# “ AMERICA’S CALL TO ARMS ” WWII USA HOME FRONT NEWSREEL ARSENAL OF DEMOCRACY 70972

This black-and-white Castle Film newsreel created at the outset of WWII shows the changes in United States factories and personnel as the war effort ramped up. Most of the footage shown is from the pre-war period. America is shown as the "Arsenal of Democracy" producing men and materials for the war. Basic training and testing of military equipment is shown, along with construction of jeeps, tanks, ships, guns, planes, PT boats and other war material. The title page shows the Liberty Bell ringing in the background (0:18). The film begins with a naval cannon (0:30) and planes (0:31) being manufactured in a factory. Men weld and assemble tanks (0:54). A line of tanks drives across a field (1:02); a crowd watches as an aircraft carrier (1:12) and merchant ship pull out of port. Men stream into a Recruit Reception Center (1:25) and perform boxing hand-to-hand combat exercises. Men stab straw dummies with bayonets (1:40) and unfold a bridge to cross a river. They row across the river in rowboats (2:04) and ride horses. Men transport a tank across the river and fire howitzers (2:30). Tanks drive over rough terrain, demolishing trees and obstacles (3:03). Two men look through a scope in a trench (3:23); men fire howitzers and storm across a field. A soldier sets off explosives (3:43). A tank drives over a bridge (3:57). Soldiers drive scout cars through brush and over hills and rough terrain (4:08). A naval cannon is fired at the Panama Canal as a guard stands watch (4:37); the…

- Kind: Newsreel
- Genres: War, News, Industrial and advertising
- Archive: [Internet Archive](https://archive.org/details/70972AmericasCallToArms)
- Licence or status: none stated by the archive
- Who can watch: Teens profiles and older (the archive gives no rating; placed by Invisible Network from its collection and subjects)

[Watch now](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/watch/archive/ia/70972AmericasCallToArms?play=1)