The War Film: Historical Perspectives Volume VII Including The Movie Santa Fe Trail (1940)

INTRODUCTION of TEXT:

The public’s perception of the military is shaped through a variety of means, one of which is the

feature film showing at the local theater. The increase in population and the decrease in

the size of the military have greatly enlarged the percent of the population that are not

associated with a serviceperson or a veteran of one of the services. Their only means of

obtaining information on the status and professionalism of the military is through what

they are fed via the media. The movies produced by filmmakers within the United States

affect the recruiting and public perception of the military through their portrayal of

events, missions, and personnel. It is important for the Department of Defense and

those serving to understand the significance that these films can have on the audience.

Films are studied for historical accuracy, the making of the film to include Department of

Defense assistance and input, and the portrayal of the soldiers, both officers and enlisted.

This thesis concludes that war movies follow historical accuracy as closely as possible

within resource constraints as long as the historical content is a good story.

FILM:

Santa Fe Trail (109 Minutes; Public Domain)

The year is 1854. Robert E. Lee is Superintendent of West Point, where J.E.B. Stuart (Errol Flynn) and George A. Custer (Ronald Reagan) are classmates. In the dormitory, one of the cadets (Van Heflin) reads aloud the secession-promoting pamphlets of abolitionist John Brown.

At graduation, the address is given by Secretary of War Jefferson Davis. J.E.B. Stuart and Custer are assigned to the 2nd Cavalry in the Kansas territory, where they have to deal with John Brown.