Reminisce Magazine Releases 'The 1940s,' an Exclusive 3-DVD Collection of Video Memories of America's Heroic Generation; History is Brought to Life by the People Who Were There

Reminisce Magazine Releases 'The 1940s,' an Exclusive 3-DVD Collection of Video Memories of America's Heroic Generation; History is Brought to Life by the People Who Were There

GREENDALE, Wis., Nov. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- The editors of Reminisce magazine have released a three-set DVD tribute to the 1940s, a time of patriotism and heroism lauded in books and TV documentaries as one of America's greatest. "The 1940s" is a unique multimedia time capsule with exclusive video clips, photos and storytelling in the words of the people who were there. The DVD set was produced by the editors of Reminisce and The Memory Lane Company, the group that originally produced "Baby Einstein(R)."

   (Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20071114/NYW152-a )   (Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20071114/NYW152-b )  

Editors of "The 1940s" combed through mountains of stories and thousands of feet of home movies from the 1940s submitted by Reminisce readers. The resulting 3-disk set tells a remarkable story through the words and images of everyday people, woven together into an entertaining portrait of America during a time of historic transformation. Topics include Front Lines, At Ease, Home Front, What We Wore, At Work, At Play, In Love, Driving, Shopping and At Home.

A multimedia preview of "The 1940s" may be viewed online for free at www.reminisceDVD.com/promo and purchased from this website for $29.99. It is ideal for people from that era, their children, grandchildren and friends, or anyone looking for the perfect holiday gift.

"Our collection, 'The 1940s,' is a totally new kind of visual experience that captures the hopes, uncertainties, sacrifices and daily routines of our country during that era, both at war and at peace," said Bettina Miller, Editor of Reminisce, who spent more than a year sifting through story and film submissions from readers and others who contributed to the presentation. "People of all generations will have the opportunity to re-live history through the personal stories of those who were there."

The first of the three DVDs is an hour-long video called "The Decade," featuring stories, photos and home movies and hosted by Reminisce columnist Clancy Strock. The second is "Our Photos," a video scrapbook of 1,200 images and 10 narrated slide shows, more than two hours of memory-provoking viewing. And the third DVD is "Our Stories," three hours of new on-screen interviews -- timely oral histories from 21 Reminisce readers who poignantly discuss the decade of war, service and an American generation that came home from overseas and settled into suburbia.

The DVD set is designed to stimulate the memories of people who lived through the 1940s, as well as providing a convenient way to share the experience with family and friends. Arvid Smith, a WWII Navy veteran who appears on the "Our Stories" disk, said, "I'm delighted to have been included in this project. These DVDs capture the 1940s in a more powerful way than anything else I've ever read or seen."

"The 1940s" has already won three prestigious film and video awards: The Film Advisory Board's "Award of Excellence" for outstanding family-oriented and children's entertainment; The Aegis Awards' 2007 Winner in the Documentary category for excellence in video and film production; and the Family-Approved Seal from The Dove Foundation, which endorses wholesome family entertainment.

"Breathtaking in its scope, 'The 1940s' is a true epic that touches the very heart of human experiences," said Janet Stokes, CEO of The Film Advisory Board. "Powerful in its delivery of stories and photographs, it speaks well of a time in American history when we were one as a nation. 'The 1940s' DVDs are a triumph in storytelling."

"The 1940s" is the first in what is expected to be a series of history and nostalgia DVD collections produced by Reminisce and Memory Lane.

The Memory Lane Company, based in Lone Tree, Colorado, is dedicated to preserving and sharing the memories of generations that preceded us -- history as recalled by those who helped make it. Memory Lane was conceived by the award-winning team that created Baby Einstein (now part of The Walt Disney Company). Like Baby Einstein, Memory Lane is based on a simple premise -- media produced with a clear vision and loving care can enrich lives. For information, visit www.MemoryLane.net.

Reminisce magazine, founded in 1991 by Roy Reiman and now part of the Home & Garden division of Reader's Digest Association, publishes the stories, photos and memories of its more than 1.5 million subscribers every month, providing a unique blend of nostalgia and celebration of what is great about America. Based in Greendale, Wisconsin, its website is www.reminisce.com.

Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20071114/NYW152-a
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20071114/NYW152-b
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
AP PhotoExpress Network: PRN24 PRN25
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com

Source: Reader's Digest Association

CONTACT: William Adler of Reader's Digest Association, +1-914-244-7585,
william.adler@rd.com

Web site: http://www.rd.com/
http://www.reminisce.com/
http://www.memorylane.net/

NOTE TO EDITORS: The editors and producers of "The 1940s" are available for interviews and can provide additional information, photos and product samples. Family members of Pauline Mauck, the iconic young woman photographed atop a propeller in the photo on the DVD set, are willing to be interviewed as well and have remarkable stories about Ms. Mauck and her experiences in the "Rosie the Riveter" era. Contact: William Adler, (914) 244-7585 for Reminisce, or Jeff Mettais, (303) 706-1151 for Memory Lane.

---

Profile: International Entertainment