Der Fuehrer's Face (1942)

Writers:

Release Date:

1 January 1943 (USA)

Genre:

Family | Short | War | Animation | Comedy

Tagline:

The picture from which the song sensation was taken!

Plot:

Donald Duck has a nightmare that he lives in Germany slaving under the Nazi regime.

Plot Keywords:

Nazi | Donald Duck | Duck | Marching | Marching Band

Awards:

Won Oscar.

Cast

Clarence Nash

...

Donald Duck (voice) (uncredited)

Also Known As:

Donald Duck in Nutzi Land (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

8 min

Country:

USA

Language:

German | English

Colour:

Colour (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Approved | UK:U

Company:

Walt Disney Productions

Trivia:

Originally called "Donald in Nutziland," the title was changed after the success of the song "Der Fuhrer's Face".

Quotes:

Nazi: [at the factory] Attention, workers! Through the kindness of der Fuehrer, now comes the vacation mit pay.
[a backdrop of the Alps falls down behind Donald in the factory]
Nazi: Ach, the beautiful Alps, mit the birds und the beautiful scenery. Not forgetting to build up the body so we can work harder for der Feuhrer. Heil Hitler.
[Donald does various hand movements, forming a swastika with them, as the Nazi says:]
Nazi: One, two, three, heil! One, two, three, heil! One, two, three, heil! One, two, three, heil!
[the backdrop then rises back up]
[...]

Movie Connections:

Featured in Pearl Harbor (2001)

Soundtrack:

Der Fuehrer's Face

What a Nightmare!

I once heard that Disney's marketing department was concerned about how Mickey Mouse was depicted in 1995's Runaway Brain, because Mickey's brain was switched with an evil brain, making Mickey a rampaging villain in the cartoon. I wonder what they would think if they had to market Der Fuehrer's Face with Donald Duck wearing a Nazi uniform and, at one point, resembling Hitler. Of course, this isn't the real Donald (as it wasn't the real Mickey in Runaway Brain); it was all a bad dream for Donald. However, the image alone of Donald in `Nutzi Land' is somewhat shocking.

Nevertheless, Der Fuehrer's Face exhibits some of the greatest gags I've seen in any cartoon. In Donald's nightmare, he has to do some odd exercises that contort his body into a swastika-like shape. His cuckoo clock bird looks like Hitler as he comes out of the clock doing a Heil Hitler salute. And poor Donald is forced to work in an ammunition factory where he has to salute Hitler every time he sees his picture, which is about after every other ammunition shell. It's just so surprising to seeing Hitler and the Nazis being made fun of in this way, in a cartoon no less, you can't help but laugh.

Finally Donald wakes up in his red, white, and blue pajamas and is relieved to see his Statue of Liberty souvenir and realizing he's always lived in the `good, old United States of America.' This cartoon is really quite a sight to see. It makes fun of the enemy, gives people a good laugh, and displays some great patriotism. A great cartoon, in my opinion, even if it borders on controversial nowadays. It's a product of its time, and it's just a fine piece of entertainment.

My IMDb Rating: 10/10