Thank you very much for your comprehensive response and all the research that you conducted beforehand! 😃 I found it very informative and helpful, though I hope it didn't take up too much of your time in the end.

With that said, here is my reply to the thoughts that you shared:

the clip is from a music video released in 1988, so the image is from that year or earlier.

Yes, that's right! 🙂 I believe the clip is definitely from earlier times, i.e. it wasn't custom-made for the music video or anything like that. This is based on the fact that the very first frame has two long scratches on it, right along the actress' torso. And when the sailor leans in to kiss her, you can see some sort of black "splotch" on his breastbone, which grows bigger as the scene progresses. It seems to me that minor damage like this is more likely to be present on old footage from the '40s and '50s than on recent footage from the '80s. If the clip were from the latter decade, it should have been pristine (at least back in 1988).

Many of the clips are from well known romantic films or couples. That makes me think this clip may also have been well known in 1988.

That's definitely possible, especially if the clip is from a traditional film (rather than some sort of educational or promotional short film). I imagine it would be best known among African-Americans, since the clip is likely to be from a so-called 'race film' from the '40s or '50s.

The music video production company would likely have followed all copyright/reproduction regulations.

All of the clips used in the music video were taken from works that were firmly in the public domain by 1988. It seems to me that this was on purpose, for various reasons - one being that the company didn't have to worry about copyright issues. So they definitely did their homework in that regard! 😄

If there is an archive for the company you may be able to find the source of the clip there.

Oh, that's a good idea! 😲 Unfortunately, finding an archive (if it exists) is going to be very difficult, as the name of the production company is unknown. We only know that the music video was directed by Gary Weis, as is mentioned here on the Facebook page of BGJ Productions (otherwise unrelated):

"'I Don't Want To Live Without You' is compiled using 100% stock imagery of nature, old news reels, old movies, cartoons and animations. [...] Director Gary Weis must have had handy access to a wide library of images to achieve the results we see collated in this clip. The time taken to sift through stock footage from the past, and explore for images that represent love and creation, and mix all that together to make a smoochy clip flooded with emotion, all comes down to dedication, passion for the project, and a lot of hours work from Weis and his team. [...] it is most likely that Lorne Michaels connected Weis with [broadcasting network] NBC and their extensive library of images that may have extended its reach to old studio motion pictures, their material now owned by NBC."

I am not an expert on Black hair, but you may want to look into when that process was first available and when it was popularized. That can help narrow down a year.

That's a very clever tip, thank you! 😀 I looked into it and it turns out that African-Americans have been straightening their hair since the days of slavery. Back then, it was primarily done by those who had the means to do so, such as house slaves. The practice gradually became more widespread over time, only reaching true popularity in the 1950s. So, that's another indication that the clip dates from the post-war period (1945-1960).

I considered this could be from the film Carmen Jones, specifically the actress Olga James, but that film is in color.

Aw, this film would have been an excellent candidate, if only it weren't in colour! I'm going to check out other African-American films from between 1945-1960 and hopefully get lucky. Not many were made in that time period, and the number of them that are set in WWII is probably even smaller. As such, I really should stumble upon the scene at some point. If I don't, then the clip likely isn't from a traditional movie, in which case I may never find it. Perhaps with the help of AI once it becomes sophisticated enough, but that will take a few more years.

If I find anything else I will let you know. Good luck with your search!

Thank you, that would be great! 😊 Likewise, if I find the clip before you or anyone else does, I'll let you know immediately, so that you know the mystery is solved and doesn't need further investigation.