the movie "All This & World War II" ... and if it was ever even made!

All This & World War II

I have a double soundtrack album on 20th Century Fox Records from 1976 for All This & World War II featuring a lot of '70s-era artists covering Lennon-McCartney tunes, mostly with heavy orchestration. The album has been much maligned as pompous pap by a lot of Beatle-minded folk, although I’m personally quite taken with a number of the arrangements. My question is: was there ever an All This & World War II film? I get the impression there wasn’t, but I never found out for sure. Most of the art inside the book that was included in the set featured especially well done hand-painted/tinted scenes from vintage WWII newsreels, which really sparked my curiosity over the film.

I do know this double album was reissued a couple of years later as a sort of Stars Sing Lennon-McCartney sort of thing which leads me to believe the film never got out of the starting gate…if it was ever made at all. Can anyone give me the skinny on this alleged movie?

S. Prazak
Atlanta, GA

I had the LP in high school, but it disappeared in one move or other, and it isn’t available on CD, which is a shame because there are some excellent Beatles covers.

Apparently it was, but not like you’d think. It appears to be a psuedo-documentary utilizing WWII footage with Beatles’ tunes.

Thanks for the link, Mr. Sky! I never would’ve guessed that puppy was actually made, much less released. Now, to only get a VTR of the thing! Any tips, anyone?

SP

Sorry, it’s currently unavailable in any home media.

Oh MY God.

I must have been one of the three people who saw this film while it was in the theatres. One of the many things I did during the '70s I would be embarrassed if my children found out.

My main memory of the film was the complete disregard for the origin of the film clips used. I mean, they used newsreel footage in one sequence, then mixed newsreel and war movie footage for another. No way for a drug-addled audience to tell real life from fiction.

Horrid.