4. Hollywood at war

Once the U.S. entered World War II, Franklin Delano Roosevelt established the Bureau of Motion Pictures and a number of additional offices and agencies designed to leverage Hollywood as part of the war effort. ‘Hollywood at war’ describes how the film studios signed on to help fight the war. Even beyond direct government work, Hollywood contributed to the larger war effort by making patriotic films, raising money for war bonds, and entertaining troops. It has been estimated that as much as one-third of Hollywood production during the war directly bolstered America’s wartime activities, and, not coincidentally, it was also one of the most profitable stretches in Hollywood’s history.