Friday, June 12, 2009

Unsung Treasures: Der Fuehrer's Face

It's Donald Duck's 25th birthday and what way to celebrate it but with one of the more... interesting... chapters in Donald's lifespan:

Der Fuehrer's Face

Also known as the Nazi Donald Duck cartoon, we have a great example of the WW2 propaganda film. A great cartoon, it also has a number of things I'll mention after the clip.



So, what we have here is a disturbing story of Donald being a member of the Nazi war machine and his eventual insanity. The story ends with it all being a dream but this is probably the most effective of all the propaganda cartoons. It's one thing to have Superman getting to "slap a jap." It's another for Donald Duck, a childhood image, living in a potential world of misery. Parts of it are funny but it also has a message. Bugs Bunny may fight Himler but Donald Duck suffered. May Donald's next 75 years go just as good.

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