The Powell & Pressburger Pages Dedicated to the work of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger and all the other people, both actors and technicians who helped them make those wonderful films. A lot of the documents have been sent to me or have come from other web sites. The name of the web site is given where known. If I have unintentionally included an image or document that is copyrighted or that I shouldn't have done then please email me and I'll remove it. I make no money from this site, it's purely for the love of the films. [Any comments are by me (Steve Crook) and other members of the email list]

Five Senators Report on the War

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Remember that scene in AMOLAD when Doc Reeves and Abraham Farlan are discussing the state of England after 6 years of war. Farlan says that he is up to date and has been "watching you English from upstairs. Your wars, your politics, your busyness. From the tax on tea in 1766 to a certain report on England by five members of the United States Senate in 1944."

A few of us had long wondered about that report by US senators. Did any such thing really exist? Well, we think we may have found it!

There were a group of US senators who took a trip around the world in 1943. They could well have published their report in 1944. They mainly went to investigate and report on the state of US troops around the world, how well they were being cared for and how their morale was holding up. A world tour like that was quite rare at the time for any politicians from any country and would have been much more difficult in wartime.

It's quite likely that Emeric found a copy of their report in the British Library on one of his research trips there and it's the quirky sort of thing that he loved to include in the films.

The five senators were:
Senator Russell of Georgia (Chairman)
Senator Brewster of Maine
Senator Chandler of Kentucky
Senator Lodge of Massachusetts
Senator Mead of New York

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See also Combat Tour for Senators

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