417 Over the Rainbow
The History of the Twentieth Century
A look at some prominent blues singers, plus Judy Garland and her most famous role, as Dorothy Gale in The Wizard of Oz.
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416 The Iron Gut of Europe
The History of the Twentieth Century
The Allies hoped their invasion of the Italian mainland would lead to a rapid occupation of Italy, but the Germans put up a defense that slowed their advance to a crawl.
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415 Would They Obey You Any More Readily?
The History of the Twentieth Century
The German Army continued to retreat westward over the winter of 1943-44, abandoning most of Ukraine. Red Army pressure was relentless, not giving the Germans any opportunity to establish a strong defensive line.
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414 The Teheran Conference
The History of the Twentieth Century
The Big Three--Stalin, Roosevelt, and Churchill--met and conferred together for the first time in November 1943. It was the most important meeting of world leaders since the Paris Peace Conference of 1919.
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413 Frankly, My Dear
The History of the Twentieth Century
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, created in 1924 by the merger of three film production companies, quickly rose to become the most successful studio of the era. The record box office for the 1939 film Gone with the Wind represents the studio at its height.
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412 Hero to Zero
The History of the Twentieth Century
The Japanese "Zero" fighter plane played an important role in Japan's amazing victories early in the Pacific war. But by 1943, the Zero (and its pilots) were falling behind their Allied counterparts.
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411 From the Top
The History of the Twentieth Century
Continuing from the previous episode, we examine events in multiple theaters in August-September 1943
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410 Stranded on Plum Pudding Island
The History of the Twentieth Century
An eventful period in July-August 1943, when there were major developments on the Eastern Front, in the Mediterranean, and in the Pacific.
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409 Famous Players in Famous Plays
The History of the Twentieth Century
The history of Paramount Pictures, one of the oldest and most prominent film studios of Hollywood's Golden Age.
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408 The Great Retreat
The History of the Twentieth Century
The end of the Battle of Kursk did not mean the end of the Red Army advance. The Germans withdrew, but the Red Army just kept coming.
info_outlineRKO Radio Pictures had a reputation for producing second-rate films. Even so, this was the studio that signed Fred Astaire and Katharine Hepburn; it was the studio that released King Kong and Citizen Kane.