American Propaganda in Second World War Animation: Disney Recruits

Dr. Luke Robinson and Dr. Ian Brookes – W51101 Analyse any one film or group of films in relation to its social and ideological context. Support your answer with reference to at least two primary sources. American Propaganda in Second World War Animation: Disney Recruits Student ID Number: 2115028 2-12-2013 Student ID Number: 2115028 Film History 1: W51101 2/12/2013 American Propaganda in Second World War Animation: Disney Recruits By the United States was deeply embroiled in the Second World War and the Walt Dis ey “tudio as ea ly e ti ely o upied ith p odu i g fil s fo the a effo t. ‘oe 2011, p.15) Although Disney was making animated defense films with an instructional meaning for the Canadian government, it as t u til the atta k o Pea l Ha o McEvoy 1942; Grainge, Jancovich and Monteith 2012) that Walt began to employ his popular friends such as Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck (McEvoy 1942). Hollywood was constantly producing propagandist motion-pictures during the Second World War with the intention of supporting the Allies in their fight against the Axis Powers and protect the American ideology of freedom (Grainge, Jancovich and Monteith 2012). Disney, a man who is proud of his country, wants to protect it and instead of joining the army, he did what he was best at: producing (McEvoy 1942). He as asked y the U.“. Na y to p odu e fil s fo t ai i g Na y pe so animated ca too el o ai pla e a d ith sou d “tea a ship ide tifi atio oat Willie sa M E oy the light i , p.H . Since the first M Evoy 1942), Disney has made enormous successes with his animated friends, especially Mickey Mouse (Robbins 1935). As seen in Robbins article in the New York Times of 1935, Disney had established an international audience of eighty-million per week which included audiences in Japan (Miki Kuchi), Germany (Michael Maus) and Italy (Michele Jopolino), who would later on form the Axis Powers. This audience would not only see the animated pictures, but would – with zealous capitalism – buy any item depicting their beloved friend: “hoppe s a y Mi key Mouse sat hels a d ief ases u sti g ith Mi key Mouse soap, candy, playing-cards, bridge favours, hairbrushes, chinaware, alarm clocks and hot-water bottles, wrapped in Mickey Mouse paper, tied with Mickey Mouse ribbon and paid for out of Mi key Mouse pu ses ith sa i gs oa ded i Mi key Mouse a ks. ‘o i s During the thirties, Dis ey s iggest a o plish e t p olife ated i Ge a y, resulting in a nation of Mickey lovers, including Joseph Goebbels and Adolf Hitler: , p“M . I h s he ke de Füh e achtzehn Micky-Maus-Filme zu Weinachten. Er freut sich sehr darüber. Ist ganz glücklich über diesen “ hatz. – Joseph Goe els dia y, Wed esday December 20, Joseph Goe els dia y , cited in Van Der Heyden 2013, p.7). As Grainge, Jancovich and Monteith (2012) note, Goebbels wanted a national German cinema – without import – to express Nazism but was held back by his love of film aesthetics. Student ID Number: 2115028 Film History 1: W51101 2/12/2013 Mickey Mouse will retain his popularity and Walt will take advantage of his creation to put hi to use i A e i a s ideologi al a . Next to this popularity, another reason for using the well- known cartoon animals was capitalism: after the Great Depression, even Walt Disney Studios had its difficulties and since the studio was paid for its government work “hull, a d Wilt 2004, p. 60), making propagandist shorts was an easy choice. Another advantage of recruiting his popular and diverse characters on screen was their needless introduction (Van der Heyden 2013). Van der Heyden (2013) a gues that the ha a te s disti ti e alues ould ep ese t e tai laye s of so iety addressing people directly and as such, Donald was the most important because he represented ost of A e i a s contemporary society: as a labourer of the middle class, paying his taxes and suffering from the Great Depression, he was the ideal character people could sympathise with. Donald had a great influence on the contemporary morals thanks to his amazing will power and lust to survive even in difficult situations, which made him a useful character in propagandist shorts (Van der Heyden 2013). P opaga da is the cause, group or natio a i ated a too ethodi al sp eadi g of ideas i the p o otio of so e “ hull a d Wilt , p. . In analysing propaganda – such as this De Fueh e s Fa e by Walt Disney (CartoonFanClub 2013) – ten aspects, introduced in P opaga da & Pe suasio y Jo ett a d O Do ell (2012), should be looked at. However, in dealing with this cartoon, only some of these aspects involving ideology and goal, context, author, organisation, target audience, techniques and special effects will be dealt with. As any propagandist short, it is made to convince. This Victory Short (Doherty 1993) wanted to convince its audience of the American political agenda which is loving freedom and hating the totalitarian and destructive regimes: The enemy was fascism. The enemy was not the Axis leadership nor all of the Axis-led peoples ut fas ist suppo te s a y he e, at ho e as ell as a oad. G ai ge , Jancovich and Monteith 2012, p.267). These shorts proliferated since 1941, when the Japanese army bombed Pearl Harbor and got America involved in the Second World War (McEvoy 1942; Grainger, Jancovich and Monteith 2012). The war front was located on the European Continent so America fou d itself fa a ay f o the a tual a te o s. As su h it as e e y A e i a s duty to help the real heroes on the continent by pitching in; every aspect of everyday life was to be put to good use in order to win the war (Van Der Heyden 2013). This context ensured the safe producing of anti-Nazism propaganda shorts – something which was impossible in occupied nations. The organisation Walt Disney Studios, which is behind this animated short film is stimulated by the capitalist reason of money, since they are being paid for their propaganda work (Shull and Wilt 2004; Roe 2011). As Grainger, Jancovich and Monteith (2012) have put it, the enemy is the adversaries of democracy everywhere. The technique which made American propagandist cartoons most effective was their use of it a d hu ou , ho e e se ious the su je t ay e “ hull a d Wilt 2004, p.14). Another Student ID Number: 2115028 te h i ue Film History 1: W51101 as the a too s fo us o Ge 2/12/2013 a y: U usual fo a p opaga da sho t to o e t ate almost entirely on the internal affairs of an enemy nation “hull a d Wilt , p. . The a too , supposedly to e a ed Do ald Du k i NutziLa d , ope s so g de Fueh e s Fa e ith the fa ous hi h gave its name to the short film (Van Der Heyden 2013). A band of German, Italian and Japanese soldiers march their way through a landscape made up of Swastika t ees a d fe es to Do ald s ho e. A e i a s ost fa ous Du k salutes Hitler in his sleep (figure 1a) as the a d is si gi g Heil, Heil . The i d i the lo k (figure 1b) salutes Hitler after which Donald is pricked out of bed with a bayonet and once again has to salute the portraits of Hitler, Hirohito and Mussolini (figure 1c). He gets to ead Hitle s Mei Ka pf 1 (figure 1d) and a second later the band marches through his house sweeping up Donald on their way out. Figure 1 Fillm stills : Hitle s i flue e i Der Fuehrer s Face (1942)2 The second scene, i t odu ed y a Ge a oi e sayi g: The Glo ious privilege is yours to be a Nutzi, to work forty-eight hou s a day fo the Fueh e . CartoonFanClub, 2013: 3min 27), starts with a menacing image of the factory (figure 2a) where Donald is lead inside under threat to make ammunition. From then on he has to work extremely hard and every time a portrait of Hitler occurs, Donald has to salute it. Eventually he gets paid vacation which turns out to be a beautiful image of the Alps and a workout to keep the body fit. Donald eventually becomes insane (figure 2b) and yells out I a t sta d it, I goi g uts! (CartoonFanClub, 2013: 6min 19). In the next scene we get a su ealist d ea hi h e ds o ld ith Do ald falli g i to his own bed where he is in a restless sleep. He wakes up in an American themed bedroom (figure 2c) sayi g a the U ited “tates of A e i a Ca too Fa Clu , th o : i I glad to e a itize of . The sho t fil e ds ith a to ato i Hitle s face. (figure 2d) A o . Mein Kampf . Encyclopædia Britannica [Online]. Available: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/373362/Mein-Kampf [accessed 27 November, 2013] 2 From left to right: Figure 1a (1:37), 1b (1:45), 1c (1:57), 1d (3:05) in CartoonFanClub (2013). Walt Disney Cartoons Donald Duck – De Fueh e s Fa e . YouTube [Online]. Available: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=os9SrKSj7Lc [accessed: 23 Novembre 2013] 1 Student ID Number: 2115028 Film History 1: W51101 2/12/2013 Figure 2 Film stills in Der Fuehrer s Face 19423 From the start, Disney used the new technique of sound in his cartoons, from the first “tea oat Willie sta i g Mi key Mouse, to De Fueh e s Fa e sta i g Do ald Du k (McEvoy 1942). I the latte , Walt ade use of Oli e Walla e s so g De Fueh e s Fa e hi h as extremely popular in America (Van Der Heyden 2013). The efo e Walt, efo e the elease of Donald Du k i Nutzila d o Ja ua y the fi st , changed the title to De Fueh e s Fa e (Jones, 2006, cited in Van Der Heyden 2013, p.110). Van Der Heyden (2013) argues that several ironic sentences make fun of the totalitarian regime and the naïve obedience of the Axis Powers towards Hitler. She states a striking example of foolish obedience in line 9 where the caricature of Hirohito – not an ideal Aryan4 supermen because of his Japanese origins – si gs A ya pu e a e supe e ! (Grainger, Jancovich and Monteith 2012; CartoonFanClub, 2013: 1min 03). Other examples of this foolish obedience can be found in line 12 which exemplifies the totalitarian regime in which the Axis Powers a e stu k We ould lea e it if e ould (CartoonFanClub 2013: 1min 14) or in line 15 where the ridiculing of the German accent ha ges Hitle s o der into a dis-o de – because of the bad p o u iatio of this Ca too Fa Clu 2013: 1min 30). Whe de Fueh e says: We is the aste a e , e Heil! Heil! ight i de Fueh e s fa e. Not to love der Fuehrer is a great disgrace, so e Heil! Heil! ight i de Fueh e 's fa e. Whe He Goe els says: We o the o ld a d spa e , 5 we Heil! Heil! right in Herr Goebbels' face. Whe He Gö i g says: They'll e e o this pla e , we Heil! Heil! right in Herr Göring's face. 3 From left to right: Figure 2a (3:25), 1b (6:22), 1c (7:28), 1d (7:45) in CartoonFanClub (2013). Walt Disney Cartoons Donald Duck – De Fueh e s Fa e YouTube [Online]. Available: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=os9SrKSj7Lc [accessed: 23 November 2013] 4 Anon ( . Aryan . Encyclopædia Britannica [Online]. Available : http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/37468/Aryan [Accessed 27 November 2013] Student ID Number: 2115028 Film History 1: W51101 2/12/2013 Is we not the supermen? Aryan pure are supermen! Ja, we is the supermen (super-duper supermen)! 10 Is this Nutsy land so good? Would you leave it if you could? Ja, this Nutsy land is good! We would leave it if we could! We bring the world new order. Heil Hitler's world to order. Everyone of foreign race will love der Fuehrer's face when we bring to the world this orde [diso de ]. Ca too Fa Clu 2013: 0min 24) Whe de Fueh e says: e e e 15 ill e sla es! We heil! Heil! But still we work like slaves When der Fuehrer brags, and lies, and rants and raves We heil! Heil! And work into our graves. (CartoonFanClub 2013: 3min 34) Whe de Fueh e yells: I gotta ha e o e shells! 20 We heil! Heil! And for him we make more shells If un little shell, should blow him right to hell, We heil! Heil! A d ould t that e s ell? CartoonFanClub 2013: 4min 24) 5 America, having difficulty with propaganda due to their emphasis on democracy (Grainger, Jancovich and Monteith 2012), is in the penultimate scene depicted as having several liberal images which are supposed to evoke a positive reaction with its spectators (CartoonFanClub 2013; Van Der Heyden 2013). People were supposed to sympathise with Donald Duck and in the end the audience would feel relieved as they saw their favourite cartoon character safely near its liberal and American relics (Van Der Heyden 2013). This clear political agenda, loving freedom and hating totalitarian egi es, ould e e tually i stigate a d ou ish A e i a s e thusiasm and considerable war effort (Van Der Heyden 2013). The OWI6 as pa ti ula ly o e ed to eate a se se of atio al u ity […] a d the U ited States was represented as a diverse but unified country. In contrast, the Nazis were specifically presented as stern and repressive authoritarians who lacked individuality and e ui ed u 5 uestio i g o fo ity. G ai ge , Ja o i h a d Mo teith , p. . CartoonFanClub (2013). Walt Disney Cartoons Donald Duck – De Fueh e s Fa e . YouTube [Online]. Available: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=os9SrKSj7Lc [accessed: 23 November 2013] 6 The Office of War Information, established on June 13, 1942 (Grainger, Joncovich and Montheith 2012) Student ID Number: 2115028 The ste Film History 1: W51101 2/12/2013 a d ep essi e autho ita ia s (Grainger, Jancovich and Monteith 2012, p.256) are represented in the cartoon in several scenes where Donald is threatened out of bed, threatened to Heil Hitle a d th eate ed to do al ost a ythi g Ca too Fa Clu . The disti tio et ee Nutziland and America is clearly visible through the images applied (CartoonFanClub 2013). In Nutziland there is an abundance of Swastika s7 – on every piece of clothing, on the musical instruments, on the clock, the trees – in contrast to the Ameri a sy ols of Do ald s ed oo which is filled with American flags, stars and stripes and the symbol of freedom : the Statue of Liberty8. The entertainment picture proved to be the easiest way to inject a propagandist idea into people s i ds G ai ge , Ja o ich and Monteith 2012) and Walt saw his chance to shine : Dis ey seems to have been one of the few top executives to grasp the idea that cartoons could be used for politi al as ell as e te tai e t pu poses “ hull a d Wilt Donald Duck and all – a e o ki g o fo U le “a , p. . His whole vast studio – with (McEvoy 1942, p.H8). Although A e i a s democratic politics do not coincide with the idea of propaganda (Grainger, Jancovich and Monteith , M E oy s e spape a ti le i lea ly states He s a p opaga da ge ius p.H . The American population would have been well aware of the subtle propaganda techniques but Hollywood kept their steady level of entertainment present in their motion pictures (Grainger, Jancovich and Monteith 2012). So although pe e t of Dis ey s o k as a - elated (Doherty 1993, p6H8), Disney will keep entertaining in spite of its strong propagandist influence (Schull and Wilt 2004). E te tai e t fo its o sake is i a eya e at the Walt Dis ey studio. Fo the du atio Disney, his great stall of artists and all his characters, old and new, are lighting the war as satirists and educators. The boys have designed some weapons with the moral hitting power of 50- ali e a hi e gu s. Of these, De Fueh e s Fa e […], is likely to ha e the effe t o the pu li . a o 7 , p. D . Anon (2013) s astika . Encyclopædia Britannica [Online]. Available: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/576371/swastika [Accessed 24 November, 2013] 8 Anon ( “tatue of Li e ty . Encyclopædia Britannica [Online]. Available: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/339344/Statue-of-Liberty [Accessed 24 November 2013] idest Student ID Number: 2115028 Film History 1: W51101 2/12/2013 Bibliography Books A o . Dis ey s a tists go to a . Los Angeles Times, Sunday December 6, p. D1. Doherty, Thomas P. (1993). Projections of War: Hollywood, American culture, and World War II. New York: Columbia University Press. Grainge, Paul, Jancovich, Mark and Monteith, Sharon (Eds.) (2012). Film Histories: an introduction and reader. Edinburgh: University Press Ltd. Jo ett, G.“. a d O Do ell, V. . Propaganda and Persuasion. United States of America: Sage Publications. Lenburg, J. (2009). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoon. Third Edition. New York: Infobase Publishing. M E oy, J P ‘o . WALT DI“NEY GOE“ TO WA‘ . The New York Times, July 5, p.H8. i s, L.H. . Mi key ouse e e ges as e o o ist . New York Times, Sunday March 10, p.SM8. ‘oe, B. H. . The Ca adia “ho ts: Esta lishi g Dis ey s Wa ti e “tyle. In B. Van Riper (ed.) (2011), Lear i g fro Mickey, Do ald, a d Walt: Essays o Dis ey s Edutai e t Fil s. Pp. 15-26. Jefferson: McFarland. Shull, Michael S. and Wilt, David E. (2004). Doing Their Bit: Wartime American Animated Short Films, 1939-1945. Jefferson: McFarland. Van Der Heyden, C. (2013). De Gea i eerde Oorlog: Propaga da i teke fil s va Dis ey e NaziDuitsland tijdens de tweede wereldoorlog . MA Dissertation, Universiteit Gent. Van Riper, A. Bowdoin (Ed.) (2011). Lear i g fro edutainment films. Jefferson: McFarland Mickey, Do ald a d Walt: essays o Dis ey s Student ID Number: 2115028 Film History 1: W51101 2/12/2013 Online Sources A o s astika . Encyclopædia Britannica [Online]. Available: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/576371/swastika [Accessed 24 November, 2013] A o “tatue of Li e ty . Encyclopædia Britannica [Online]. Available: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/339344/Statue-of-Liberty [Accessed 24 November 2013] Ca too Fa Clu . Walt Dis ey Ca too s Do ald Du k – De Fueh e s Fa e . YouTube [Online]. Available: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=os9SrKSj7Lc [accessed: 23 November 2013] A o . A ya . Encyclopædia Britannica [Online]. Available : http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/37468/Aryan [Accessed 27 November 2013] A o . Mei Ka pf . Encyclopædia Britannica [Online]. Available: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/373362/Mein-Kampf [accessed 27 November, 2013]