Official U.S. Defense Film Today
Film notice: a silhouetted paratrooper hangs beneath a large white canopy while a second figure aims a pistol, under the lines 'Official U.S. Defense Film' and, in large block letters, 'Today'. The tell is transfer: 'Official' and the Office for Emergency Management imprint lend government standing to a screening, while the airborne image links it to the armed forces.
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1941
- Period
- Second World War
- Made by
- Division of Information, Office for Emergency Management (credit: Photo-Life Magazine)
- Region
- North America
- Country
- United States
- Medium
- Poster
- Issuer type
- State
- Regime
- Roosevelt Administration
- Leader
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Audience
- Domestic public
- Purpose
- Persuade or win support
- Themes
- War and the military, Media and information
- Event
- World War II
- Regime
- Roosevelt administration
- Leader
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Source
- Identified Openly sourced: the speaker is who they say they are
- Source
- U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, Record Group 44, World War II Posters, retrieved October 4, 2026
- Rights
- Public domain (U.S. government work)
Division of Information, Office for Emergency Management. National Archives and Records Administration, RG 44, 44-PA-1440 (NAID 515103).
Text on the object
[imprint: DIVISION OF INFORMATION OFFICE FOR EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT WASHINGTON, D.C.] Official U.S. DEFENSE FILM TODAY [imprint: U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 416719] [imprint: PHOTO-LIFE MAGAZINE] [signature: G.]
