The House I Live In (1945, sound)

Description:

Description: Advocacy film commissioned by the civil rights organization to discourage ethnic and racial prejudice at the end of World War II. Frank Sinatra, apparently playing himself, takes a "smoke" break from a recording session. He sees more than 10 boys chasing a Jewish boy and intervenes, first with dialogue; then with a little speech. His main points are that we are "all" Americans and that one American's blood is as good as another, and all our religions are equally to be respected.
Sinatra sings two songs : "If you are but a dream" (words and music by Moe Jaffe, Jack Fulton, Nat Bonx; melody based on Anton Rubinstein's "Romance in E flat, Op. 44, No. 1," popularly known as "Rubenstein's Romance") and "The house I live in" (music by Earl Robinson, lyrics by Lewis Allan) (pseudonym for Abel Meeropol).
(Paraphrased from J. Fred MacDonald and Associates film inventory, as transcribed by Library of Congress.) https://www.loc.gov/item/mbrs00009167/ (accessed July 10, 2023).
See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_House_I_Live_In_(1945_film) (accessed July 10, 2023).

Reuse Statement: For information on reusing Prelinger Archives footage and obtaining written usage agreements, please visit www.prelinger.com.

Subjects: Patriotism; Youth; Children; World War II; Racism--Resistance to

Tags: songs; singing; America; USA; nationalism; Frank Sinatra; antisemitism; bigotry

Film Sponsor: Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith

Creator: RKO Radio Pictures

Credits: Producer: Frank Ross. Director: Mervyn LeRoy. Written by Albert Maltz. Musical Director: Axel Stordahl. Song "The House I Live In": music by Earl Robinson, words by Lewis Allan (pseudonym for Abel Meeropol). Director of Photography: Robert De Grasse. Editor: Philip Martin, Jr. Starring Frank Sinatra. "An RKO Radio Picture."

Distributor: Young America Films

Contributor: Prelinger Archives

Source Collection: Prelinger Archives

Digitizing Sponsor: Filecoin Foundation for the Decentralized Web (FFDW) and Internet Archive

Production Date: 1945

Release Date: 1945

Geographical Location: USA

Genre/Form: educational, social guidance, fiction, short

Language:

Rights: (c) Frank Ross Productions, Ltd.; 9Nov45; LP13665. Copyright not renewed.

Film Format: 16mm film

Element: positive, release print

Color: b&w

Color Process:

Sound or Silent: sound

Film Soundtrack Type: optical

Edge Code: triangle circle

Frame Rate: 24 fps

Length (feet): 349

Complete Record: Description: Advocacy film commissioned by the civil rights organization to discourage ethnic and racial prejudice at the end of World War II. Frank Sinatra, apparently playing himself, takes a "smoke" break from a recording session. He sees more than 10 boys chasing a Jewish boy and intervenes, first with dialogue; then with a little speech. His main points are that we are "all" Americans and that one American's blood is as good as another, and all our religions are equally to be respected. Sinatra sings two songs : "If you are but a dream" (words and music by Moe Jaffe, Jack Fulton, Nat Bonx; melody based on Anton Rubinstein's "Romance in E flat, Op. 44, No. 1," popularly known as "Rubenstein's Romance") and "The house I live in" (music by Earl Robinson, lyrics by Lewis Allan) (pseudonym for Abel Meeropol). (Paraphrased from J. Fred MacDonald and Associates film inventory, as transcribed by Library of Congress.) https://www.loc.gov/item/mbrs00009167/ (accessed July 10, 2023). See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_House_I_Live_In_(1945_film) (accessed July 10, 2023). Reuse Statement: For information on reusing Prelinger Archives footage and obtaining written usage agreements, please visit www.prelinger.com. Subjects: Patriotism; Youth; Children; World War II; Racism--Resistance to Tags: songs; singing; America; USA; nationalism; Frank Sinatra; antisemitism; bigotry Film Sponsor: Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith Creator: RKO Radio Pictures Credits: Producer: Frank Ross. Director: Mervyn LeRoy. Written by Albert Maltz. Musical Director: Axel Stordahl. Song "The House I Live In": music by Earl Robinson, words by Lewis Allan (pseudonym for Abel Meeropol). Director of Photography: Robert De Grasse. Editor: Philip Martin, Jr. Starring Frank Sinatra. "An RKO Radio Picture." Distributor: Young America Films Contributor: Prelinger Archives Source Collection: Prelinger Archives Digitizing Sponsor: Filecoin Foundation for the Decentralized Web (FFDW) and Internet Archive Production Date: 1945 Release Date: 1945 Geographical Location: USA Genre/Form: educational, social guidance, fiction, short Language: Rights: (c) Frank Ross Productions, Ltd.; 9Nov45; LP13665. Copyright not renewed. Film Format: 16mm film Element: positive, release print Color: b&w Color Process: Sound or Silent: sound Film Soundtrack Type: optical Edge Code: triangle circle Frame Rate: 24 fps Length (feet): 349

Transcription

Sonata recording take three [Music] it's more than I could to find that I am forsaken if you you're a fantasy [Music] and pray my dream comes true [Music] advantage [Music] in the air if all Romans should break us oh I never if you are above a dream thank you thank you this could be five minutes and I'll have the other number ready I'll get a smoke next number boys [Applause] yeah but 10 against one that's not very fair ah come on what's it all about no I'm not as scared I'll fight you had a vegan health I just want to know why the gang was we don't like him we don't want him in our neighborhood or going to our school I've been living here as long as you got smallpox or something we don't like his religion see what you mean you must be a bunch of those Nazi werewolves I've been reading about me I'm an American well what do you think we are Nazis don't call me a Nazi my father starts in the Army he been wounded even look at that hey I bet he got some of that bud plasma this one is so bad he had to get it three times it's on anybody in your family ever go to the blood bank sure my mother and my father both you know what I bet you maybe his Pop's blood helps save your Dad's life man what's bad about it well don't you see your father doesn't go to the same church as his father does that's awful you think maybe if your father knew about at the time he would rather have died he would take blood from a man of another religion to die no no religion makes no difference except maybe to a Nazi or somebody is stupid by people all over the world worship God in many different ways God created everybody he didn't create one piece of better than another your blood's the same as Mine mine's the same as his you know what this wonderful country is made of it's made up of a hundred different kind of people and a hundred different ways of talking and a hundred different ways of going to church but they're all American ways wouldn't we be silly if we went around hating people because they comb their hair different than ours wouldn't we be allowed adults my dad came from Italy but I'm an American but should I hate your father because he came from Ireland or France or Russia would not be a first class Fathead you guys remember Pearl Harbor where the soccer so it looked like we could never do anything about it but a couple of days later something very important happened close your eyes let me tell you about it come on come on close your eyes all of you want you to imagine there was a job Battleship the Haruna and one of our planes spotted it do you know what it takes to bomb a battleship it takes guts and know-how and teamwork and our boys sure needed plenty of it because that jump was thrown up enough flat to get out and walk home on but the pilot had only one thing on his mind to get over that ship and he did and then the Bombardier pushed a button and a 500 pound tomato smacked that jacket yep they sank it and every American threw his head back and felt much better the pilot of that ship was named Colin Kelly American and a presbyterian you know drop the bomb fire 11. American in it too you think maybe they should have called the bombing off because they had different religions think about that fellas here is your good American head don't let anybody make suckers out gotta go to work what do you work sing ah you're a kid come here [Music] they all stand here and no hissing allowed what is America to me a name [Music] a certain word democracy what is America [Music] a house I live in a lot of Earth [Music] and the people that I need the children in the playground the faces that I see all Races and religions that's America 's place I work in the worker at my side a little town or city where my people lived and died [Music] and the handshake the error feeling free in the right to speak my mind out that's America [Music] the things I see about me the big things and the small the little corner new stand and the house a mile tall the wedding and the churchyard the laughter and the tears the dream it's been a growing for a hundred and fifties foreign [Music] [Music] remember [Music] foreign [Music] thank you