Der Fuehrer's Face

Okay. We couldn't resist the pleas to run another Donald Duck cartoon from the War. Here you go. Wonderful propaganda.

"Let's Pay Our Taxes to Beat the Axis"

April 15 draws night, and in 1942 the government enlisted the help of Walt Disney's Donald Duck to remind Americans it was their duty to pay up. Donald made $2051 in 1941 and paid $13 to the Feds. Americans responded. To see other WWII savings tips you can visit the blog "Of Course I Can!" that has some ideas useful today, too.

Superman's Japan Smack Down

Disney and Warner Bros. weren't the only studios to turn their cartoon characters against the Axis. Paramount Pictures enlisted Superman to battle dastardly Japan. Here he is in 1942 Yokohama sabotaging their ship building effort. The Japanese are rendered as racial stereotypes - outrageous to us today - but accepted then in the heat of war. Lois Lane is, as usual, in the thick of things. Warner Brothers is releasing the Superman collection from the war years on DVD soon.

Pluto Goes to War

Like the other studios, Walt Disney was front and center in their war effort making training films for the military while continuing to entertain moviegoers. The cartoon Private Pluto released in 1943 is noteworthy for the first appearance of two beloved Disney characters: the chipmunks Chip and Dale.

Whattup Doc?

Bugs Bunny urges 1942 movie-goers to buy war bonds. Sixty-seven years later, age has not lessened the wise-cracking Warner Bros rabbit's appeal, nor his patriotism.

Hollywood on the Brink

Leave it to Looney Tunes animators to capture a pantheon of stars dining at Ciro's, a famous nightclub, in 1941 on the eve of America's entrance into WWII. Jimmy Stewart, the Marx Brothers and Bing Crosby are a few of the stars caricatured. See how many you can identify.