No need for further lengthy, masturbatory prose on the subject from I, as it’s been done. If you consider yourself any kind of fan of classic animation, this needs to be in your library. Here’s a run-down of which of the Snafu shorts require your closest attention, a ‘top ten’ if you will.
Spies (1943, Chuck Jones). Easily one of the greatest Warner cartoons of all time, with its peppy tailing of Snafu as he does himself in. Also has the great gag of a Nazi spy using her tits as a radio device.
The Goldbrick (1943, Frank Tashlin). A fairly morbid warning against being lazy. Tashlin uses some very subtle, stylized ways of animating here, the hardest scene being the above frame where three different characters do three different actions (with little to no holding of the poses).
Fighting Tools (1943, Bob Clampett). The ending is fairly reminiscent of some of those lackluster Lou Lilly scripted cartoons, which try to end ironically but just ends mean. But it’s only reminiscent, because the ending is still funny in spite of it being in a concentration camp. Features one of the best run cycles ever animated (by Rod Scribner).
Rumors (1943, Friz Freleng). The weirdest cartoon I. Freleng ever did. Snafu succumbs to a Seussian epidemic of Rumoritis.
Booby Traps (1944, Clampett). This one almost didn’t make it, because in my opinion, Clampett didn’t take it far enough. There should have been a scene where Snafu tries to fuck one of the decoy girls, and the vaginal wall is lined with acid or rigged with a land mine. Or both. But we can’t have everything.
Snafuperman (1944, Freleng). The opening sequence at Snafu’s bed is some of the best animation Virgil Ross ever did. It’s very elegant and clearly defines the characters without resorting to overacting, while still maintaining massive appeal. The cartoon is also very funny.
Private Snafu Versus Malaria Mike (1944, Jones). Bobe Cannon animated almost all of this cartoon, save two or three scenes. It’s some of the best work he ever did, accomplishing the amazing feat of making Snafu’s ass a character all its own.
Gas (1944, Jones). Another cartoon devoted to a Billy Bletcher voiced, Cannon animated character.
Censored (1944, Tashlin). The charismatic auteur was using camera tricks to cover up breasts long before he directed Jayne Mansfield. It’s another one to add to the list of Tashlin films showcasing his leg fetish, too, since those are given more prominence than the mammaries.
Outpost (1944, Jones). Not to come off as a Cannonphile, but this series really was a moment in the sun for him. Another one that showcases the animator’s gifts, this time in handling pantomime and the female figure. I’m curious if Jones pulled Cannon off of the unit’s theatrical shorts during this period, as he often has the lion’s share of footage in these cartoons, while the amount of Cannon animation done for the home front dropped considerably.
Maybe more thoughts later…
Nice piece. I better go watch.
My favorite out of the SNAFU series was probably the ‘Chow hound’ episode, about rationing food.
You’re right, Bobe Canon contributes haevily to these. Then again, Chuck Jones did more than the other directors all together, so it’s not too much of a surprise.
Excellent list. I still like “Coming Snafu”, mostly due to the striptease fantasy the character has. I will have to go out right away and buy it when I have the money.
As I said elsewhere, classic cartoon set of the year. I liked pretty much all of the cartoons, and the commentaries were welcome.
I find it interesting that, towards the end of the series, they pretty much abandoned the educational aspect and Snafu basically became a typical Looney Tunes cartoon (that’s not necessarily a bad thing, mind you). I’m thinking of “Operation Snafu” and “No Buddy Atoll” specifically. Maybe they explained it on the DVD and I glossed over it, but any reason why this was the case? I assume it was due to the war more or less being over by the time they were starting production on them?