that captain to the fact that william wyler had -- that tapped into the fact that william wyler had athat sometimes got the better of him. he was almost court-martialed during the war from throwing a punch at an anti-somatic civilian. -- anti-somatic civilian. the third soldier lost both of his hands during the war. -- an actor named harold russell played him. russellentified with because he, too, was disabled and uncertain about how you would regain his place and his life. it is very hard to convey what a seismic impact "the best years of our lives" had. this was a donovan new age of social realism in american -- this was the dawn of a new age of social realism in america. whether it was alcoholism or nervous breakdowns or something that all america was exposed to, the readjustment issues faced by returning veterans and faced by the people they were returning to. , it wasnd of its run the third or fourth highest grossing movie in hollywood history. he went on to a distinguished .areer making movies his career goes all the way up retired just he before making the movie he had hoped to

among the directors featured as william wyler. mark harris joins us to explains his book and this director during world war ii. enter being with us. >> thanks for having me. >> who was william wyler? >> of the five directors about whom i write, he was the only jew. he was an immigrant from a small town in a region of france, when he was a boy and a teenager, had been either french or under german occupation. when he came to hollywood and worked his way up and he for the war, it became known as one of the most sophisticated and meticulous and mature craftsman in hollywood, he was also very conscious of his status as an immigrant and a jew who is trying to get family members and friends out of europe before the war crashed down. >> as an immigrant, you featured frank capra in your book. take us back to the mindset of the late 1930's and early 1940's. and how this might have affected the psyche of directors like william wyler. >> one thing that it is hard to recapture now is the idea that before the war, the relationship between holl

. >> we feature william wyler and thunderbolt. it is about a squadron of fighter planes stationed in italy. he also directed the popular world war ii documentary "the memphis belle," ." we speak to author and film historian mark harris. >> a new book out, "five came back: a story of hollywood and the second world war," by mark harris. who was william wyler? >> of the five directors about who my right, he was the only jew. he was an immigrant

the feature director is william wyler. he became a u.s. citizen in 1928. a major in the air force. he put together three documentaries including the 1947 film "thunderbolt." explain. wyler made a powerful documentary called the memphis story of the flying fortress, the first major wartime documentary to show what it was like to fly missions in a bomber over france and occupied germany. documentaries from the war, there was no restaging. wyler and his men trained to fly. they went to europe and flew five missions. they were shot at. to of that commitment led this documentary which was made with great attention to the military. he wanted to create a "you are there" experience. >> one of the most important instruments. >> there is four of them 1:00 high. >> they are coming round. watch it. >>

william wyler film the classic documentary about a b-17 and infect himself was injured because of his service. it's a fascinating portrait of that era and combining both so the glitter of hollywood and the grim reality of the war. the second book that i'm reading at the moment that might take me most of the summer is dark -- doris kearns book the bully pulpit. in some respects it's a powerful archive because what roosevelt was facing was a significant inequality in terms of wealth. he was trying to make progressive changes. he was dealing with some of the issues we are dealing with today the role of corporations in the political process. he has his whole progressive agenda but the interesting thing is the contrast between he and taft. both respected each other immensely. in fact roosevelt had a different temperament and it plays out very significant ways that the contribution not just the intellect but the temperament and politics in any type of endeavor. to fascinating characters. i knew a lot more about teddy roosevelt then i did william howard taft but they are both fascinating fig

to hollywood and started to build a reputation as a screenwriter, particularly with the help of william wyler. , he hadore pearl harbor his breakthrough success with the first movie he directed, "the maltese falcon." he had a chance to make about one and two thirds more movies. he had to leave for the war and a service for the war before completing a movie he was making , which reunited the cast of "the maki stopped in -- the maltese falcon." want to ask you about one of two films he put together. this one was from 1945, "let there be light." what did he bring to the american on the ends about this condition? >> it is a remarkable document three. -- documentary. he was tasked with what the army felt it would be a propaganda film about psychologically scarred veterans. the propaganda element was that the movie was intended to show these men could recover incredibly quickly and the film was specifically intended to be aimed at american small and midsized businesses who needed to be told that it was safe to higher returning veterans. it would be easy to reintegrate them into society. john huston

among the directors featured was william wyler. he became a u.s. citizen in 1928.e served as a major in the u.s. army air force between 1942 and 1945. together three documentaries including the 1947 film "thunderbolt." explain. had made a powerful documentary called "the memphis elle," the first major wartime documentary to show what it was like to fly missions in a bomber over france and occupy germany. unlike many documentaries from the war, there was no restaging. wyler and his men trained to fly. they went over to europe are they flew five missions. they were shot at. all of that commitment led to this documentary which was made to a "you attention are there" experience. >> in a battle, one of the most important instruments is the interphone. >> there is four of them, 1:00 high. >> they are coming round. b-17 out of control at 3:00. come on, get out of the plane. bailout. >> that movie and the acclaim led to whether wanting to make a different movie about another kind of ballmer called "thunderbolt." it was during the film are the less filming -- it was during

during world war ii, we feature william wyler and "thunderbolt." it is about a squadron of fighter planes stationed in italy. he also directed the popular world war ii documentary, "the memphis belle." we speak to author and film historian mark harris. >> a new book out, "five came back: a story of hollywood and the second world war," by mark harris.

john ford, john huston, william wyler, frank capra, and george stevens. >> these guys were artists, sowanted to make great movies. they were patriots, so they wanted to serve their country, and just as men, they wanted to tell the truth. >> reporter: filmmaker george stevens, jr. remembers when his father signed up to serve. >> he saw the triumph of the will, the film about nuremberg. and the next day he arranged to go in the army. >> reporter: but it was a discovery that stevens made in his father's archive almost 40 years ago that would change forever how we view d-day and the war in europe. some old rolls of film perfectly preserved. >> went and sat by myself in the screening room and up on the screen came this blue sky, ships, barrage balloons in the sky, and i said, my god, that's d-day. >> reporter: a war that was in black and white in our collective memory. >> the full drama of the fateful hour. >> reporter: suddenly in vibrant, startling color. >> you see along the roads going through france, they'd see dead german bodies, and you see the picture, and there's just something so

among the directors featured is william weiler -- wyler. he served as a major in the u.s.air forces between 1942 and 1940 five and put together three

among the directors featured is william weiler -- wyler. he served as a major in the u.s. army air forces between 1942 and 1940 five and put together three documentaries including the 1947 film "thunderbolt." explained. had made a compelling documentary about the memphis belle, a flying fortress. this was the first war documentary to show what it was like to fly missions in a bomber ver occupiedand offe germany. there was no restaging of this. wyler and his men trained to fly. they went over to europe, they flew five missions, they were shot at. all of that commitment led to this documentary which was made to theeat attention military. he wanted to create a kind of you are their experience. >> one of the most important insurance. >> there is four of them. >> they're coming around. >> b-17 out of control at 3:00. >> come on, you guys, bailout. >> that moving and the acclaim wanting toto wyler make a different movie about a different kind of bomber called thunderbolt. it was during the filming of extra footage for "thunderbolt," a little bit more footage she wanted to get of