Vietnam on Film
and Television:
Documentaries in
the Library of Congress
Compiled by Victoria E. Johnson
July, 1989
This text, made available by the Sixties Project, is copyright (c) 1993 by the Author or by Viet Nam Generation, Inc., all rights reserved. This text may be used, printed, and archived in accordance with the Fair Use provisions of U.S. Copyright law. This text may not be archived, printed, or redistributed in any form for a fee, without the consent of the copyright holder. This notice must accompany any redistribution of the text. The Sixties Project, sponsored by Viet Nam Generation Inc. and the Institute of Advanced Technology in the Humanities at the University of Virginia at Charlottesville, is a collective of humanities scholars working together on the Internet to use electronic resources to provide routes of collaboration and make available primary and secondary sources for researchers, students, teachers, writers and librarians interested in the 1960s.
Contents
-
Introduction
- List of Films
- Appendix I: The Embassy of South Vietnam Collection
- Appendix II: Guidelines for Viewing Films and Videotapes
List of Films, Ctd.
DAYS OF DECISION. See: VIETNAM 1945-1975: THE TEN THOUSAND DAY WAR, Episode 6: Days of Decision.
DEAN RUSK. See: THE TWENTIETH CENTURY: Man of the Month: Dean Rusk.
DEATH OF DIEM, THE. See: NBC WHITE PAPER: Vietnam Hindsight (Part 2).
DECISIONS, THE. See: CBS NEWS SPECIAL REPORT: Vietnam Perspective: The Decisions.
DEEPENING DISSENT, THE. See: ABC SCOPE: THE VIETNAM WAR: Deepening Dissent, The.
DIEM'S WAR--OR OURS? See: EYEWITNESS: Diem's War--or Ours?
DIEN BIEN PHU. See: VIETNAM 1945-1975: THE TEN THOUSAND DAY WAR, Episode 26: Dien Bien Phu.
DR. THOMAS A. DOOLEY. Gift Collection KETC-TV St. Louis. 1960. National Educational Television and Radio Center. Producer: Parker Wheatley; Anchor: Spencer Allen. 1r, 30 min., b&w, 16mm. FBA 4582 FCA 2390 Dr. Thomas Dooley, founder of two hospitals in Laos and co-founder of a voluntary organization dispensing free medical aid to millions in underdeveloped countries, answers questions about his work in Laos, his views on the image of America in Southeast Asia, American foreign aid to Asia, and communism in Asia.
DOCTOR SPOCK AND HIS BABIES. (Copyright Collection) Herman J. Engel. 1970. (c) Herman J. Engel; 2 May 70; PA 170-500. 1r, 27 min., b&w, 16mm. FBC 0223 Documents Dr. Benjamin Spock's anti-war activities, showing Spock speaking before various audiences.
DRAFTEE, THE. See: THE TWENTIETH CENTURY: Man of the Month.
DUTY, HONOR, COUNTRY. See: ABC SCOPE: THE VIETNAM WAR: Duty, Honor, Country.
EARLY HOPES. See: VIETNAM 1945-1975: THE TEN THOUSAND DAY WAR, Episode 4: Early Hopes
EISENHOWER AND BRADLEY ON VIETNAM. See: CBS NEWS SPECIAL: WHO? WHAT? WHEN? WHERE? WHY? EISENHOWER AND BRADLEY ON VIETNAM.
END OF AN EMPIRE. See: THE TWENTIETH CENTURY: End of an Empire.
END OF THE TUNNEL, THE. See: VIETNAM: A TELEVISION HISTORY: The End of the Tunnel (1973-1975.)
ESCALATION IN VIETNAM: THE ROGERS TESTIMONY. See: CBS NEWS SPECIAL REPORT: Escalation in Vietnam: The Rogers Testimony.
EYEWITNESS. See: ABC SCOPE: THE VIETNAM WAR: Eyewitness.
EYEWITNESS: Diem's War--or Ours? (Copyright Collection) CBS. 1961. Director: Bob Quinn; Prods: Leslie Midgley, John Sharnik; Commentary: Walter Cronkite, Peter Kalischer, Robert Pierpoint; Telecast: CBS; December 29, 1961. (c) CBS; 29 Dec 61; MP12544. 1r, 30 min., b&w, 16mm. FCA 2515 Discusses war in South Vietnam and American commitment. Describes fighting conditions, lack of interest in the war and little support for the government of President Ngo Dinh Diem.
EYEWITNESS: Our War in Vietnam. (Copyright Collection) CBS. 1962. Reporters: Charles Collingwood and Peter Kalischer; Telecast: CBS; November 30, 1962. (c) CBS; 30 Nov 62; MP13257. 1r, 30 min., b&w, 16mm. FCA 2539 Examines extent of US presence and commitment in South Vietnam in November of 1962, where 11,000 American troops are engaged as advisers in assisting the South Vietnamese forces against Viet Cong guerrillas. Scenes of fortified hamlets, Central Highlands and interviews with President Diem and Madame Nhu.
EYEWITNESS: Yanks in Vietnam. (Copyright Collection) CBS. 1962. Director: Vern Diamond; Producer: Leslie Midgley, John Sharnik; Reporters: Charles Collingwood, and Peter Kalischer; Telecast: May 11, 1962. (c) CBS; 11 May 62; MP12749. 1r, 30 min., b&w, 16mm. FCA 2578 Discusses American assistance to South Vietnam as of May 1962. Describes training of South Vietnamese by American advisors, strategy of the Viet Cong, and possibilities for eventual victory.
F-111. See: ABC SCOPE: THE VIETNAM WAR: F-111
FACE OF WAR, A. (Copyright Collection) Feature Film Corp. of America and Commonwealth United Releasing Organization, Inc. 1967. Director/Producer: Eugene S. Jones. (c) Commonwealth United Releasing Organization,Inc.; 28 Dec 67; LP 35450. 9r, 72 min., b&w, 35mm. FGC 2014-2018 Filmed on patrol with the Mike Company, Third Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, a unit in Vietnam. The film's intent, in revealing the life of the group over 97 days in 1967, is to reflect the "truths of the war as experienced by the foot soldier."
FAREWELL TO FREEDOM. (Copyright Collection) WCCO Television. Indiana University Audiovisual Center. 1981. Producer/Writer: Greg Pratt. (c) WCCO-TV Minneapolis; 15 Sep 81; PA 186-555. 1c, 55 min., color, 3/4". VBC 4259 While one Hmong refugee waits in a Thai camp, his nephew tries to adjust to a life in the US that is very different from his native Laos, in this examination of the plight of former American allies and the US response to their needs.
FETE DE FLEURS I. alternate title: FETE DE FLEURS A SAIGON. French Collection La Societe Lumiere/Paris. 1901. 1r, 36 sec., b&w, 16mm. FCA 5142 Part of the Library of Congress' Cinematheque Francaise Film Collection, this short--on a reel with 58 other Lumiere films--presents views of a parade in Saigon with flower covered carriages and floats.
FIGHTING THE GUN RUNNERS. See: ABC SCOPE: THE VIETNAM WAR: Fighting the Gun Runners.
FINAL OFFENSIVE. See: VIETNAM 1945-1975: THE TEN THOUSAND DAY WAR, Episode 24: Final Offensive.
FIRE ON THE WATER. (Copyright Collection) Robert Hillmann Associates/Cinergy Films. 1982. Producer/Director/Writer: Robert Hillmann. (c) Robert Hillmann Associates; 1 Aug 82; PA 229-739. 2r, 57 min., color, 16mm. FBC 0726-0727 Looks at the conflict between Vietnamese refugees and native Texas shrimp fishermen along the Gulf coast and their reactions to the fear that there will not be enough shrimp to go around for both groups.
FIREPOWER. See: VIETNAM 1945-1975: THE TEN THOUSAND DAY WAR, Episode 11: Firepower.
FIRST VIETNAM WAR, THE. See: VIETNAM: A TELEVISION HISTORY: The First Vietnam War (1946-1954).
FIVE WAYS TO BEAT THE V.C. See: ABC SCOPE: THE VIETNAM WAR: Five Ways to Beat the V.C.
FOUR NAVY DESERTERS, THE. See: CBS NEWS SPECIAL REPORT: Four Navy Deserters, The.
FRANCE IN VIETNAM. See: VIETNAM 1945-1975: THE TEN THOUSAND DAY WAR, Episode 2: France in Vietnam.
FRANK: A VIETNAM VETERAN. (Copyright Collection) WGBH Educational Foundation. 1981. Director/Producer: Fred Simon; Producer: Vince Canzoneri, and Fred Simon. (c) deposit; WGBH Educational Foundation; 1981. 1c, 48 min., color, 3/4". VBC 7742 A Vietnam War veteran's monologue describing the horrors of his experience.
FRONT LINE. Purchase Collection Filmakers Library, Inc. 1981. With the Assistance of the Australian Film Commission, and the Tasmanian Film Corporation; Director/Producer: David Bradbury; Assoc Producer: Bob Connolly; Narrator: Richard Oxenburgh. 1r, 55 min., color, 16mm. FDA 8513 Award-winning chronology of the Vietnam War as seen through the eyes of Australian war correspondent Neil Davis. Davis chronicles his observations on the front line of the Vietnam War from 1964-1975.
FRONT LINE CHAPLAIN. See: ABC SCOPE: THE VIETNAM WAR: Front Line Chaplain.
FRONTLINE AMERICA. See: VIETNAM 1945-1975: THE TEN THOUSAND DAY WAR, Episode 15: Frontline America.
FRONTLINE: BLOODS OF 'NAM. (Copyright Collection) Wayne Ewing Films for the PBS series FRONTLINE. 1986. Director/Producer: Wayne Ewing; Writer: Wallace Terry. (c) WGBH Educational Foundation; 20 May 86; PA 339-425. 1c, 60 min., color, 3/4". VBE 9474 Although black soldiers accounted for only ten percent of the total number of Americans in the Vietnam War, they accounted for 23 percent of the casualties. This film is based on Wallace Terry's best-selling oral history of black soldiers in Vietnam, Bloods. Terry's interviews are incorporated in the film, which opens as veterans address a class of high school students about their own experiences in Vietnam. Interviews with veterans are combined with a reunion of two men who had been imprisoned together, and address the fight against discrimination in the military, and on the home front.
FRONTLINE: REMEMBER MY LAI. Off-Air Collection A production of England's Yorkshire Television. 1989. Recorded from broadcast by WETA-TV, Channel 26, Washington, D.C. Director: Kevin Sim; Producers: Kevin Sim and Michael Bilton; Anchor: Judy Woodruff; Narrator: Will Lyman; US Telecast: PBS; WETA-TV; May 23, 1989. 1c, 60 min., color, 3/4". VBG 1187 On March 15, 1968, the US Army Infantry's "Charlie" Company landed by helicopter at the Vietnamese village of My Lai; four hours later the village and its residents were virtually extinct. This retrospective examines the impact of My Lai on the American soldiers who participated in the attack, and on the survivors, and residents of My Lai today. The film opens with contemporary scenes of basic training at Fort Benning, Georgia, juxtaposed with images of the villagers of My Lai today. Outlined are the history of Charlie Company leading up to the massacre at My Lai, and the plan of attack for that day. Included are interviews with Ron Haeberle (Army photographer), Hugh Thompson (a helicopter pilot who carried fleeing My Lai civilians to safety), Harry Stanley (an infantryman who disobeyed Lieutenant Calley's orders), General Kenneth Hodson (former US Army prosecutor), and others, including villagers of My Lai who witnessed the attack.
FULBRIGHT: ADVICE AND DISSENT. See: CBS NEWS SPECIAL REPORT: Fulbright: Advice and Dissent.
GENERAL MAXWELL TAYLOR--ANOTHER WAR, ANOTHER PEACE. See: ABC SCOPE: THE VIETNAM WAR: General Maxwell Taylor--Another War, Another Peace.
GENERAL WALT'S REPORT: THE MARINES IN I CORPS. See: CBS NEWS SPECIAL REPORT: Vietnam Perspective: General Walt's Report: The Marines in I Corps.
GLOBAL REFLECTIONS. See: ABC SCOPE: THE VIETNAM WAR: Global Reflections.
GREAT BRANCHES, NEW ROOTS--THE HMONG FAMILY. (Copyright Collection) Hmong Film Project. 1983. Producer/Director: Rita Claire LaDoux; Writer: Nancy Haley. 1r, 42 min., color, 16mm. FCB 1496 Documents the life of the Hmong community in Minneapolis-St. Paul, focusing on the adaptations to Western culture that are transforming the framework of Hmong traditions.
GUERRILLA (Parts 1 and 2). See: THE TWENTIETH CENTURY: Guerrilla.
GUERRILLA, GUERRE D'INDOCHINE. French Collection La Librarie Hachette et Societe Nouvelle Pathe Cinema. 1975. Director/Producer: Marie-Louise Darrien and Marc Ferro. 1r, 14 min., b&w, 16mm. FBC 2377 This film is told from the point of view of the Vietminh. It presents the Vietminh's perception of their relations with the French, guerrilla tactics, and the Vietnamese strategy of victory. Includes footage from the bombing of Haiphong in 1946 to the battle of Dien Bien Phu in 1954. In French.
GUERRILLA SOCIETY, THE. See: VIETNAM 1945-1975: THE TEN THOUSAND DAY WAR, Episode 9: The Guerrilla Society.
GUNS AND BUTTER, TWO VIEWS. See: ABC SCOPE: THE VIETNAM WAR: Guns and Butter, Two Views.
HEARTS AND MINDS. (Copyright Collection) Rainbow Pictures Corporation. 1974. Dist. by Warner Brothers. Director: Peter Davis; Producer: Bert Schneider. (c) Rainbow Pictures Corporation; 20 Dec 74; LP 44710. 12r, 110 min., color, 35mm. FGC 9385-9391 Oscar-winning documentary featuring extensive interviews with various figures involved in the conduct of the Vietnam War. Peter Davis also produced CBS REPORTS: THE SELLING OF THE PENTAGON. Traces US involvement in Vietnam. Interviews range from top commanding officers such as William Westmoreland to ordinary foot soldiers.
HELP YOURSELF TO FREEDOM. See: ABC SCOPE: THE VIETNAM WAR: Help Yourself to Freedom.
HEROES AND HEROIN. See: ABC NEWS SPECIAL: Heroes and Heroin.
HILL 943. See: CBS NEWS SPECIAL: Hill 943.
HO CHI MINH. See: THE TWENTIETH CENTURY: Man of the Month.
HO-CHI-MINH, MISE EN CAUSE DU SYSTEME COLONIAL (1883-1945). French Collection La Librarie Hachette et Societe Nouvelle Pathe Cinema. 1975. Director/Producer: Marie-Louise Darrien and Marc Ferro. 1r, 14 1/2 min., b&w, 16mm. FBC 2376 This film expresses the point of view of the colonized people, and implies that the colonizers and the colonized have difficulty communicating and living with one another, despite good-intentions to the contrary. Only Ho Chi Minh and his companions speak in the film. In French.
HOME FOR CHRISTMAS. See: ABC SCOPE: THE VIETNAM WAR: Home for Christmas.
HOMEFRONT USA. See: VIETNAM: A TELEVISION HISTORY: Homefront USA.
HONG KONG. See: ABC SCOPE: THE VIETNAM WAR: Hong Kong
HOW EUROPE SEES US. See: ABC SCOPE: THE VIETNAM WAR: How Europe Sees Us.
HOW FAR HOME--VETERANS AFTER VIETNAM. (Copyright Collection) Northern Light Productions in cooperation with the Vietnam Era Media Fund and with the support of Valley Filmworks, Inc. 1983. Director: Bestor Cram; Producer: Scott Robart. (c) Northern Light Productions; 7 Aug 83; PA248-080. 1r, 29 min., 16mm. FBC 2405 Made during the dedication of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in 1982, this film explores the different experiences of a number of veterans since the war.
HOW IT BEGAN. See: NBC WHITE PAPER: Vietnam Hindsight (Part 1).
HOW MUCH DISSENT? See: ABC SCOPE: THE VIETNAM WAR: How Much Dissent?
HOW READY THE RESERVES? See: ABC SCOPE: THE VIETNAM WAR: How Ready the Reserves?
HOW TO FIGHT A GUERRILLA WAR. See: THE TWENTIETH CENTURY: How to Fight a Guerrilla War.
HOW WE CAN WIN. See: CBS NEWS SPECIAL REPORT: Vietnam Perspective: How we Can Win.
IMAGE, WHY EUROPE FEELS THAT WAY. See: ABC SCOPE: THE VIETNAM WAR: Image, Why Europe Feels that Way.
IN THE ENEMY CAMP. See: ABC SCOPE: THE VIETNAM WAR: In the Enemy Camp.
IN THE YEAR OF THE PIG. (Copyright Collection) The Monday Film Production Company. 1968. Released by New Yorker Films. Director/Producer: Emile de Antonio; Executive Producer: Moxie Schell. (c) The Monday Film Production Company; 25 Oct 68; MP25818. 3r, 101 min., b&w, 16mm. FCA 7586-7588 Documentary filmmaker Emile de Antonio examines the Vietnam War from the period of French occupation through US military involvement. Incorporates footage from international sources which integrates statements by political and military leaders, educators and journalists from both sides.
INDOCHINA 1975: THE END OF THE ROAD? See: CBS NEWS SPECIAL REPORT: Indochina 1975: The End of the Road?
INDOCHINA REVISITED: A PORTRAIT BY JEAN DESPUJOLS (Copyright Collection) Coconut Grove Productions. 1984. Director: Phillip Thomas; Producer: Timothy M. Pugliese. (c) Centenary College of Louisiana, Meadows Museum of Art; 23 Feb 84; 1r, 28 min., color, 16mm. FBC 2432 Examines Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos in the late 1930's through the artwork, journals, and music of Jean Despujols. Utilizes the humanistic aspects of geography, religion, and anthropology to illustrate diverse groups and the complexity of life in the region.
INDOCHINESE IN AMERICA, THE. See: POSTSCRIPTS TO WAR: The Indochinese in America.
INSIDE STORY: #303: UNCOUNTED ENEMY/UNPROVEN CONSPIRACY. (Copyright Collection) Panavideo/Public Broadcasting Corporation. 1983. Director: Chet Lishawa; Producer: Rose Economou; Narrator: Hodding Carter; Telecast: PBS; April 21, 1983. (c) The Press & the Public Project, Inc.; 407 Deposit 1c, 26 min., color, 3/4". VBE 8135 Examines the controversial 1983 CBS documentary CBS REPORTS: The Uncounted Enemy: A Vietnam Deception, which alleged that General William Westmoreland had been involved in a conspiracy to deceive the government and the US public about enemy troop strength in Vietnam.
INSIDE STORY: VIETNAM: OP. ED. Pt. 1 & 2. (Copyright Collection) Panavideo Productions, Inc. 1985. Anchor: Arthur Miller. (c) Panavideo Productions. 1985. 2c, 85 min., color, 3/4". VBE 8133-8134 The 13-part PBS series VIETNAM: A TELEVISION HISTORY was criticized by a second documentary produced by a group called AIM, or Accuracy in Media, called TELEVISION'S VIETNAM (Parts 1 and 2). This program presents both sides of the controversy, including the major charges made by the AIM film about the Vietnam series and a response to those charges from the producers of VIETNAM: A TELEVISION HISTORY. The program includes highlights of the original program, the background of the funding of the AIM documentary, PBS's position on why it decided to broadcast the original program, as well as a discussion with members of the AIM group and PBS representatives.
INTEGRATION IN THE MILITARY. See: THE TWENTIETH CENTURY: Integration in the Military.
INTERVIEWS WITH MY LAI VETERANS. (Copyright Collection) Laser Film Corporation. 1970. (c) Laser Film Corp.; 17 Dec 70; MP 21787. 1r, 22 min., color, 35mm. FGC 6229 Interviews with 5 American soldiers who were among the troops that massacred Vietnamese civilians.
ISRAEL YES, SAIGON, NO. See: ABC SCOPE: THE VIETNAM WAR: Israel Yes, Saigon, No.
JOHN KRAFT SURVEY: VIETNAM IN THE POLLING BOOTH. See: ABC SCOPE: THE VIETNAM WAR: John Kraft Survey: Vietnam in the Polling Booth.
JOHNSON-HO CHI MINH LETTERS, THE. See: CBS NEWS SPECIAL REPORT: Vietnam Perspective: The Johnson-Ho Chi Minh Letters.
KEY TO VICTORY, PART 1: KNOW THE V.C. See: ABC SCOPE: THE VIETNAM WAR: Key to Victory, Part 1: Know the V.C.
KEY TO VICTORY, PART 2: HEARTS AND MINDS. See: ABC SCOPE: THE VIETNAM WAR: Key to Victory, Part 2: Hearts and Minds.
KEY TO VICTORY, PART 3: THE RICE ROOTS. See: ABC SCOPE: THE VIETNAM WAR: Key to Victory, Part 3: The Rice Roots.
KNOW YOUR ENEMY THE VIET CONG. See: WHY VIETNAM and KNOW YOUR ENEMY THE VIET CONG
LBJ GOES TO WAR. See: VIETNAM: A TELEVISION HISTORY: LBJ Goes to War (1964-1965).
LEGACIES. See: VIETNAM: A TELEVISION HISTORY: Legacies.
LODGE ON VIETNAM. See: CBS NEWS SPECIAL REPORT: Lodge on Vietnam.