The Academy acknowledges its documentary lecture series namesake with a special screening of both of his controversial documentary classics from World War II.

In 1942, when John Huston began shooting documentaries as a member of the U.S. Army Signal Corps, he was already an accomplished screenwriter and the director of three features, including The Maltese Falcon. Huston’s first assignment was to record combat conditions on Adak Island. The resulting documentary, Report from the Aleutians, was straightforward and uncontroversial – unlike the two that were to follow.

San Pietro (1944)

San Pietro (1944) was produced and directed by Huston for the U.S. War Department. Originally deemed too violent and realistic to be shown to the public, it was not screened until 1945, when General George Marshall’s endorsement led to the removal of its “classified” status.

The War Department also banned Let There Be Light (1946), a naked portrait of the psychological problems suffered by returning veterans. The ban was finally lifted decades later, in December 1980, and the film was released in 1981.

The historical significance and current relevance of these documentaries will be among the topics covered in a post-screening panel discussion with Dr. Charles Wolfe, professor of film and media studies, UC Santa Barbara; Dr. Betsy McLane, documentary historian and author; and Richard E. Robbins, producer-director of Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience, which was a 2007 Oscar® nominee for Documentary Feature.