Recently, I’ve been pulling ideas for my posts from the 1940’s. Not that I intended to develop a theme, but I love it when a plan comes together. It’s Wacky Wednesday!; however, the idea behind this short film is not a wacky one, I just happened to really enjoy this cartoon and the message it delivers. I hope you will too.
Starring Donald Duck, der Fuehrer's Face is a 1943 animated cartoon by the Walt Disney Studios. It was released as an anti-Nazi propaganda piece for the American war effort. Not only did this film win the 1943 Academy Award for Animated Short Film, it was also voted #22 of the 50 Greatest Cartoons of all time by members of the animation field.
This wartime cartoon was directed by Jack Kinney and features the hit song de Fuehrer’s Face written by Oliver Wallace and performed by Spike Jones and his City Slickers (reference: Cocktails for Two).
It has been said; Disney kept der Fuehrer's Face out of general circulation since its original release until it finally received an official U.S. video release in 2004. The reason for this was the propagandistic nature of the short and the depiction of Donald Duck as a Nazi (albeit a reluctant one).
During World War II, film audiences were looking for brasher, edgier cartoon characters. And, I believe, Disney delivered.
Spoiler alert! Poor Donald! He always catches all the crap. I love when he is cussing while working on the shells. Then snaps. Only to wake up from that horrible nightmare
ReplyDeleteThe whole thing was very funny. Very fitting for this wacky Wednesday
If someone made a cartoon like that today about Kim Jong Il or Bin Laden, it would be deemed insensitive or racist or something. We could do with a bit of propaganda against the enemy.
ReplyDeleteDoesn't it make you wonder why there is such control over what/when/why things are "released" for public consumption? Fans of DD would laugh at anything D does.
ReplyDeleteI actually have a huge collection of Warner Brother cartoons and many WWII propoganda toons. For te time, it's edgy stuff. In one of my fave Daffy Ducks there is a poster of a topless women in the Bg in one scene.
ReplyDeleteWhich is harder to understand:
ReplyDeleteDonald Duck or Germany's fascination with Techno?
Discuss.
Let's face it, Donald Duck could very well have been spitting out Nazi rhetoric for most of his career and no one would be the wiser.
ReplyDeleteNot many know about the spin-off where Huey, Duey, and Luey starred as Hitler Youth building airplanes...it was riveting stuff.
ReplyDeleteI love politically incorrect cartoons!! That is why I watch the boomerang channel. They have the best cartoons...MGM..Barney Bear..you should check it out!
ReplyDeleteI did not know this about Donald!
ReplyDeleteGood toon about propaganda and government control. Felt sorry for Donald. Kept wishing he would have made "The Great Escape".
ReplyDeleteI love it !!! Stuff you don't see anymore..ever..
ReplyDelete@ dizzblnd - I'm glad you enjoyed it. I don't believe this was Donald's first nor last cartoon where he was cussing...but, how would we know? LOL!
ReplyDelete@ John J Savo - Hear, hear. I'm with you!
@ SuZen - I guess, following the war, there were "feelings" that were being spared. Oh, please, we don't want to hurt the Nazi's feelings. Pfft.
@ AlanTru - I have managed to find some of these on YouTube, they are awesome.
@ moooooog35 - Germany's fascination with Techno. I don't understood it.
@ Shawn - I agree, just what was he saying? I'll have to give Donald a few more views.
@ Stickman - Wow, I'll have to check that out.
@ The Hussy - I had forgotten about Barney Bear. My satellite channel doesn't have Boomerang. I'll check YouTube.
@ Lidian - It was a surprise to me too. And, of course, it being kept on the shelf for 60 years didn't help.
@ Kelly - He was working "Fast and Furious". Didn't Hitler use Meth to "motivate" his troops?
I don't know about the Meth. Heh heh. All I know is, is that I wish that crazy duck could have escaped to the states for a piece of "American Pie". Oh- ho ho ho.
ReplyDelete@ dani c - I love it too, so much that I want more!
ReplyDelete@ Kelly - And to live the American dream on "Arlington Road".