Countdown - 79 Days to Go!
- Jillian Wallin
- Sep 21
- 2 min read
🕰️ 79 Days to Go: Wartime Whimsy and a Touch of Eerie
Over the last few days, we’ve focused on some of the most popular rides at the Disney parks. But for the next ten days, let’s shift gears—into something a little more eerie.
🇺🇸 Disney Goes to War
Walt Disney was a strong proponent of U.S. patriotism during World War II. As the war began, Disney Studios brought the realities of conflict to our beloved Fab Five:
Donald Duck became a U.S. Army recruit
Minnie Mouse recycled bacon grease to make explosives (yes, really!)
Uncle Sam enlisted the whole Disney crew to help explain the ups and downs of wartime life
Apparently, this was low on the FCC’s radar—understandable, considering TVs and cinemas were still luxuries. Bigger fish to fry, indeed.
🏢 Burbank Becomes a Base
According to Smithsonian Magazine, after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Disney Studios lot in Burbank, California, was transformed into a military base. The government ordered Disney to make room for 500 personnel… but far more showed up!
Around the same time, Walt signed a contract with the Navy to produce nearly 20 training films. By 1943, 90% of Disney’s work was tied to the war effort.
🤔 Propaganda or Patriotism?
Despite his contributions, Walt had misgivings about using the Disney brand to push the war effort. As Wallace Deuel of the wartime Coordinator’s Office noted:
“Disney is fearful of being labeled as a propagandist in the public mind, with consequent damage to his reputation as a whimsical, non-political artist.”— Smithsonian Magazine
Still, as theaters closed across Europe and the war intensified, Disney leaned in. To offset the discomfort of profiting from war, the studio created over 1,200 military insignias—a creative way to support the troops.
🎬 The Eerie Side of Animation
So what makes this post eerie?
To truly support the home front, Disney created animated shorts like Der Fuehrer’s Face (1943), a cartoon that satirized Nazi Germany and highlighted its immorality. If you’re like me, you’ve probably never heard of it—let alone seen it. But thanks to the wonders of the internet, I found it on YouTube.
Honestly? It’s one of the creepiest Disney shorts I’ve ever watched. But maybe that’s the blessing of being born in the 1980s—well after these wartime messages were needed.
💬 Have You Seen These?
Have you ever stumbled across any of Disney’s wartime shorts? What did you think? Creepy? Clever? Historically fascinating?
Let’s chat in the comments—I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Resource:
Soloski, A. (2022, November 3). How Disney propaganda shaped life on the home front during WWII. Smithsonian Magazine. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-disney-propaganda-shaped-life-on-the-home-front-during-wwii-180979057/
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