers zigzag past smoking hold MS. Closer. Soldiers look into hole MS. Soldiers look down into valley. LR LS. Soldiers looking down into valley. RL LS. Explosions in valley LS. Explosions on hillside LS. Explosions in bushy area LS. Explosions in valley CU. Explosion close to camera, camera shakes wildly LS. Soldiers moving LR LS. Soldiers firing from foxholes. LR LS. Prone soldiers firing LR LS. Prone soldier firing bazooka LS. Mortars fired from valley MS. Mortar team loading and firing mortars. High angle. RL MS. Soldier with binoculars looking into valley LS. Smoke in valley LS. Explosion in middle distance LS. Explosions MS. Explosion behind dead fallen tree (used twice before) LS. Explosion in valley (extremely short shot) MS. High angle. Soldier behind rocks (extremely short shot) LS. Explosion. (extremely short) LS. Explosion closer (extremely short) LS. Explosion (extremely short) LS. Dead soldier’s backpack (es) LS. Explosion. Dead? Soldier in foreground LS. Explosion fills screen LS. Explosion. Dead soldier in foreground (continuation of former shot) LS. Explosion behind dead fallen tree. Continuation of previously used shot. Soldier gets up at end. CU. Soldier raises up, looking left. LS. Prone soldiers get up a bit MS. Soldiers in foxhole in the foreground CU. Soldiers get up to advance. RL Cu. Soldiers advance uphill. LR CU. Soldier falls to ground, RL CU. Soldier crawls, RL CU. Soldier getting up, toward camera, LR LS. Soldiers running through blasted buildings, RL. Pan left. Camera stops, blast. Continues pan LS. Soldiers advance through open field, away from camera, toward right MS. Soldiers walking RL. Pan left. Shaky camera. Explosion LS. Soldiers coming out of foxholes LS. Soldiers walk past camera and away. LS. Soldiers advance toward camera. Head of dead soldier in foreground, on right side of frame. LS. Soldiers walking away from camera, RL LS. Soldiers on ridge moving toward blasted building on left. LS. Blasted town seen through dead trees. Soldiers walk past camera screen left. MS. Soldiers crouching, stand up. MS. Crouching soldiers move forward, RL. Pan left MS. Soldiers coming toward camera, LR. Camera drops down when soldier does. MS. Soldiers walking toward camera, guns pointed toward right. MS. Soldiers walking toward camera. Guns pointed right LS soldier bends to look in basement.  RL CU. Soldier looking up. Low angle. RL. Pan Left LS. High angle. Soldiers moving RL MS. Soldier coming out of hole.  Gun in right hand, moves right MS. Soldiers moving LR. One without helmet MS. Guy walking toward camera, looks at camera.  Other guys walk up. LS. Explosion in valley. LS. Line of soldiers with stretcher. LR. Pan right LS. Soldiers with stretcher move toward camera. LS. Graveyard. Digging graves in foreground. Carrying US flag LR. Pan right to gravediggers MS. Shoveling dirt from grave. CU/MS. Very young gravedigger looks at camera, body lowered into grave MS. Nailing dog tags to headstones CU. Same MS. Guys lounging and talking CU. Guy with tommy gun.  Pan right to guy with tobacco in cheek. Camera stops, then continues CU. Guy smiling looking right CU. Line of guys, middle one is medic. CU. Two guys looking left. CU. Guy with cigar, tree behind. MS. Soldiers and peasants walking down rubble.  Toward left LS. Wounded peasants, one on a crutch and face bandage. MS.  Peasants running out of cave. MS. Peasant on crutches in field LS. Covered woman walking down incline. LS.  Old guy with cane, kid. RL MS. Old guy with cane coming toward camera LS. Soldiers and peasants walk through town. Woman looks back at camera High angle, digging out bombed out building MS. Finding buried body MS. Grieving husband MS. Pulling out dead body. MS. Woman wipes away tears MS. Pulling out body CU. Grieving man CU. Grieving breastfeeding woman LS. Line of women holding babies. MS. Line of women with baskets on heads. MS. Woman with baskets on head LS. Woman with casket on head LS. Woman with casket, low angle MS. Woman with baggage on head MS. Woman with lace tablecloth. Beam across top of frame. LS. Woman raking dirt in shadow LS. Low angle. Women talking across ruined building. MS. Woman with basket on head, passes kids LS. Woman with dresser on head. MS. Woman with dresser on head MS. Man holding boy getting ration card MS. Man leading cows. RL. Stops to look at camera MS. Cut. Shot continues MS. Soldier on truck hands sack of flower to peasant. Pan right MS. High angle. Distributing flour MS. Distributing flour CU. Guy checking scales MS. High angle. Group gets flour CU. Women getting flour CU. Group getting flour. Woman puts sack on her head CU. Profile of man. Pans down to tattered clothes LS. Woman washing clothes in foreground, American truck crosses bridge in background. MS. Woman with kids. Pushes kid away MS. Over the shoulder of cobbler MS. Young woman and kids come out of cave. CU. Kids with spoon in his mouth. Pan left CU. Girl with strand of hair in face. MS. Kids.  One points at camera LS. Kid with long coat walks LR MS. Two small kids hand in hand walk LR MS. Kid smiles at camera pan down right to his feet in big shoes walking through mud.  Pan right CU. Girl holds baby. Pan left CU. Two girls next to mother CU. Baby girl held by mother, holds cookie MS. Small boy in hat walks up street MS. Three kids walk downhill street CU. Smiling girl MS. Barefoot kid in hat walks toward camera CU. Girl paws through grain barrel MS. Kids laughing, with woman CU. Small kids nest to mother looks scared CU. Small kid against wall chewing CU. Girl with clothes in mouth. Pan left to boy CU. Girl with headscarf. LS. Kids pushing toy, cross in background. LS. Field with orchard in distance. LS. Woman and child in field LS. Man and oxen plowing field MS. Man and oxen plowing field CU. Man and oxen, move RL CU. Plow going through earth. Pan left LS. Procession of altar boys MS. Statue of St. Peter MS. Procession of altar boys CU. Of head of St. Peter Liberty bell - V

 

SAN PIETRO

Short Version, 32 minutes

Close to script dated January 5, 1945. But still not exactly the same. Final release version approved March 16, 1945

Text or pictures highlighted in red are different from 38 minute version

XX – different shot order, or text or shot(s) missing from 38 minute version

In 1943, it was one of our strategic aims, to draw as many German armed forces as possible away from the Russian front, and French coastal areas, and to contain them on the Italian peninsula, while liberating as much of Italy as might be possible with the means at our disposal.  As the bulk of our supplies was directed to England for the forthcoming invasion, operations in Italy had to be conducted on an extremely limited scale. Thus it came about, that during the winter months, the number of Allied divisions in Italy was greatly reduced. Yet so determined was their effort, that they succeeded in holding Italy, a very large number of German divisions during the pre-invasion period. San Pietro, in the 5th Army sector, was the key to the Lira Valley. We knew it, and the enemy knew it. We had to take it, even though the immediate cost would be high. We took it, and the cost in relation to the later advance, was not excessive. By its very nature, this success worked bitter hardships upon each individual soldier, calling for the full measure of his courage and devotion. The response of our 5th Army troops provides an inspiring page, in our military history. To these individuals, living and dead, and to those who now continue in their tradition, this picture is dedicated.

Mark Clark intro

Text XXThe War Department Presents SAN PIETRO Produced by the Army Pictorial Service / Music: The Army Air Force Orchestra / The Mormon Tabernacle Choir / St. Brendan’s Boys Choir Lira Valley lies in the Italian midland, some sixty miles northwest of Naples, to some forty miles southeast of Rome – a wide flat corridor, enclosed between four walls of mountains.   In winter, the highest peaks of the Liri range ascend into the snows, but the valley floor, with its olive groves and ancient vines, its crops of wheat and corn, is green the year around. That is, in normal times. Last year was a bad year for grapes and olives and the fall planting was late. Many fields lay fallow There are two ways from the south into the valley: one a narrow pass the other a high scenic road over the mountains They converge before the site of the ancient village of San Pietro which for seven hundred years has stood at the threshold of Liri Valley, welcoming the traveler. The stones of its walls were quarried out of the parent hill from whose slopes it rises. Population, fourteen hundred and twelve at the last census. A farming community. Patron saint: Peter Point of interest:  Saint Peter’s, 1438 Note interesting treatment of chancel From the end of October, 1943, until the middle of December, San Pietro and the surrounding ground was the scene of some of the bitterest fighting on our Fifth Army Front. The Italian Campaign had entered its second phase, the push forward again after a static period brought on by heavy seasonal rains. Our battle lines were haphazard as the terrain itself, with its flood swollen rivers that twisted back and forth across our line of march so that each river seemed like five. No narration And where there was no river to cross, a mountain blocked our going – each peak ahead being a few meters higher than the last we had won so that each new peak had to be fought for the hard, uphill way with the enemy looking down our throats. They had had time to fortify and camouflage their positions No amount of artillery fire or aerial bombardment could force them to withdraw… that was for infantry to do, employing those weapons that can find and destroy life  in narrow trenches, caves and fighting holes.  It was up to the man with the rifle, the man under fire from all weapons. The man whose way all our weapons - land, air and sea  - serve only to prepare. It was up to the foot soldier – to attack a hidden enemy over ground that was sown with mines…the anti-personnel “S” mines that fly up at a footfall to explode beneath the groin. Nowhere along the entire front were enemy preparations more elaborate than in the San Pietro area. For San Pietro stands at the threshold of Liri Valley  and through Liri Valley wide and level runs the most highly prized length of road, south of Rome. By early December, we had taken and were holding high ground to the northeast, east and south of San Pietro…the Camino-Maggiore hill mass being last to fall. An Italian brigade under Allied command had made a vain attempt to capture Mt. Lungo, possession of which would have acted greatly to our benefit in the impending action. The Italians were all but annihilated. In view of their excessive loses, further operations against Mt. Lungo’s strategic heights were abandoned And it was decided to make a direct frontal assault on enemy positions, in and around San Pietro Elements of the 36th Texas Infantry division were rotated from position to position overlooking the valley so the troops might study the terrain ahead from various viewpoints No narration Patrol activity was continuous No narration Day and night, units went out to reconnoiter the ground, draw fire, take prisoners, thus adding to the sum of our information about the enemy. High points – Mt. Lungo’s 351 and Mt. Sammucro’s 1205 and 950, were all manned in force.  The town itself was strongly garrisoned with numerous mortar, machine gun and heavy weapon emplacements.  Four enemy battalions were dug into a line of connecting trenches and mutually supporting pill boxes in depth that extended from the base of Mt. Lungo northeast across the valley floor to the base of Mt. Sammucro. Another battalion was organized to defend the high ground northwest of San Pietro. Areas before these positions were heavily mined and held a confusion of barbed wire and booby traps.  On the afternoon before, D-Day and H-Hour were communicated to battalion commanders No narration December 8th at 0620 hours, the 1st Battalion of the 143rd Infantry Regiment to attack the summit of 1205, having moved up the mountain under cover of darkness. And upon achieving its objective to attack along the ridge to a point northwest of San Pietro.  The 3rd Ranger Battalion likewise to attack 950 – another feature of the Mt. Sammucro Hill Mass.  The 2nd Battalion of the 143rd to attack over the terraced olive orchards northeast of San Pietro. The 3rd Battalion, acting in support to follow the 2nd at four hundred yards. Of the original force to establish the beachhead at Salerno, the 143rd had since spent all but a fortnight in action under extremely bitter weather conditions.  At Salerno -- at the Volturno crossing it had taken mortal punishment. The task ahead promised no less bloodshed, yet it was undertaken in good spirits and high confidence. The 1st Battalion began the long, rugged climb up Mt. Sammucro. No narration As night fell our artillery opened up and throughout the night hours, intense fire was laid down on the enemy’s main line of resistance. No narration It had rained most of the night and it was raining at “H” hour when the 2nd and 3rd battalions crossed the line of departure  No narration XXSome 200 yards forward they encountered mines and automatic fire from pill boxes No narration XXMortar and artillery fire were deadly accurate by reason of excellent enemy observation from Mt. Lungo overlooking our advance.   XXWhich continued another 200 to 400 yards. No narration XXMany men gave their lives in attempts to XXreach pill boxes and throw hand grenades through the narrow gun openings. The 3rd Battalion was committed. No narration But the advance never got more than 600 yards past the line of departure. Our initial assault on San Pietro had been repulsed with heavy casualties. No narration. The attack on Hill 1205, however, was a brilliant success. Leading elements of the 1st Battalion had gained the summit of the objective before a strongly entrenched enemy knew that an assault was in progress. No narration To the right of Hill 1205 the 3rd Ranger Battalion had also captured its objective, but only after successive attacks and costly casualties – for on XX 950 the enemy was not taken unaware. Counterattacks were to be expected on both 1205 and 950. They were not long developing. No narration The first was launched during the early daylight hours and even as it was beaten off, another took form. No narration Day and night they followed with unremitting violence. No narration The toll of enemy dead mounted with each new attempt… no narration But German prisoners captured on 1205 and 950 said that they had been ordered to retake those positions at all costs. XX In addition to defending Hill 1205, the 1st Battalion obedient to the field order, undertook the reduction of enemy defenses which were organized along the ridge running west. No narration XXOn the 12th of December the 1st Battalion was reinforced by the 504th Parachute Battalion, which took over and maintained the defenses of 1205 and 950, thereby enabling the 1st Battalion to throw its entire remaining strength into the assault along the ridge. But the 1st’s strength had dwindled and shrunk in the five days past and there was now a question as to whether its existing numbers were sufficient to prevail. Reports during the night of the 14th of December stated that the enemy was offering bitter resistance and that the issue was in grave doubt. Meanwhile, on the olive terraces below, the 2nd and 3rd Battalions had twice again attempted to reach their objective. No narration Both XXtimes they had come up a wall of automatic weapon, mortar and artillery fire. No narration XXVolunteer patrols made desperate attempts to reach enemy positions and reduce strong points.  No narration Not a single member of any such patrol ever came back alive No narration Our attacking forces were furnished excellent aerial cover by Allied fighter patrols, No narration but now and then enemy planes were able to slip through and to bomb and strafe our positions. Which to all purposes, had remained unchanged since the first day. To break the deadlock, orders were given for a coordinated divisional attack. The 2nd and 3rd Battalions of the 143rd to proceed in the execution of the original orders.  Acting in conjunction, Company A of the 753rd Tank Battalion to attack San Pietro from the east over the high road. One battalion of the 141st to attack over the flat valley floor. After nightfall on D-Day the 142nd Infantry Regiment to attack XX Mt. Lungo. The earlier decision not to attack those strategic heights having been reversed in view of the present critical situation. In preparation XX for the attack, all Fifth Army artillery within range including tanks and all-tracks was directed against San Pietro and the surrounding area. No narration [midway through shot] “H” hour, 1200 hours “D” day, the 15th of December [midway through shot] The 141st  Infantry advanced some 400 yards from its line of departure no narration to be born down and held powerless under the weight of enemy fire.  No narration The 2nd and 3rd Battalions of the 143rd advanced some one hundred yards beyond their former positions to a point almost directly before forward enemy defenses… and for the third time they were forced to take such cover as the quaking earth could offer. And the tanks… Orders were for them to enter the town XXto locate and destroy the heavy weapons there, which were leveled against our attacking foot soldiers. XX The high road into San Pietro is a narrow mountain road  and from the beginning of its winding descent into Lira Valley it was under direct enemy observation. No narration Sixteen tanks started down that road. Three reached the outskirts of the town. Of these, two were destroyed  and one was missing. Five tanks were immobilized behind enemy lines, their crews having to abandon them. Five tanks hit enemy mines within our lines and were thereupon destroyed by enemy gunfire. Four tanks returned to the bivouac area. After dark two companies, one from the 2nd Battalion and one from the 3rd Battalion finally succeeded in penetrating enemy positions before San Pietro. But receiving both frontal and flanking fire, they were forced to retire, Company “E” having been reduced in strength to a handful of rifleman XX and Company “L” faring little better. No narration On the Mt. Sammucro ridge the 1st Battalion fought its way to within a few hundred yards of the objective, but it had paid for ground gained at the rate of a man a yard, and it did not have strength to carry the fight any further forward. On Mt. Lungo, however, despite bitter resistance, XX battalions of the XX 142nd – in successive waves, kept pushing upwards  No narration XX Until in the early daylight hours of the 16th of December  its foot soldiers had gained the summit and were wiping up what remained of a stubborn enemy. XX And that height proved to be a key position in the enemy plan of defense. For even as Mt. Lungo fell, XX the enemy throughout the San Pietro area made preparations XX to withdraw.  XX Almost invariably the enemy XX will counterattack XXto cover a withdraw. The first violent thrust was XX delivered within a few hours. XX (midway through shot) And thereafter, counterattacks came in waves, the roar of the last mingling with the rush and fury of the next to break. Many companies lost all their officers. Enlisted men came forward as inspirational leaders to rally their battered companies  into resisting yet one more onslaught. No narration XXOur own artillery was brought to fall within a hundred yards of our front line elements. No narration XXAfter five hours during which the earth never ceased to tremble, counterattacks ended, indicating that the withdrawal of the enemy’s main body had commenced. No narration XXIn an effort to maintain contact with the enemy, our patrols immediately pushed ahead. No narration XXEntering the town they discovered that San Pietro was ours for the taking. No narration The 2nd and 3rd Battalions, less than a rifle company in strength, weary to death, who were alive, stumbled forward past San Pietro to consolidate gains and re-establish contact with the enemy, now taking up new positions some five kilometers beyond. That is the broad shape of the battle of San Pietro, XX which was but the first of many battles XX in Lira Valley.  It was a very costly battle. XX After the battle the 143rd Infantry Regiment alone required eleven hundred replacements. No narration (starts halfway through shot) The lives lost were precious lives, to their country, to their loved ones …and the men themselves. For the living of the 143rd Infantry Regiment more than one hundred decorations for acts of valor above and beyond  the call of duty. Many among these you see alive here have since joined the ranks of their brothers in arms who fell at San Pietro. For ahead lay San Vittori and the Rapido River  and Cassino and beyond Cassino  more rivers and more mountains and more towns…more San Pietros…greater or lesser… a thousand more. As the battle passed over and beyond San Pietro, westward, townspeople began to appear, XX coming out of their caves in the mountains where they had staying in hiding during the enemy occupation. XX They were mostly old people…And children. No narration The townspeople were warned against enemy mines and booby traps Which were in the process of being cleared No narration XX Children are able to forget quickly. XX Yesterday they wept…Today there are smiles and  XX even laughter… No narration Tomorrow it will be as though the bad things had never happened. No narration Living was resumed in San Pietro. XX (begins midshot) Our prime military aim XX being to engage and defeat the enemy, the capture of the town itself and the liberation of XX its people is of an incidental nature.  XX But the people, in their military innocence, XX look upon us solely as their XX  deliverers. It was to free them, and their farmlands, that we  came.  No narration XX Behind our lines, southwest, to the sea, the fields are green with growing crops XX planted after our coming…by other people, of other towns, who believe likewise. The new won earth at San Pietro was plowed and sown. It should yield a good harvest this year. (starts midway through shot) And the people prayed XX to their patron saint to intercede with god on behalf of those who came, delivered them, XX and passed on to the north, with the passing battle. No narration

Image Text Main Title Credits LS valley with sun streaming Second LS of valley Third LS of valley Closer shot of valley with buildings Dead trees (track right) Dead tree CU of dead tree and wooden frame Fallen dead tree LS of field with shell holes LS of blasted field with water filled hole LS through pass to valley LS of valley with box or truck(?) in right foreground Shot of map, zoom in to San Pietro LS of valley with shadows Low angle uphill of bombed out town (pan left) LS of fields Blasted statue of St. Peter LS, blasted church Looking up through bombed out dome, the rest of church (pan down) LS of valley with smoke (pan right) Trucks on muddy road Map with pointer at line of squares LS of floodwaters Floodwaters, with dead trees in foreground Trucks crossing flooded river. LS. floodwaters Aerial shot of valley, moving left. CU, troops raising artillery piece CU, soldier looking through binoculars MS. Self propelled gun firing. Guy with binoculars on top LS of mountainside with smoke LS hillside with smoke, through trees CU of soldier affixing bayonet to rifle. Facing left. CU prone soldier reaches for bayonet in belt (pan left) and affixes to rifle CU soldier attaching grenades to belt. High angle MS field with barbed wire, soldier advances RL CU,  head of soldier moves RL CU head and shoulders of soldier with rifle (RH) moves RL CU head of soldier moves RL CU head of second soldier moves RL LS of hillsides and valley, pan LR LS of San Pietro half in shadow Trucks on road. LR Map of area. Pointer shows troop locations LS of smoke and explosions in valley MS. Italian troops carrying stretcher. LS Soldiers carrying stretcher with corpse down hillside, LR Loading corpses into truck LS line of troops walking RL CU of line of troops, toward camera, but RL MS three soldiers looking into the valley CU, two soldiers with maps LS of valley with smoke CU, soldier on phone Soldier going up bushy hill, RL (gun in left hand ) CU soldier sliding on stomach through bushes, LR MS. Two soldiers talking, they salute and walk away MS, interviewing Germany prisoners CU, two German prisoners (helmeted one on left) Map with pointer CU of soldier on phone in left hand MS overhead of soldiers on phone MS of two soldiers on phones, leaning diagonally. CU low angle of soldier on phone MS, soldiers with rifles waiting around Map LS soldiers in foxholes XX MS, soldier sitting with elbows on knees CU, smiling soldier (curled lapel on coat) CU, smiling soldier, chewing gum CU, soldier chewing gum (turns head screen right) CU, soldier with mustache, left half of screen CU, smiling soldier with netting on helmet CU, different smiling soldier with mustache, right half of screen CU, soldier looking up, left half of screen; turns head screen left. MS, soldier with tommy gun, back to camera XXMS, Line of soldiers walking uphill, diagonally RL XXMS, line of soldiers going uphill, crossing RL XXDissolve to night shots of artillery flashes of light (several different shots) LS daytime of valley LS, walking troops in orchards RL LS, troops in orchard, RL (some on hill in back) XXLS, one soldier walking slowly through orchard, seen through branches. RL XXLS, troops mid frame, moving away from camera, smoke in distance. Soldier is shot at end of shot. XXLS, very low angle, out of focus, two soldiers move RL LS, two soldiers run RL XXMS, out of focus. Troops move RL XXMS. Out of focus. Troops move RL MS. Bright explosion Camera “pans” from straight ahead, and “falls” forward down. CU. Soldier pulls another into foxhole, toward camera, RL. XXMS. Explosion behind fallen dead tree MS. Soldier in foxhole looks at rock formations. Smokey. CU. Soldier pulls another into foxhole, left side of frame. XXMS, two soldiers in foxhole in foreground, explosion in background. MS. Soldiers on ground, camera moves around wildly. Camera swerves around violently MS of corpse, half in shadow. MS, corpse with crossed legs, gun faces left. MS, troops through orchard, moving diagonally RL CU, out of focus, soldier moves RL XXLS, soldiers move RL LS, soldier moves RL MS, bright explosion near camera MS, soldier slides into foxhole with another, from screen left. MS, explosion behind fallen dead tree (same as shot above) LS, explosion in open field. MS, explosion closer to camera. MS, explosion with dead body in foreground MS, explosion closer to camera MS. Putting corpses in white body bags. CU, putting a corpse in body bag. CU, putting corpse in body bag. XX CU, crossing arms of corpse. Map MS, troops on ridge advance RL. XX CU, machine gun crew prepares. CU, machine gunner aims gun. RL CU, soldier with tommy gun puts rock in front of him.  RL (left handed) CU, soldier behind rocks. RL. (left handed) MS, low angle, soldier prone on a rock. RL XX MS, line of soldiers walking uphill, RL. MS, line of soldiers walking diagonally (flat ground), RL. Smoke in background MS. Carrying stretcher downhill, LR. Closer shot, carrying stretcher downhill, LR. LS, soldiers at base of rocky hill. CU, prone soldier in Right foreground, looking uphill MS. Soldiers on ridge in left foreground, explosion downhill on the right High angle, soldiers on ridge in left foreground, explosion downhill to the right. LS, explosion behind some tall bushes MS. Soldiers hiding behind rocks, explosion behind rocks XX Shaky camera explosion in distance. CU, machine gun crew fires, RL LS, tracer bullets toward hillside in distance CU. Machine gunner in right foreground shooting. LS, tracer bullets hit far hillside LS, explosions on hillside CU. Mortar loaded and fired LS, explosions on hillside CU Dead enemy soldier, RL CU. German corpse, head in upper left. CU. German corpse. Head in lower left. CU. Germany corpse. Head in upper right. Mask pulled off face. CU. German corpse. Upside down in frame MS. Prisoners being lead downhill on zigzag trail XX CU, POW. XX MS. Three German prisoners looking left (this shot switched with one above) XX MS. Soldier in right side of frame throws hand grenade, [from NFPF cover] left handed.  Pan left. XX MS. Explosion. Left of frame MS. Soldiers advance, away from camera. Map MS. Soldier runs uphill right to left, camera pans left.  Lays down on rocks Closer shot. Soldier on right side of frame throws hand grenade left handed.  He and another soldier pick up their rifles and advance. MS. Another soldier, in right side of frame, throws hand grenade, left handed. Pan left Cut. LS. Explosion in right side of frame. LS. Soldier in distance throws grenade right handed. Cut. LS. Explosion on hillside above two prone soldiers. MS. Line of soldiers walking RL. MS. Line of soldiers on hillside trail, walking RL LS, Prone soldiers behind rocks on hill shooting down into valley MS. Prone soldier behind rocks firing RL XX LS, explosion on left of screen LS. Soldiers advancing uphill away from camera. Out of focus rock in foreground. Soldiers on hillside in middle distance. One dead? MS. Bringing down wounded in stretcher, toward camera Closer. Bringing down stretcher, LR MS. Soldier on telephone, soldier on rifle behind him. Flipped to face screen left CU. Soldier in profile, facing screen left, in and out of shadow. LS, soldiers moving through very smoky orchard. RL LS, solider moving through orchard, diagonally RL MS, bright explosion MS, soldiers in foxhole in foreground LS, explosion in valley XX LS, soldiers move into the open and go prone MS, soldiers run RL, one drops his gun, pan RL LS. Explosion in orchard CU. Soldier leaving foxhole away from camera, to the Left CU. Another soldier leaving foxhole away from camera to the left . Out of focus MS. Soldiers advancing away from camera, to the left. LS. Soldiers advancing through orchard away from camera, drop to prone. LS. Explosion LS. P-38 planes in sky. CU. Soldier in left frame looks up LS. Dive bomber attacking. Barbed wire in foreground LS. Explosions in valley MS. Officers in helmets looking at map, facing right. MS. Officers in caps looking at map. Facing left Map CU. One guy on phone another behind. They look at map LS. Artillery piece raised CU of cannon breech. MS. Sherman tank moving RL MS. Artillery piece with camouflage netting above it. MS. Tank turret rotating clockwise MS. Artillery piece with breech open MS. Soldier with mustache on phone. LS. Cannon being raised MS. Soldier with glasses on phone. Faces left. MS. Cannon next to tree is raised CU. Artillery soldiers working, overhead shot MS. Two soldiers carry shell in a carrier. Shell is loaded into breech. RL CU. Explosive loaded into breech, breech is closed MS. Soldier with glasses gives order to fire. CU. Soldier looks through binoculars. RL MS. Soldier fires cannon. MS. Soldier looks through binoculars. RL LS. Cannon fires. MS. Artillery fires at town (shot used previously) LS. Cannon fires LS. Artillery shells town LS. Sherman tank fires. Seen from rear. MS. High angle of artillery crew firing cannon. MS. Self propelled gun fires. Seen from behind. Soldier on top looking through binoculars. LS. Several tanks dug in firing. RL XX LS. Explosions on hillside LS. High angle. Explosions in town. LS. Low angle. Explosions in town. MS. Self propelled gun firing, being loaded. LS. Large cannon firing. RL MS. Small cannon firing. RL MS. Large cannon firing. Very short. RL MS. Cannon firing. Camouflage netting above.  Flipped (writing on side is backward) CU. Low angle of soldier looking through binoculars. Camouflage netting above. flipped LS. High angle. Explosions in valley. MS. Crew fires cannon. LS. Sherman tank fires. Seen from behind LS. M-10 Tank Destroyers firing. RL CU. Cannon fires, seen from behind MS. Cannon fires, RL MS. Cannon fires, moves out of frame. RL MS. Tank fires, RL MS. High angle. Artillery crew fires cannon. CU. Soldier fires large cannon LS. Explosions in town CU. Soldier holding binoculars (dissolve to) CU. Soldiers synchronizing watches CU. One soldier’s watch LS. Soldiers advance through field toward town, seen from behind. MS. Soldiers move RL. LS. Soldiers reach trees, continuation of the one just before previous. They fall prone when explosion hits. MS. Closer shot of same LS. Soldiers in foxholes LS. Prone soldiers in field. LS. Soldiers in foxhole. Blast shakes camera LS. High angle, troops advance through large bushes downhill MS. Low angle of barbed wire. MS. Prone soldiers behind barbed wire. MS. Closer of same RL LS. Soldiers and barbed wire MS. Soldier with rifle behind barbed wire XX MS. Soldiers behind barbed wire. MS. Soldiers behind barbed wire. MS. Soldiers behind barbed wire. Post MS. Soldiers behind barbed wire. LS. Sherman tank moves out from behind building. RL. Pan left  (shortened) LS. Tank moving RL. LS. Tank moving RL in far distance.  Pan left LS-MS. Tank advancing on road straight at camera. Flipped LS. Switchback mountain road MS. Tank on road, moving RL toward camera. Pan left MS. Tank moving toward camera. LR MS Tank moving toward camera, RL. Pan left LS. Road into town CU. Tank moves past camera. LR, then away from camera. MS. Artillery fires LS. Valley and town. MS. Wrecked tank, turret blown off. LS. Turret less tank on hillside MS. Upside down tank MS. Upside down tank with tree branches behind MS. Carrying stretchers, LR MS. Low angle of tank moving in shadow flipped? LS. Night scene. Flares LS. Night gunfire and flares CU. Soldier with beard on stretcher. LR CU. Clean shaven soldier on stretcher. LR XX CU. Mustached soldier on stretcher. LR. CU. Another mustached soldier on stretcher. LR. (reel change) LS. Soldiers among rocks.flipped XX Shaky camera. Camera swerves around. CU. Dead soldier head toward camera MS. Dead soldier. LS. Dead soldier. Feet toward camera MS. Dead soldier. Valley in background XX Map XX MS. Soldiers firing, partly obscured by bushes. RL CU. Soldier firing rifle. Seen from behind. XX CU. Soldier firing automatic rifle. RL LS. Two soldiers throw hand grenades, left handed. MS. One soldier gets up from prone, throws grenade left handed XX MS. Soldiers zigzag past smoking hole XX MS. Closer. Soldiers look into hole MS. Soldiers look down into valley. LR LS. Soldiers looking down into valley. RL LS. Explosions in valley LS. Explosions on hillside LS. Explosions in bushy area LS. Explosions in valley CU. Explosion close to camera, camera shakes wildly LS. Soldiers moving RL LS. Soldiers firing from foxholes. RL LS. Prone soldiers firing RL LS. Prone soldier firing bazooka LS. Mortars fired from valley XX MS. Soldier with binoculars looking into valley XX LS. Explosion in middle distance LS. Explosions MS. Explosion behind dead fallen tree (used twice before) XX (about ten shots) CU. Soldiers get up to advance. RL MS. Soldiers in foxhole in the foreground Cu. Soldiers advance uphill. RL Repeat previous shot XXCU. Soldier getting up out of foxhole, RL (used twice) CU. Soldier getting out of foxhole.  Slightly further away than last shot. LS. Soldiers running through blasted buildings, RL. Pan left. Camera stops, blast. Continues pan LS. Soldiers advance through open field, away from camera, toward left XX LS. Soldiers coming out of foxholes XX LS. Soldiers advance toward camera. Head of dead soldier in foreground, on right side of frame. XXLS. Soldiers on ridge moving toward blasted building on left. LS. Blasted town seen through dead trees. Soldiers walk past camera screen left. XX MS. Crouching soldiers move forward, RL. Pan left MS. Soldiers coming toward camera, RL. Camera drops down when soldier does. MS. Soldiers walking toward camera, guns pointed toward left. XX LS soldier bends to look in basement.  RL CU. Soldier looking up. Low angle. RL. Pan Left LS. High angle. Soldiers moving RL MS. Soldier coming out of hole.  Gun in left hand, moves left MS. Soldiers moving RL One without helmet MS. Guy walking toward camera, looks at camera.  Other guys walk up. Flipped – move left LS. Explosion in valley. LS. Line of soldiers with stretcher. LR. Pan right LS. Soldiers with stretcher move toward camera. LS. Graveyard. Digging graves in foreground. Carrying US flag LR. Pan right to gravediggers MS. Shoveling dirt from grave. CU/MS. Very young gravedigger looks at camera, body lowered into grave MS. Nailing dog tags to headstones CU. Same MS. Guys lounging and talking CU. Guy with tommy gun.  Pan right to guy with tobacco in cheek. Camera stops, then continues CU. Guy smiling looking right CU. Line of guys, middle one is medic. CU. Two guys looking left. CU. Guy with cigar, tree behind. MS. Soldiers and peasants walking down rubble.  Toward left XX MS.  Peasants running out of cave. XX LS.  Old guy with cane, kid. RL XX LS. Soldiers and peasants walk through town. Shortened XX MS. Old guy with cane coming toward camera XX MS. Woman with baskets on head XX MS. Line of women with baskets on heads. XX MS. Woman with baggage on head XX LS. Woman with dresser on head. XX MS. Man leading cows. RL. Stops to look at camera MS. Cut. Shot continues XX LS. Woman with casket on head LS. Woman with casket, low angle XX MS. Man holding boy getting ration card MS. Soldier check boobytrap XX LS. Low angle. Women talking across ruined building. XX MS. Woman with lace tablecloth. Beam across top of frame LS. Woman raking dirt in shadow LS. Explosion – building demolition (boobytrap?) XX High angle, digging out bombed out building MS. Finding buried body MS. Grieving husband MS. Pulling out dead body. MS. Woman wipes away tears MS. Pulling out body CU. Grieving man CU. Grieving breastfeeding woman LS. Line of women holding babies. XX MS. Young woman and kids come out of cave. CU. Kids with spoon in his mouth. XX (no pan) MS. Woman with kids. Pushes kid away CU. Girl with strand of hair in face. MS. Three kids walk downhill street CU. Smiling girl MS. Two small kids hand in hand walk LR MS. Kid smiles at camera pan down right to his feet in big shoes walking through mud.  Pan right XX MS. Barefoot kid in hat walks toward camera XX CU. Girl with clothes in mouth. Pan left to boy XX CU. Two girls next to mother XX CU. Small kid against wall chewing XX CU. Baby girl held by mother, holds cookie XX CU. Girl holds baby. Pan left XX CU. Girl with headscarf. XX MS. Small boy in hat walks up street XX MS of peasants moving stones. (used in beginning of long version) MS. Women washing clothes in stream, jeeps in background XX MS. Over the shoulder of cobbler XX MS. Soldier on truck hands sack of flower to peasant. Pan right MS. High angle. Distributing flour MS. Distributing flour CU. Guy checking scales MS. High angle. Group gets flour MS. Distributing flour (repeat of earlier shot) CU. Women getting flour CU. Group getting flour. Woman puts sack on her head CU. Profile of man. Pans down to tattered clothes LS. Field with orchard in distance. LS. Woman and child in field LS. Man and oxen plowing field MS. Man and oxen plowing field CU. Man and oxen, move RL CU. Plow going through earth. Pan left LS. Procession of altar boys MS. Statue of St. Peter MS. Procession of altar boys CU. Of head of St. Peter Liberty bell - V All scenes in this picture were photographed within range of enemy small arms or artillery fire. For purposes of continuity a few of these scenes were shot before and after the actual battle of SAN PIETRO.