A VINTAGE PUBLICITY PHOTOGRAPH of U.S. Soldiers performing in the Hollywood movie production "THIS IS THE ARMY", with HEAVYWEIGHT BOXING CHAMPION SGT. JOE LOUIS in the foreground. by (Louis, Joe [1914-1981]. American Heavyweight Boxing Champion) - 1943.

New York: Acme Newspictures, Inc., 1943., 1943.. Very good. - A wonderful 7-1/8 inch high by 9 inch wide black & white publicity photograph portraying a scene from the Hollywood musical comedy flm "This is the Army". In the image, 10 African American U.S. Army soldiers stand saluting at the conclusion of their musical number, with Heavyweight Boxing Champ Joe Louis, then a Sergeant in the army, in the foreground. A backdrop illustrating "The Well-Dressed Man in Harlem" is in the background. The photo is very slightly rubbed at the top with a tiny pinprick to the right edge. An otherwise superb vintage image. This is a vintage photograph distributed by Acme Newspictures, Inc. at the time, with the their credits stamped in purple on the verso and the date "Jun 29 1943" stamped in red. The text for a press release printed on a sheet of paper is mounted to the bottom from the verso. <p>Intended for publication in newspapers of the period with text for a press release accompanying the photograph printed in type on paper mounted to the the bottom of the photo from the verso. The text of the press release reads as follows:<p>"350 SOLDIER ACTORS / HOLLYWOOD, CALIF. -- 'This is the Army,' the stage hit that opened for a modest four-week run and piled up $2,000,000 for Army Emergency Relief at the end of a nine months showing, now takes to the screen. Facing a battery of 200 arc lights, 350 U.S. soldiers have spent four months before the Technicolor cameras in the filming of the Irving Berlin smash-hit. Fourteen telephone calls from California to New York, and $250,000 contributed to AERF -- brought the smash hit to Warner Bros. The all-army production has a cast recruited from every camp and every branch of the service." Additionally printed below: "689614 .... NEW YORK BUREAU / Sgt. Joe Louis and the boys have professional salutes to offer in 'The Well-Dressed man in Harlem,' featured in 'This is the Army.' BU / CREDIT LINE (ACME 6/25/43 (JR)"<p>Directed by Michael Curtiz, the 1943 Hollywood musical comedy film was adapted from the stage musical of the same name. The Irving Berlin musical, designed to boost morale during WWII, featured a large ensemble cast including Ronald Reagan, George Murphy, Joan Leslie, Alan Hale Sr. and Rosemary DeCamp as well as U.S. Army soldiers including then Sergeant Joe Louis.<p>RARE.