The Plot Thickens The Search
Jun 27, 2024
Willard Foxton, a journalist and former BBC war correspondent, joins the hunt for John Ford's elusive D-Day documentary. He reveals how a footnote sparked the investigation, delving into claims of disturbing footage buried in a vault. The search spans various countries and includes passionate discussions on government censorship and the fate of potentially lost reels. Foxton also speculates on a possible surviving copy in Russia, while questioning Ford's memories and intentions. This journey uncovers the tension between history and the stories we tell.
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Ford's Precise Claim Of Stored Footage
- John Ford claimed his D-Day footage existed in color and was stored in Anacostia near Washington, D.C.
- His precise description raised the possibility the film once existed even if it's now missing.
Discovery Of A 33-Minute D-Day Reel
- Archivist Steve Green found four Army Signal Corps reels labeled as D-Day and watched them for the first time in decades.
- The reels formed an edited 33-minute documentary but lacked the graphic content Ford described.
Nitrate Storage And The 1978 Fire
- Nitrate film was stored separately because it's highly flammable and many reels were kept outside main archives.
- A 1978 nitrate vault fire destroyed millions of feet of film, possibly including D-Day footage.