AUBURN - In films of the 1940s, women were often depicted as weak and submissive, usually fulfilling their patriotic duties by finding employment in the absence of their husbands who were fighting World War II.

Female characters in movies of the post-war era were expected to play equally subservient roles, usually supporting their veteran husbands after returning from Europe.

On Sunday, to shed further light on the subject, Cayuga Museum hosted a lecture by SUNY Albany film history professor Rob Edelman, titled “From Rosie the Riveter to Harriet the Happy Homemaker: Women Onscreen During and After World War II.”

The lecture, which was the last in a series of programs held by the museum during Women's History Month, is part of a series offered by the NYS Council for the Humanities, said Carrie Barrett, museum curator.

“Since March is Women's History Month, we decided to take a look at women's contributions to our culture, and how they've been represented in the media,” she said. “Mr. Edelman's program fits in perfectly with that.”

Edelman, who began teaching at Albany in 2000, has spent many years as a film critic, and is a contributing editor of “Leonard Maltin's Movie & Video Guide,” an annual 1,600-page publication that many consider the premier source of movie reviews.

Edelman's lecture, which took place in the museum's north gallery, included clips of various films of the era, and following each scene, Edelman explained its relevance.

Among others, Edelman showed several scenes from “The Best Years of Our Lives”(1946), which he called “a primer for how women were expected to act” during that time.

The Oscar-winning film, which is about three servicemen rebuilding their lives following World War II (and how the women in their lives deal with the changes), is a shining example of society's expectations of women at the time, he said.

“Women were ‘expected' to get jobs in factories during the war. After it was over, they were expected to do their parts as good citizens, give their jobs back to the men, and go get married and have babies,” he said.

Other films Edelman discussed included “So Proudly We Hail”(1943), about a group of female World War II nurses, and “Shane” (1953), which he said was

another good example of women's roles in society.

“Notice in this scene that although all the men have names, the wife is just referred to 'the little lady' who 'sure knows how to cook,'” Edelman said before showing the clip from “Shane.”

Guests of the lecture included Karen Bove of Auburn, who is a longtime supporter of the museum.

“(The lecture) was really interesting, because I saw ”The Best Years of Our Lives“ on TV last week,” she said after the program.

“I was thinking more about the men as I watched the movie, and it was interesting to learn more about the movie's (female) characters.”