Donald Ducks Patriotic Duty

 

In 1942 Disney released a propaganda film for the American Government to encourage people to do something which was considered essential to the US’ war effort. The film begins with an upbeat song which calls upon America to pull together and show the World their Yankee Doddle spirit, ending with Donald Duck saluting with Star Spangled Banners rising in his eyes. The radio then goes on to discuss the new spirit in American, “a spirit of a free people united again in a common cause to stamp tyranny from the Earth” all signified by Donald Ducks disgust that “our very shores have been attacked,” referring to the Pearl Harbour attack of December 7^th 1941 which united the country. It is clear that Donald Duck is willing to do his part and after the radio tells him that role he is about to announce won’t get him a medal, will mean a sacrifice and will be a vital of help. This all results in Donald Duck begging the radio to tell him what this duty is and how he can contribute to the war effort. Well what could it be, a role of vital importance that will help stamp tyranny from the world? To fight in the Navy? To join the workforce? No, rather Donald Duck needs to pay his income tax…

 

The Second World War became a period of US history where citizens were happy and indeed proud to pay their taxes in knowledge that it would support the war effort in the fight against the Axis powers. The radio/ narrator continues by talking Donald Duck through his tax return, accompanied by his typically Disney stationary characters, full of wit and humour. For the remainder of ‘The Spirit of 1942’ film, after Donald Duck has eagerly taken his tax return to Washington, the narrator then shows how Donald Ducks and the audiences taxes will be used to bury, sink and ‘beat to earth the evil destroyer of freedom and peace.’ In the end after the destruction of the ‘evil’ axis war machine the film shows a powerful display of nationalism and patriotism. As the silhouettes of tanks, guns and aircraft move across the screen the camera pans to a sunset sky, with the clouds striped and red while in the top left corner the clouds have cleared to show the stars of the night sky, of course to show the star spangled banner. The narrator then gives a stirring speech reiterating Roosevelt’s and the US’ four key war aims, freedom of Speech, of worship, freedom of want and fear, and the final crescendo to this patriotic film campaign, ‘taxes will keep Democracy on the march!’