Born on July 15, 1920 and raised in West Plains, Missouri, in the heart of the Ozarks, Hoyt Wayne Jones graduated high school at 16 in 1936. Drafted into the Army in 1942 and commissioned as a second lieutenant, he served in the Signal Corps in Africa, England and France. After filming the liberation of some of the first camps in Germany, he suffered a breakdown which would alter the course of his life. Rebounding by marrying a French girl, he would spend the rest of his life dealing with personal demons, questions of conformity, and culture clash. Hoyt died of Parkinsons at the age of 74 in 1994.
The 16mm black and white original reversal film is badly deteriorated and suffers from warping, curling, shrinking and end-stage vinegar syndrome. It was scanned by the UCLA Film and Television Archives and restored by the Metro Center Theatre Foundation to resolve many of the issues of the scan. Therefore, the visual quality is mixed.
The Propaganda-Abteilung Frankreich (PAF) of the Wehrmacht High Command in France carried out Nazi propaganda and censorship activities on a large scale across various regions in France. In addition to a broad array of antisemitic leaflets, postcards, and brochures, the PAF emphasized the importance of the role of motion-picture films in antisemitic propaganda.
Handmade title card: “Referat Film der Propaganda-Abteilung Frankreich.” [Film section of the Propaganda Department of France.] Title card: “Am Mittwoch den Mai 14 1941” [Wednesday, May 14, 1941] On this day, roughly 3600 Jewish men were arrested and forced from their homes in Paris."PA" INTs, formal event/party. Nazis from the Propaganda-Abteilung Frankreich in uniform sitting around, the focus is on two men in particular, one who is wearing circular glasses. (1:44) Title card: “Der Kontra-punkt” [The counterpoint.] Back of bald-headed Nazi. Men and women are sitting around a large room, talking and smoking. There are many pots of flowers. (3:04) A woman with dark brown hair and a top with zig-zag lines on it laughs and smiles at the camera. (3:14) One of the Nazis from before is holding a movie camera, taking film of a woman next to him. (4:47) A stage is set up for the crowd with different acts performing. Two people are doing magic tricks. Someone else is playing the piano, a painting of Hitler is behind him. Two men are doing acrobatics. A woman is singing, with the painting of Hitler behind her. (7:15) A Nazi soldier and a woman with a large flower headband sit and talk in front of the Nazi flag. (11:30) The two Nazis rom the beginning of the film are talking, smoking, drinking martinis. (13:21) Title card: “Bilder Ohne Worte” [Pictures without words.] Groups of people talking, laughing, smoking, making faces at whoever is behind the camera. (15:58) A bald soldier is holding a camera, one of his friends jokingly rubs their hand over his head. (17:21) A woman makes faces at the camera, smokes a cigarette, then blows a kiss. (18:52) Title card: “Ende”
Private film of Nazi officers' party in occupied France