News documentary with intertitles and English narration produced for the home movie market by Castle Films Productions."The News Parad" 1943."Allied Chiefs Meet! In Egypt and Persia" of the Cairo Conference involving Churchill, Roosevelt, and Lady Chiang and Chaing-Kai Shek of China. Film opens in Egypt with shots of pyramids. Churchill, Roosevelt and Chaing Kai- Shek seated with representatives standing behind. Narrator indicates the fate of Japan is being resolved by China, the United States and Great Britain and that strategy is being planned on a unified basis. The war meeting shifts to the Soviet embassy in Iran where Stalin is present for the meetings. CUs, Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill. Ceremony where Churchill presents a sword of honor to Stalin. ‘U.S. MARINES CAPTURE TARAWA!’ Naval armada assembles to take Tarawa. Ships bombard Japanese positions on the island. Marines in amphibious tractors and landing craft invade the island. Marines wade ashore as landing craft cannot make it to land due to coral reef. Marines landing and the intense battle. (4:35) Marines assault Japanese pillboxes and fortified bomb shelters. The battle continues into the second day. Admiral Hill and marine General Smith who led the attacks. Lt Colonel Arnold Johnston salutes the troops. (9:08) U.S. flag is raised on Tarawa.
Cairo Conference; Marines capture Tarawa
Castle Films was started in 1924 by Eugene W. Castle, the former Pacific Coast film editor at Fox Movietone News. Castle became a successful producer of industrial and advertising short subjects. Castle began compiling shorts, travelogues and newsreels for use in schools. The lure of the home movie market proved lucrative for Castle. In 1936, they became one of the first home movie companies to actually sell their product to the general public. In 1937, Castle started Castle Films News Parade, a sort of"newscas" one could view at home rather than at the theater. In 1946, Castle Films became a division of United World Films, which in turn was absorbed by Universal in 1947. In the 1970s, Castle Films became Universal 8. Public domain status confirmed by NBC Universal.