George Stevens (December 18, 1904 – March 8, 1975) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter and cinematographer. During World War II, Stevens joined the U.S. Army Signal Corps and headed a film unit from 1943 to 1946 under General Eisenhower. His unit shot footage documenting D-Day — including the only Allied European Front color film of the war — the liberation of Paris and the meeting of American and Soviet forces at the Elbe River, as well as horrific scenes from the Duben labor camp and the Dachau concentration camp. Stevens also helped prepare the Duben and Dachau footage and other material for presentation during the Nuremberg Trials. In 2008, his footage was entered into the U.S. National Film Registry by the Librarian of Congress as an"essential visual recor" of World War II. The Special Coverage Unit (SPECOU) was placed under the control of the Supreme Headquarters' Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF). The SPECOU consists of 45 people: writers like Ivan Moffat, William Saroyan and Irwin Shaw; cameramen like Dick Hoar, Ken Marthey, William Mellor, Jack Muth; sound operators as Bill Hamilton, who comes from Columbia, assistant directors, as Holly Morse, who has worked with Hal Roach.
Shot of bombed out cathedral. Twilight shot panning down from bombed out cathedral across bombed out village. Men from camera unit in FG. Shot in bivouac area. General Bernard Montgomery walks into CU. Two-star general reading something from paper. Men walk up, salute Montgomery and medal is pinned on, shakes hands. Another name is called out, another man walks up. Underlit shot of three star general and other officers, two of whom are wearing khaki peaked caps with red band. Two three-star generals talking to Montgomery, one in center appears to be Omar Bradley in helmet. Gen. George Patton wearing pearl-handled pistol, laughing and talking with officers in hats and red bands. Montgomery also in shot. Camera crew photographing this action. Pan from Montgomery to Stevens and others. Pan from Montgomery to Bradley talking to one of men, pan continues to camera crew and Stevens. Still photographer with flash gun pans from him to two-star general reading citation, Montgomery standing by 35mm Mitchell camera on tripod. VS of this including Ivan Moffat standing next to Stevens watching Montgomery. CU of GIs at campsite receiving packages including cigarettes and candy. Men in formation in camp area. First Lt. lining them up. Shot of seven or eight men in ranks who could most likely be identified as members of SPECOU. Men at rest standing around talking, smoking. Stevens looking at sky with binoculars for aircraft. First Lt. looking through binoculars, appears to be Holly Morse. Major with helmet looking through binoculars at sky. Stevens and others coming out of tent with mess kits and piling into truck and driving off, early morning. Three men inspecting a bomb crate in clearing. Men jump out of truck with mess kits. Some underexposed shots of men with mess kits standing around waiting, cleaning mess kits, including CUs.
Generals and medal ceremony; GIs resting at campsite