Production number 66
Production title: It Can Happen Here
Production date: 1942
Total running time: 00:33:10
black and white / sound
Produced by the Junior Chamber of Commerce for the Alachua County Defense Council under the supervision of Major Garland Powell, Chairman of the Information, Education and Morale Division of the ACDC.
Special sets by Carson Waterhouse.
Commentary prepared by C. Albert Moreno.
Narrated by Otis Boggs, WRUF
Recording engineer, Ovid R. Gano, WRUF
Photography by Earl R. Jernigan, Florida State Theatre.
Written and directed by Aston H. King, Gainesville Daily Sun.
Derived from 16 mm film.
Available in VHS, S-VHS, DVD, and Sony DV-cam.
Part of Earl Jernigan's Film Archive.
This film was created to inform citizens in Alachua County about defense preparation and local groups involved in civil defense. The film contains rare footage of local places and people.
The film begins with Otis Boggs providing commentary on America's war efforts and community action. The image and sound quality of the first four minutes is very poor.
The film depicts the local defense council, air raid wardens, and school children at Kirby-Smith performing air raid drills. Especially noteworthy is the segment involving the auxiliary fire department that includes excellent footage of the city's fire engines. Also depicted is the local company of the Florida Defense Force, the Women's Motor Corp, and the High School Victory Corps. The latter contains footage of the Gainesville High School Band. The film ends with an "aerial attack" on Gainesville and the city's response. This includes incorporation of film showing the burnt out remains of Cox Furniture after a fire that occurred shortly before World War II.
University of Florida Moving Image Collection Directory