Winning Your Wings (1942)

Jimmy Stewart presents and narrates this recruitment film for the US Army Air Force and he does it quite charismatically, too! He was a lieutenant during the war, and with his boyish good looks and cheeky smile then who better to advocate to the young men of America that they join him? We’ve a sort of Q&A session with him answering questions about age, salary and eligibility before he sets off explaining the myriad of job opportunities available as tens of thousands of fliers and ground staff are required. With jobs from pilots to navigators, armament officers to meteorologists and photographers, he makes it quite clear that there is scope for anyone - regardless of their academic prowess - to sign up. It’s also about teamwork and maturing as an individual as much as it about fighting and making the folks at home proud, and using archive of a variety of kit that will be used, it’s designed to appeal to any patriotic young man keen to get involved. It does play the propaganda card, and of course everything they have or use is “the best in the world” but by using a star like this, John Huston creates a short feature that’s less heavy on the flag waving and more on the chance to make a difference. Worth a watch.