1. Home
  2. Library Collections
  3. Audiovisual Materials Collection
  4. Screen Gems Collection (outtakes from the television series “Decision:  The Conflicts of Harry S. Truman”)

Motion Picture MP2002-86

Screen Gems Collection (outtakes from the television series “Decision:  The Conflicts of Harry S. Truman”)

Administrative Information

Footage
250 feet
Running Time
7 minutes 29 seconds
Film Gauge
35mm
Sound
sound
Color
Black & White
Produced by
Screen Gems in association with Ben Gradus
Restrictions
Unrestricted
Description

Harry S. Truman answers questions from soldiers at Fort Leavenworth, mostly about the Korean War. Sound only.

Date(s)
ca.
1961 - 1963

SD-quality copies of already digitized motion pictures are available for $20, and HD-quality copies of already digitized motion pictures are $50. Copies of motion pictures not already digitized will incur additional costs.

This item does not circulate but reproductions may be purchased.

To request a copy of this item, please contact truman.reference@nara.gov​​​​​​​

Please note that this video belongs to a different video collection than the items available to be borrowed by teachers, from our Education Department.

Moving Image Type
Screen Gems

Shot List

Download Audio: If viewing in Chrome browser, click the 3 dots in the player to download. If viewing in Safari, Explorer, or other browser type, right click on the player to access download option.

Reel 1

0:00   Harry S. Truman is answering questions about the Korean War from soldiers, evidently at Fort Leavenworth. These are the topics covered:
0:50   Did armistice talks influence strategic maneuvers? Mr. Truman did not know of any effect.
1:24   Mr. Truman discusses his guidance to Gen. Matthew Ridgway, who became the Commander of the forces after the firing of Gen. MacArthur.
2:30   Mr. Truman discusses the subject of crossing the 38th parallel
3:14   Mr. Truman discusses the action of the United Nations, calling it a police action.
3:55   Was the restriction placed on our forces to not cross the Yalu River a presidential restriction? Yes.
4:28   Did the Department of Defense and the National Security Agency enable the President to oversea military efforts and link them to foreign policy? Mr. Truman discusses the lack of intelligence coordination until the creation of the Central Intelligence Agency. Mr. Truman discusses the term police action, mentioning the criticism of the term, saying some called it his war; it wasn’t, it was just a police action of the United Nations.
6:27   Could there have been greater mobilization of forces for the Korean War? Mr. Truman says we tried to give the troops all the support they needed. There were some informal exchanges caught on the soundtrack at the end of the Filming between President Truman and those in the audience.