Nowadays more people have probably formed their perception of December 7th, 1941 after having seen one or more of the following movies: the Bay-Bruckheimer Pearl Harbor (2001) which won an Oscar for Sound Editing; the eight Oscar-winning From Here to Eternity (1953) which included Best Picture, Director, Screenplay and Cinematography; and Tora, Tora, Tora (1970) which won an Oscar for Visual Effects; than have read At Dawn We Slept by Gordon W. Prange or Day Of Infamy by Walter Lord.

Visual spectacle, loud sound effects, and bigger than life dramatization with beautiful people makes for commercial success. The paying public wants entertainment not a documentary. If they wanted to exercise their intellect and critical faculties they would have signed up for a history class and read several authoritative historical accounts. At least some commercial entertainment does inspire viewers to seek out more.

Last Edited By: wongsaurus Jan 22 10 9:53 AM. Edited 1 times.