disney nazi film "Der Fuehrer's Face"

[wuggles451]

well i first heard of this after surfing painfulcinema.com, by chance i happened upon it while searching for music videos on KazAa.... Donald Duck lives in Naziland where virtually everything is shaped like a swaztika. He eats stale bread and hides coffee and reads Mein Kemf...then he goes to work at a shell factory all day and all night to work for the fuehrer. I couldnt figure out if this was pro or anti nazi the dialog being english and the song lyrics would suggest anti, but the imagery and the constent heil Hitlers confused...after everybody and everything inanimate objects included salutes hitler Donald wakes up in the good ol' U. S of A. I guess it was a nightmare Wow this is something that needs to be seen to believe... shocking.

[Chris K.]

If you know your Walt Disney history as much as I do, during World War 2 the U.S. Government took charge of Disney's company and forced the studio to make American propoganda cartoons aimed at the pro-America/pro-war audience. This is quite true and by looking at DER FUEHRER'S FACE it is definately propoganda at it's wildist. Of course it was nowhere near as funnier than the Donald Duck cartoon that was about paying taxes during World War 2. It's message: if you don't pay your tazes to Uncle Sam, you turn into Hitler. And thus showed Donald turning into Hitler for a few moments. Is this American propoganda at it's craziest or what!

However, I thought DER FUEHRER'S FACE won an Academy Award for Best Animated Short. If so, THAT'S UNBELIEVABLE! The Academy should now take it back: the animation is good, but it's still a bad propoganda cartoon. Apparently, Disney seems reluctant on releasing this baby on DVD. Can you blame them?

[Ash]

The best WW2 toon that I can think of off the top of my head is the Bugs Bunny one with the gremlin.

I love it at the end when the plane stops inches from the ground and the gremlin says.."Sorry folks...we ran out of gas!"

haha!



Post Edited (07-03-03 23:12)

[Vermin Boy]

It should also be noted that this cartoon's theme song was the breakthrough hit for Spike Jones & His City Slickers (though the version in the cartoon is slightly different from the one on the record). I have that cartoon lying around somewhere; I got it in a trade when I was 14 and on a Spike Jones kick, and I think I was a little taken aback by the imagery.

And yeah, I'm pretty sure it was anti-Nazi; somehow I doubt a pro-Hitler song would have become an American gold record during World War 2.

[Chris K.]

Vermin Boy wrote:

> And yeah, I'm pretty sure it was anti-Nazi; somehow I doubt a
> pro-Hitler song would have become an American gold record
> during World War 2.

Anti-Nazi yes, but DER FUEHRER'S FACE is still an American propoganda cartoon and their is no mistake about it (i.e., I don't think the Germans were being forced to eat moldy bread and read 'Mein Kampf'). And let's not forget about that one with Donald in which if you don't pay your taxes, you'll turn into Hitler! Anti-Nazi yes, but it's still American propoganda with not doubt about it. Gasp, shock, and shudder: you'll turn into Adolf Hitler, the Furher himself, if you don't pay taxes! Give me a break; how did people actually fall for that one. Hey I know some people who don't want to pay taxes, and they are not turing into Hitler.

These World War 2 cartoons, of course, we basically made to "make fun" of the enemy and show that it was not wrong to kill them due to their cartoonish satire. For example, try to get a copy of the rare Bugs Bunny cartoon BUGS NIPS THE NIPS and you will see what I mean: the Japanese are portayed as short dudes that have bucked teeth and wear Coke-bottle eyeglasses, and when Bugs goes in for battle it's shown as if war can be fun and that their is no problem in killing the enemy. Is this not propaganda? It sure comes close to it.

Yet by looking at these cartoons, they should be looked at as historical pieces of war propoganda and just as that. They are relics of the past that need to be taken with a grain of salt. The cartoons are still funny when they play in their "normal" phase, but their shocking racial stereotypes and heavy pro-America "patriotisim" (which is being shown in a way wrong light in these cartoons when looking at it now) make them seem like a terrible romp in the park that is quite difficult to see through.

Also a special note for ASHTHECAT, that one Bugs Bunny episode that you mentioned about the gremlin originally had a scene of Bugs making racist comments towards the Japanese. Though the scene was in the original release prints, when the cartoon was re-issued later on after World War 2 was over the scene was removed from the release prints. The cut version is the most common one that is seen today. Just thought you would like to know, so go to your local bootlegger and get an uncut copy. I know I'm looking for one as I am quite interested in seeing the scene.

[Chris K.]

Chris K. wrote:

> (i.e., I don't think the Germans were being forced to eat moldy bread
> and read 'Mein Kampf').

Please excuse the this one comment I accidentally typed down. It doesn't really prove my point at all, so ignore this one statement.

Menatal note to myselfself: type, proofread and then post.

[Vermin Boy]

Oh, I know it was propaganda. I was mainly responding to Wuggles' original post, where he expressed confusion as to the cartoon's intent.

[wuggles451]

i think i was just overwelmed by the imagery...but it becomes blatantly obvious that this is a pro- American cartoon when donald wakes up wearing red white and blue pajamas  then hugs the statue of libery and says "i sure am proud to be a citizen of the United States of America"

[Neville]

Haven't seem any of those, but I remember some Superman cartoons (made by Fleischer, father of filmmaker Richard Fleischer maybe?) where the villains were a band of nazis. From what I remember, they were quite good. Don't know if they were made for propaganda or not.

[wuggles451]

If your interested I found a number of the cartoons mentioned here on KazAa (if you have it) i simply searched banned cartoons

[Chris K.]

I just recently heard about this cartoon TOKIO JOKIO (take a wild guess on what the title pronouciation is making fun of). Apparently, it's pretty damn wild stuff. The cartoon is basically a newsreel about Tokyo being shown as a joke.

[sideorderofninjas]

I know it doesn't have to do with "Der Fuehrer's Face".  But the cartton commericial where the Flintstones promote Winston cigarettes is pretty surreal...

[BoyScoutKevin]

To get back to what Neville said. The Superman cartoons were made by pioneer animator Max Fleischer, who was indeed the father of director Richard Fleischer. There was also another one called "Japoteurs," which is rarely seen today. Maybe because it is so blatantly propagandistic. ,  The whole series is quite good and worth checking out (IMHO) As a side note, the voice of Superman was provided by Bud Collyer, who was the host of the long running game show, "To Tell the Truth."

[pamela paulsen-shearheart]

it may be a myth that this anti-german film won an oscar, but it could be true.  after all the oscars were started by jews, since the jews then and now run the film industry.  this is not news, but many want to disbelieve it.

[nobody]

I have a ton of these banned cartoons and commercials, as well as other nostalgia vids, on my computer. I collect the stuff. It's a hobby of mine. They definitely give you a strange feeling while watching them- as if you're looking at material from 'bizarro earth'.