Storm of Fire (1978): Reflections on Cadre Films and the Historian as Filmmaker

Abstract

IN THE EARLY 1970's, Patrick Griffin (California State University, Long Beach), Richard Raack (California State University, Hayward), and William Malloch (KPFK, Los Angeles) formed Cadre Films and began to confront the challenge of media in a constructive way. Their first film, Goodbye Billy: America Goes to War, 1917-18, was screened at the 1971 meeting of the American Historical Association. The next year production began on a second compilation, The Frozen War: America Intervenes in Russia, 1918-20, which was shown at the 1973 biennial meeting of the American Studies Association. Will Rogers' 1920's: A Cowboy's Guide to the Times premiered at the 1976 meeting of the American Historical Association. Two Cadre Films have won awards: Goodbye Billy received the Audience Prize at the Ann Arbor Film Festival; Will Rogers' 1920's was awarded a CINE Golden Eagle.The first portion of this article will outline the working assumptions of the Cadre group; how these ideas were utilized in Storm of Fire will be examined in the second part.