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How did Frank Capra make the Why We Fight documentaries on a small budget?
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Frank Capra
(From left) Unidentified, Gary Cooper, and Frank Capra on the set of Mr. Deeds Goes to Town.
While serving as a major in the Signal Corps during World War II, Frank Capra produced the Why We Fight documentary series on a budget of $400,000.1
He achieved this low cost primarily by utilizing existing footage rather than filming new material. The seven films were constructed in large part from edited newsreel footage and scenes sourced from both Hollywood and foreign war movies.1