Naval History Forums

Studio one. [1949-10-24], Battleship Bismarck by Maurice Valency
Author: Worthington Miner; Paul Nickell; Don Gilman; John DeMott; Paul Lukas; All authors
Publisher: New York : CBS, 1949.
Edition/Format: Film : English

Summary: Dramatic anthology series that explored the televised medium's narrative and technical possibilities in the presentation of various adaptations. This episode is a play about the exploits of the eponymous Nazi battleship in the Atlantic during World War II, its sinking of the British Hood and Prince of Wales, and its eventual demise by Allied air and sea forces. The use of opening and closing remarks by CBS Read more...

Dramatic anthology series that explored the televised medium's narrative and technical possibilities in the presentation of various adaptations. This episode is a play about the exploits of the eponymous Nazi battleship in the Atlantic during World War II, its sinking of the British Hood and Prince of Wales, and its eventual demise by Allied air and sea forces. The use of opening and closing remarks by CBS correspondent Larry LeSueur in a simulated newscast provides a documentary feel.

The problem with this is that it is done too close to the end of WW2, where the German side is based on assumptions and propaganda which are totally inaccurate, centralising on Bismarck being a ''nazi'' as opposed to German battleship. It is the same mentality that produced the Karel Stepaneck caricture of Gunther Lutjens.....

RF wrote:The problem with this is that it is done too close to the end of WW2, where the German side is based on assumptions and propaganda which are totally inaccurate, centralising on Bismarck being a ''nazi'' as opposed to German battleship. It is the same mentality that produced the Karel Stepaneck caricture of Gunther Lutjens.....

I agree with RF, it takes a few years to be able to judge things objectively, perhaps even a couple of generations. I read in a good book 'The Battle For History: Re-fighting World War II' by John Keegan that some elements of World War Two for example, or the consequences of that war where not over until the fall of the Berlin wall and the collapse of the USSR. Generations more until the people who witnessed are old or dead and the young can view this objectively without memory.

I think regarding the Bismarck we have reached this point only in the last ten or twenty years, I would say that 'Sink the Bismarck' was also made to soon after the event.

That said I would like to see this 1949 version, is it online or available anywhere? )))

regards

Various bits of it have been uploaded onto You Tube, but not a complete version.

I have it on CD.

One problem with youth revisiting anything is they just don't seem that interested in history.

Is there a way to get a copy of the CD you have, to buy one somewhere. The directo of that TV episode of Studio One was a cousin of my father. I was born in 1949 so I've never seen it, but have heard about it.
Thank you,
Karen