Posted on Aug 28, 2015
"Watch This 'Dirty' Movie Army Vet, Dr. Seuss, Made for World War II"
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Private Snafu in "Censored.", 1944
Help us caption and translate this video on Amara.org: http://amara.org/en/videos/MpwD2F888urE/info/private-snafu-in-censored-1944/ Creator(s): Department of...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=225&v=xltO0Xcdm1s
From: The SITREP
During World War II, the United States Army Air Corps (which would later break off and form its own branch — i.e. the U.S. Air Force we know and love today) had a “First Motion Picture Unit”. A unit devoted entirely to make films (some might label them “propaganda” but nonetheless) that would in theory boost morale and the collective spirit of the American people during turbulent and often meager wartime conditions.
The First Motion Unit wasn’t a ragtag outfit, either. It was essentially an all-star team, assembled to kick ass and take names when it came to the art of movies and their ability to invoke catharsis, persuasion and overall entertainment — with a purpose.
Wait until you hear this lineup, via Esquire:
It’s a Wonderful Life director Frank Capra spearheaded the initiative. He created the cartoon character named “Private Snafu” to teach soldiers everything from security, to proper sanitation habits, to Nazi booby traps. Veteran animator Chuck Jones directed the shorts, with Bugs Bunny voice actor Mel Blanc providing Snafu’s vocals. And for dialogue, Capra turned to none other than Army Captain Theodor Geisel, a.k.a. Dr. Seuss.
That was the supergroup. With Geisel on drums. Err, words. And oh was he versatile. Far from the cutesy, playful rhyming he would cement his legacy with through children’s books that are as timeless and cherished in the American lexicon as the works of Twain, Hemingway or Faulkner — “Dr. Seuss” exercised a whole different set of creative muscles with the Snafu cartoons, at the direct request of Capra himself.
What did the legendary director want? He wanted dirty. He wanted crude. He wanted sex. He wanted “busty Nazi spies” and the like. And oh, did our man Seuss deliver.
https://military.id.me/community-news/watch-these-dirty-movies-army-vet-dr-seuss-made-for-world-war-ii/
Take a look at the example below — courtesy of the National Archives:
From: The SITREP
During World War II, the United States Army Air Corps (which would later break off and form its own branch — i.e. the U.S. Air Force we know and love today) had a “First Motion Picture Unit”. A unit devoted entirely to make films (some might label them “propaganda” but nonetheless) that would in theory boost morale and the collective spirit of the American people during turbulent and often meager wartime conditions.
The First Motion Unit wasn’t a ragtag outfit, either. It was essentially an all-star team, assembled to kick ass and take names when it came to the art of movies and their ability to invoke catharsis, persuasion and overall entertainment — with a purpose.
Wait until you hear this lineup, via Esquire:
It’s a Wonderful Life director Frank Capra spearheaded the initiative. He created the cartoon character named “Private Snafu” to teach soldiers everything from security, to proper sanitation habits, to Nazi booby traps. Veteran animator Chuck Jones directed the shorts, with Bugs Bunny voice actor Mel Blanc providing Snafu’s vocals. And for dialogue, Capra turned to none other than Army Captain Theodor Geisel, a.k.a. Dr. Seuss.
That was the supergroup. With Geisel on drums. Err, words. And oh was he versatile. Far from the cutesy, playful rhyming he would cement his legacy with through children’s books that are as timeless and cherished in the American lexicon as the works of Twain, Hemingway or Faulkner — “Dr. Seuss” exercised a whole different set of creative muscles with the Snafu cartoons, at the direct request of Capra himself.
What did the legendary director want? He wanted dirty. He wanted crude. He wanted sex. He wanted “busty Nazi spies” and the like. And oh, did our man Seuss deliver.
https://military.id.me/community-news/watch-these-dirty-movies-army-vet-dr-seuss-made-for-world-war-ii/
Take a look at the example below — courtesy of the National Archives:
Video
Celebrities
WWII World War Two
Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 6
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This is awesome! I love Private Snafu. I had no idea that it was Dr. Seuss who did these.
LTC Stephen F. GySgt Wayne A. Ekblad SGT (Join to see) SSG James J. Palmer IV aka "JP4"
LTC Stephen F. GySgt Wayne A. Ekblad SGT (Join to see) SSG James J. Palmer IV aka "JP4"
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PO3 Steven Sherrill
SSG James J. Palmer IV aka "JP4" - The year Mel Blanc died, I saw this at a Warner Brothers store. It is a beautiful tribute to a great entertainer.
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
The Closest to Theodor Geisel pre WWII Political Cartoons today would be the work of Mark Fiore.
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