Disney Overnight Transformation Essay

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Disney’s Overnight Transformation: From Family-Oriented Entertainment to Wartime Propoganda

INTRODUCTION
The Second World War had a tremendous effect in broadening the horizons of American animation. Before the war, animation was widely seen as a form of children’s entertainment. However, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii marked a turning point in the utility people derived from animation. The Army began working with animation studios in producing films promoting the war effort on the home front, and these films were often intended to boost public morale. The ridicule and crude humor characteristic of many of these propaganda films allowed ordinary Americans to channel their anger and frustration. While some of the films were intended for nothing more than pure entertainment, others were deliberately created to set a certain public mood, usually one that elicited strong patriotism. Disney, in particular, was a major player in bolstering the war effort on the home front during this time. The US Army, in 1941, began working directly with Walt Disney in his studio in California to create films boosting morale. Disney, in conjunction with the Army, created films for different audiences, with some films created for troops (most often informational) and some for the general public (typical propaganda).
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de Severesky’s 1942 novel, “Victory Through Air Power.” In the novel, an American citizen of Russian heritage wins the war by employing the use of long-range strategic bomber force. Because it seemed to work so well in the novel, Walt Disney thought it was his patriotic responsibility to mass-market the strategy of using long-range strategic bombing. Winston Churchill, the British war-time prime minister, was able to convince US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt to see the film. Roosevelt then ordered the United States Air Force to employ the use of long-range bomber airplanes and

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