Center for Archival Collections

Introduction | Agency History | Scope and Content | Series Description | Inventory

 Introduction

The Boggs Castle Films Collections consists of 64 commercially produced newsreel films (on both 5" and 3" reels) from the period of World War II and the years immediately preceeding it: 58 films produced by Castle films and 6 films produced by Official Films.

The films were donated and transferred to the Center for Archival Collections on October 5, 1998, through the cooperation of Arlo and Helen Boggs of Bowling Green, Ohio. There are no restrictions on the use of this collection, but the copyrights are probably retained by Castle Films or their successor companies. The register was prepared by Marilyn Levinson, Curator of Manuscripts in October 1998.

 Agency History

Castle Films provided the American public with a window on current events through the "magazine" newsreels which they made available for the amateur home-movie market starting in the 1930s. It had been estimated that in 1937 more than 2 million Americans owned their own 8mm or 16mm projectors. These films were in the same vein as the theatrical newsreels, which other major producers such as Fox-Movietone News, March of Time, and Pathe made a part of the program at most moviehouses in the period from 1930 through the war years, but the Castle Films product was never released in the theatrical market. The founder of Castle Films, Eugene Castle, had been the Pacific editor for Fox News in the early 1920's.

 Scope and Content

The Boggs Castle Films Collection consists of 64 8mm newsreel type films (58 Castle Films and 6 Official Films) which were commercially available starting in the 1930s to the amateur, home-movie market. Only a couple of the items deal with the pre-war period, covering the War in China and the News Parade of 1937, all the rest involve events associated with World War II, from the early period to the entry of the U.S. into the war. Another small segment related to the progress of the war on the homefront is illustrated by the Civil Defense series, two films of which are in the collection. Although Castle Films continued to produce material after the conclusion of the war, the Boggs collection does not include anything beyond 1947.

Many Castle Films are available in digital form online at the Ball State University Digital Media Repository (BSUDMR), at the Internet Archive (IA), and You Tube (Youtube). Links to these resources are provided in the inventory below.

 Series Description

AUDIO-VISUAL MATERIALS

FILMS (8mm)
1937-1947
Arranged by number, by series, or by title
Standard newsreel and wartime propaganda films covering the progress of World War II and the public dissemination of information about battles and events

 Inventory

Box 1

1. 101. War in China (1937)
2. 103. News Parade of 1937
3. 106. Germany Invades Austria (BSUDMR)
4. 109. News Parade of 1938
5. 114. News Parade of 1941
6. 115. War in Europe
7. 116. Graf Spee Scuttled (IA)
8. 117. Finland Fights (Youtube)
9. 118. Bombs Over Europe
10. 119. Battle for France
11. 120. News Parade of 1940
12. 121. Super Thrills in the News
13. 123. British-Greek Victory
14. 124. America's Call to Arms (IA)
15. 125. News Parade of 1941 (BSUDMR)
16. 126. Japs Bomb U.S.A.
17. 127. British Commandoes in Action (IA)

Box 2

1. 128. Pearl Harbor - Normandie (BSUDMR)
2. 129. Russia Stops Hitler (BSUDMR)
3. 130. U.S. Navy Blasts Marshall Islands (IA)
4. 131. McArthur - America's First Soldier Manila Bombed
5. 132. Washington in Wartime (Youtube)
6. 133. Midway and Coral Sea Battles (IA)
7. 134. Fight for Egypt (IA)
   134. Fight for Egypt (Youtube)
8. 135. News Parade of 1942
9. 136. Yanks Invade Africa - Victory Over Rommel
10. 137. U.S. Carrier Fights for Life - Russia Strikes Back (Youtube)
11. 138. West Point (2 copies)
12. 139. Battle for Tunisia - Surrender at Stalingrad (BSUDMR)
13. 140. Bismarck Sea Victory (IA)
14. 141. Yanks Bomb Tokyo (BSUDMR)
    141. Yanks Bomb Tokyo (IA)
15. 142. Axis Smashed in Africa (BSUDMR)
    142, Axis Smashed in Africa (IA)
16. 143. The U.S. Fighting Marines
17. 144. News Parade of 1943 (BSUDMR)
18. 145. Victory in Sicily - Bombs Rock Italy

Box 3

1. 146. Italy Surrenders (BSUDMR)
2. 147. U.S. Marines Capture Tarawa
3. 151. Yanks Smash Truk (IA)
4. 156. Camera Thrills of the War (BSUDMR)
5. 157. News Parade of 1944 (BSUDMR)
6. 161. Japan Surrenders(BSUDMR)
   161. Japan Surrenders (IA)
7. 162. News Parade of the Year 1945 (BSUDMR) (film box misprint 157)
8. 163. News Parade of the Year 1946
9. 164. News Parade of the Year 1947
   
   Civil Defense Series
   
   
10. C.D.1 The Civilian Serves (IA)
11. C.D.3 Civilian Fire Fighters
    
    Unnumbered "Official Films" Series
    
    
12. Sky-Riders
13. Wings for Victory
14. The Marines Have Landed
15. First Line of Defense (IA)
16. Hitler, Doing the Lambeth Walk (3" reel) 405 (IA)
17. Star Spangled Banner (3" reel) 406 (Youtube)
    
    Unnumbered Individual Films
    
    
18. Salute to the Navy (148) (BSUDMR)
19. Roosevelt Inauguration (122) (Youtube)
20. Okinawa (159)

Box 4

1. Rome Falls to Allies (153) (BSUDMR)
2. McArthur Liberates Manila (155) (BSUDMR)
3. Yanks Capture Guam (154)
4. Yanks Invade Marshall Islands (149)
5. Victory Over Germany (158) (BSUDMR)
6. Eisenhower (160)
7. Fight for Rome (150)
8. Bombing of the U.S.S. Panay (104) (IA)
   Bombing of the U.S.S. Panay (104) (Youtube)

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