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War Industries (10)
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Curtailment of Civilian Industries1943 1 minDuring World War II, the production of non-essential goods was kept at a minimum so that war industries could reach a maximum output. Spending power increased, but since employable men were needed by the armed forces, more workers had to be found for war industry. Although men, women and children worked, there were not enough employees to fulfill manufacturing needs; the production of goods for civilian use had to be cut to the bone. -
Democracy at WorkStanley Hawes & Fred Lasse 1944 18 minThis short documentary was made near the end of World War II to introduce the subject of the need for labour-management committees. Government and industry in Canada were looking to a post-war era where production would have to be converted to peacetime. The objective was to improve productivity by reducing absenteeism, workplace accidents and keeping morale high.
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Empty Rooms Mean Idle Machines1942 2 minThis animated short produced during WWII shows how Plugger helped the war effort by renting out his spare room so that a new worker could be brought in to work an idle machine at the munitions plant.
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Front of SteelJohn McDougall 1940 18 minThis short WWII propaganda documentary drives home the point that steel and committed steel workers can make the difference between winning and losing in modern warfare. A short sequence demonstrating the depravity of the Nazis is followed by a detailed explanation of the manufacture of Bren guns, ambulances, transport trucks and submarine chasers in Canada during World War II.
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Great Guns1942 23 minAn outline of the principles underlying gun production during World War II. The various types of guns used on world battlefronts are discussed. All the stages of production are shown, from the forging of steel to the packing of the completed weapon for shipment to the fighting fronts.
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Handle with CareGeorge L. George 1943 20 minThis short documentary, produced by the NFB for the Department of Munitions and Supply, profiles Canada’s World War II-era munitions factories, which produced explosives in vast quantities. Looking at a typical munitions plant, we learn about the science behind the explosives, the strict safety precautions required in these workplaces, and the methodical work of the plant’s largely female wartime labour force.
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Look to the NorthJames Beveridge 1944 22 minThis short film from 1944 depicts the swift development of the Canadian northwest for wartime strategy as well as post-war planning. The Alaska Highway was only one result of wartime prosperity in the northern region, and this film looks at some of the others, including air routes to Europe and Asia.
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Labour Front1943 21 minThis newsreel on the mobilization of manpower during World War II shows how the workers on production lines produced a tremendous volume of materials for the Allied war effort. It points out that after the war these workers expect to find the opportunities of peace.
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Partners in Production1944 36 minThe opening scenes of this film recall the grim days of Dunkirk. We see Britain in that time of crisis girding herself for the siege with the organization of Civil Defence and ARP, and the formation of the Home Guard. On the industrial side, the film shows readjustments made to increase production, such as the absorption of women into war factories and the setting up of labour-management committees. In describing how these committees functioned in the coal industry, the film demonstrates the importance of total democracy in waging total war.
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Tomorrow's World1943 19 minFrom the Canada Carries On series, this documentary emphasizes the importance of conservation and rationing, and the increased industrial production, during World War II. It suggests that "tomorrow's world" will be more prosperous and better planned because of the war efforts.
