Der Fuehrers Face

[pveticket]

Mods: If you feel this is totally in appropriate please remove it.
I was thinking about putting this in the entertainment section but felt like it belonged in the litter box
As a Jew I am taught the holocaust in Hebrew School and of course Regular school. I was looking through youtube today and found this "educational war video" of Donald Duck during the holocaust. I asked my dad about it and he was telling me this kind of cartoon was normal for the time period it was produced in. So, if you haven't already seen the video, it can be seen at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQruc...related&search=

Be careful though, it may offend some people. I'm not sure weather disney was trying to educate kids about it or use humor to bring down Hitler, like what mel brooks does in the producers.

[Tui]

That is probably the most interesting thing I've seen in awhile, and I would be upset if they took this link down as it is our history.

I find it really interesting to see things like this. Thanks for the link.

[Disneyphile]

It's an excellent short. While very un-PC to today's standards, during its time, it was used as propaganda.

In a way, it's no different than the Southpark episode that featured Bin Laden kissing a camel. (Albeit MUCH less PG-13/R rated.)

[pveticket]

Looking around online...there are a ton of other Disney shorts similar to this

[Wotan]

This, and a number of others from that time period, are on the WD Treasures "On The Front Lines" collection DVD. If you've not seen it, it's pretty good, except for the extended "Victory Through Air Power" which is a bit long.

I wish, however, that the Warner Brothers/Looney Tunes cartoons of that period were available. There are a couple of black-and-white cartoons of Bugs that really went over the top (Bugs throws grenades, says, "Here you are, slant eyes, some scrap iron for Japan"), but probably will never be seen again.

[lazyboy97O]

Originally Posted by Wotan

This, and a number of others from that time period, are on the WD Treasures "On The Front Lines" collection DVD. If you've not seen it, it's pretty good, except for the extended "Victory Through Air Power" which is a bit long.

I must second that On the Front Lines is a great DVD set and everybody here that finds Der Führer's Face interesting should consider finding a copy.

[pveticket]

I wasn't going to say this until I heard other peoples opinions (in case I offended anyone) but I enjoyed the cartoon, and thought it was well...a bit humorous. This is like an early version of "The Producers", I always enjoy when people poke fun at Hitler.

[thejoshualee]

Hitler has been raised to mythical standards by our society, assoiating him with the same fear and respect we give the devil. Hitler has become a synonym with evil, the swastica as well. Why, you don't have to look to far in this very litter box to discover one member calling another a nazi as an ultimate insult.
I think this cartoon is very interesting because it strips away all that stuff and gives us a perspective of how people "back then" viewed Hitler. Granted, back when this cartoon was made we had no idea about the concentration camps and the like.
Could you imagine the backlash if Disney made a cartoon that made fun of Osama or Saddam today? Wow.... South Park can get away with it alright.
I suppose it's the basic shift of demographics that Disney cartoons have gone through. This cartoon was most likely a short to be shown before a movie and would have been followed by a "Victory at Sea" type news reel. Adults were the main audience.
I'm glad to see this cartoon up. It gives us some perspective of history without the distortion of time.

[Brain Toad]

Some of the propaganda from that era is really interesting stuff. Especially when done by people we associate now so much with childhood (Disney, Dr. Suess, Looney Toons)

I have seen another Disney short which tells the story of a young german boy growing up in Nazi Germany. If it's not already on YouTube, I can try and upload it.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=CXGz3dVi-vk

There it is.

[Momzilla59]

"Education for Death" - a very powerful propaganda bit.
I've always found WW2 vintage cartoons interesting. It's hard to imagine that Hollywood had to Try to stir up anti German or Japanese sentiment.

[Hilsbro]

pveticket....i remember telling you about this a while ago....maybe I forgot to...lol

[Morrigoon]

If you haven't gotten the "On the Front Lines" Treasures set, you really should. There's some fascinating historical artifacts in that set, IMHO.

[thejoshualee]

Does anyone else notice the similairty between the ending sequences of "Education for Death" and the Be Prepared portion of "The Lion King"?

[Hilsbro]

wow...that is creepy

[disneytim]

Der Fuerher's Face was a HUGE hit in 1942 and went on to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. In the midst of World War II, it absolutely reflected the public sentiment of the time.