The Town

The Town is a short propaganda film produced by the Office of War Information in 1943. The documentary, depicting the American Midwestern city of Madison, Indiana was filmed by Josef von Sternberg in 1943 and released in 1945. Synopsis The Town is a 1943 American documentary film whose subject is the Midwestern town of Madison, Indiana. Endorsed by the United States Office of War Information (OWI), which oversaw propaganda during World War II, the 11-minute film presents Madison “as the model American town where citizens embodied American ideals and values.” Filmed by the acclaimed Hollywood director Josef von Sternberg, the camera showcases the people of Madison – many of whom were European immigrants – in their “public libraries, corner drugstores, schoolhouses and public swimming pools.” The Town was created as part of The American Scene series and “shown overseas to remind troops what they were fighting to preserve and to demonstrate American cultural values to foreigners. It was translated into 32 languages.”