'Hollywood and the Homefront' scheduled for six library stops

"Hollywood and the Homefront, Tinsel Town’s Contribution to World War II" by John Jensen will come to six library locations across Whitman County under sponsorship by Humanities Washington and Friends of Whitman County Library.

Jensen will share rarely known stories and anecdotes from Hollywood’s war effort and show examples of wartime propaganda through various media that was used to educate, inform and sway American public opinion.

During World War II, the War Department realized the importance of not only keeping up the morale of America’s fighting forces abroad, but the morale of those at home. The result was an unprecedented push by Hollywood to contribute morale-building war dramas, troop entertainment and training films to the war effort. Special radio programs, documentary films and live performances told Americans at home that they too could serve in the defense of their country by purchasing war bonds, participating in scrap drives, planting Victory Gardens and volunteering.

A former San Francisco broadcaster, Jensen has been an avid collector of music, movies and radio broadcasts of the 1930s and 40s. Early fascination with these areas led to employment as general manager of KMPX, a radio station devoted to playing the music and radio broadcasts of those years. Jensen produced a world-wide radio broadcast honoring the US Navy 200th Anniversary, starring Bing Crosby, Mel Blanc and other radio stars from the 1940s.

Events scheduled here are as follows: Wednesday, Oct. 17 – Tekoa Library at 6 p.m .; Thursday, Oct. 18 – LaCrosse Library at 1 p.m., Palouse Library at 6 p.m .; Friday, Oct. 19 – St. John Library at 12:30 p.m., Albion Library at 5:30 p.m .; Saturday, Oct. 20 – Rosalia Library at 11 a.m.