We are accustomed to seeing military men glorified in film. Films often depict military leaders as the greatest, most admired men (or women?) in history. We see Alexander the Great, Spartacus, Napoleon, Lord Nelson, George Washington, Benedict Arnold, U.S. Grant, George Custer, Dwight Eisenhower, George Patton, Douglas McArthur and, most recently, Davey Crockett glorified as the saviors of their civilizations. But do they really deserve such admiration? Has Hollywood ever treated a military leader honestly? If not, why not? Do we now or did we ever HAVE TO perceive these military leaders as unqualified heroes? Even documentary biographies reviewing the careers of such soldiers as Eisenhower and Montgomery, although somewhat more realistic the Hollywood biographies, often tend to lionize these men rather than attempt an objective look at them.

The Film & History League, in association with the Literature/Film Association, will be holding its 3rd bi-annual conference from November 11-14, 2004, near Dallas, TX. This conference will focus on War in Film, Television, and History.

Full details on the location, registration procedures, and additional area topics can be found on the web at www.filmandhistory.org. Deadline for proposals is July 30, 2004.