The Life and Times of Rosie the Riveter (1980)

Documentary about women working in factories during WWII and resultant loss of jobs after the war. Five women tell their stories. Fascinating clips of racist, sexist propaganda of the era.

Director:

Connie Field

Stars:

Wanita Allen, Gladys Belcher, Lyn Childs

7 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Credited cast:
Wanita Allen	...	Herself
Gladys Belcher	...	Herself
Lyn Childs	...	Herself
Lola Weixel	...	Herself
Margaret Wright	...	Herself
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Betty Allie	...	Herself (archive footage)
Marynia Farnham	...	Herself (archive footage)
Franklin D. Roosevelt	...	Himself (archive footage) (as Franklin Delano Roosevelt)

Storyline

Documentary about women working in factories during WWII and resultant loss of jobs after the war. Five women tell their stories. Fascinating clips of racist, sexist propaganda of the era.

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Plot Keywords:

national film registry | f rated | triple f rated | title directed by female | world war two | 

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Genres:

Documentary | History | War

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Details

Official Sites:

Clarity Films

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 October 1981 (Australia)

Also Known As:

Vida y tiempos de Rosie, la remachadora

Company Credits

Technical Specs

Runtime:

65 min (Sundance Channel Library Print)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Because the American Federation of Musicians (AFM) called a strike against the major record companies in August 1942, and it lasted until November 1944, most of the songs written during the war to promote women's participation in defense work weren't officially recorded. So Connie Field had to use either modern recordings of the songs or versions from film soundtracks, like Benny Goodman's "Minnie's in the Money" from the 1943 film "The Gang's All Here."

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Quotes

Lyn Childs: We'd never had any opportunity to do that kind of work. Do you think that if you did domestic work all of your life where you cleaned somebody's toilets and did all the cooking for some lazy characters who were sitting on top, and you finally got a chance where you can get a dignified job, you wouldn't fly through the door?

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Connections

References The Gang's All Here (1943)

User Reviews

Historically significant.

You should find this interesting if you have an interest in learning about the social issues that were going on in the U.S. during WWII. You won't read about the subject of this film in any history book. Both from a feminist and a racial perspective. Admittedly, I wasn't born yet. So I wasn't a witness. But I had just always assumed that during WWII all of the prejudices had been put aside for the country to pull together. At least that's what certain aspects of historical propaganda had led me to believe. But this film set me straight. My mother and father were both a part of that generation. They're both gone now. The people of the country (and the world) endured a lot. From the Great Depression through the end of the war and much in between. Watching this showed me why my mother and my grandmother were so strong.