During the turn-of-the-century, impoverished Italians left their homeland to settle in the United States and Canada, making their mark in many ways, including as scientists, artists and sports figures.

The emergence of Benito Mussolini as the new political and military dictator thrust Italy into a series of foreign entanglements, in an attempt to reinvigorate the nation.

[3][4] Typical of the NFB's series of morale-boosting films, The Gates of Italy used the format of a compilation documentary, relying heavily on newsreel material, including "enemy" footage, in order to provide the background to the dialogue.

[8] In early 1942, National Film Board of Canada head John Grierson through his Hollywood contacts, found a new outlet for documentaries, especially the recently launched war-themed The World in Action series.

The National Film Board of Canada had an arrangement with Famous Players theatres to ensure that Canadians from coast-to-coast could see them, with further distribution by Columbia Pictures.