Maureen O'Hara O'Hara beat Lauren Bacall to the role as she was busy with other engagements. Though the film was critically acclaimed, Crowther of "The New York Times" felt that the characters of O'Hara and the daughter could have been made "more humorous and spirited than they are". The following year, O'Hara appeared in the CBS television film, "Mrs. Miniver", but despite some critics approving her performance, most thought that the remake was ill-timed and that she could not top Greer Garson's performance in the 1942 Oscar-winning film. In 1961, O'Hara portrayed Kit Tilden in the western "The Deadly Companions", Sam Peckinpah's
American propaganda during World War II films for new recruits. Capra designed the series to illustrate the enormous danger of Axis conquest and the corresponding justness of the Allies. This "Why We Fight" series documented the war in seven segments: At President Roosevelt's urging, "Why We Fight" was also released to the theaters for the general public. In Britain, Churchill ordered the entire sequence to be shown to the public. Movies were also useful in that propaganda messages could be incorporated into entertainment films. The 1942 film "Mrs. Miniver" portrayed the experiences of an English housewife during the Battle of Britain and urged the support of