Dr. William Beanes, The Movie... Sort Of

I am working on a lecture about Dr. William Beanes, the man behind the story of our national anthem, The Star-Spangled Banner. I've written a lot about him before, but in this most recent search, I found something new!

Apparently, in 1936, a short film, "The Song of a Nation," was made about the writing of the National Anthem. 

The Song of a Nation (1936) is a Warner Bros. Technicolor short film dramatizing Francis Scott Key writing "The Star-Spangled Banner" in 1814. The film depicts the American lawyer witnessing the British bombardment of Fort McHenry, leading to the creation of the national anthem, played with a mix of historical drama and, at times, dramatic recitation rather than singing of the lyrics.

Key Details of "The Song of a Nation" (1936)

• Plot: The short film dramatizes the events of September 1814, showing Francis Scott Key (played by Donald Wood) being detained on a British ship and feeling inspired to write the lyrics after witnessing the U.S. flag still flying over Fort McHenry after a massive bombardment.
• Production: It is a 1930s Technicolor short produced by Warner Brothers, designed to showcase the beauty of 1930s color film.
• Legacy: While the film is a dramatized account, it highlights the real-life inspiration of the song, which was officially adopted as the U.S. national anthem in 1931.

Real-Life Story vs. The Film

• The Poem: Francis Scott Key actually wrote the poem, initially titled "The Defence [sic] of Fort M'Henry," after seeing the American flag survive the night of September 13–14, 1814.
• The Tune: The lyrics were set to the tune of "To Anacreon in Heaven," a popular 18th-century British song by John Stafford Smith.
• Official Status: While the song gained immediate popularity, it was not officially recognized as the national anthem until 117 years later, when President Herbert Hoover signed the act in 1931.

Here is the movie.