Behind the Curtain Hero of America in World War II: The Walt Disney Company

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The Walt Disney Company, a prominent contemporary entertainment company, served an important role in United States' 1940s history. Its effort on the world-wide war with Germany and American's livelihood at the wartime could not be ignored. The impact of Disney company through propaganda cartoons, posters, and films were influential to the United States, both front line and home front, during World War II.
Wartime propaganda cartoon produced by Disney compared lives of U.S. and that of the German during World War II. Broadcasting nation-wide, Disney's propaganda cartoons were proved effective on patriotic education, influencing Americans attitude toward enemy country, Germany. One of the most prominent propaganda cartoons is Disney's production of Der Fuehrer's Face. Constructing stressful scenes in wartime Germany, Disney would bring out its educational message by comparing German's lacking freedom and U.S. citizen's free will. The cartoon Der Fuehrer's Face described Donald wakes up and discovers that he became a German soldier. Without much rest, he is immediately sent to the factory, toiling away and screwing war munitions together on a factory assembly line with soldiers looking on. He has to shout "Heil Hitler!" in time with his work, and his hands whirl faster and faster until he goes insane (Der Furher's Face 1942). This portion of the film reinforces the idea of Germany's restricted life during World War II. Germany workers, presenting by Donald in the cartoon, have to work from dawn to dust. through Disney's exaggerating style, the film portrayed life in Germany, under control of Hitler, many must obey the rule and live intense lives. Donald was ordered to do intensive work, while bombarding by broadcast of the superi...

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Works Cited

"Der Furher's Face 1942, Disney." YouTube. YouTube, 27 Mar. 2009. Web. 03 May 2014.
"Don't Be a Job Hopper - WWII Posters at New Hampshire State Library (NHSL)." Don't Be a Job Hopper - WWII Posters at New Hampshire State Library (NHSL). N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Apr. 2014.
"Education For Death - Disney WW2 Propaganda Cartoon (3118)." YouTube. YouTube, 27 Apr. 2009. Web. 04 May 2014.
"The Income Tax: WWII Disney Propaganda." YouTube. YouTube, 28 July 2008. Web. 04 May 2014.
Janke. "Der Fuehrer's Face." Photobucket.com. N.p., 12 Aug. 2005. Web. 10 Mar.
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Lesjak, David. "Disney to the Front." Ctinetworks. LLC, n.d. Web. 9 Mar. 2014.
Silver, Charles. "WHY WE FIGHT: FRANK CAPRA’S WWII PROPAGANDA FILMS." InsideOut. N.p., 7 June 2011. Web. 04 May 2014.
Tvrogersjr-1, and ,donrogers42. "Here Is Germany (1945)." IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 04 May 2014.

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