Product Details

• Actors: Alexander de Seversky, Art Baker, Billy Mitchell, Clarence Nash, Adolf Hitler
• Directors: Ben Sharpsteen, Bill Justice, Bill Roberts, Clyde Geronimi, Ford Beebe
• Format: Animated, Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0)
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 2
• Rated: G (General Audience)
• Studio: Walt Disney Video
• DVD Release Date: May 18, 2004
• Run Time: 210 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (75 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0000BWVAH
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #32,689 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• Learn more about "Walt Disney Treasures - On the Front Lines" on IMDb

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

World War II transformed the Disney Studio. Although nearly one-third of the artists had been drafted, production quintupled, up to 95% of it for military and government uses. Some of the films included in On the Front Lines have not been seen since their initial release; others were never shown to the general public. Anticipating the importance of animated training films, Disney produced the studio's first educational film, "Four Methods of Flush Riveting" (1941), using limited animation to train riveters at Lockheed. Decades later, "Four Methods" and the excerpts from military training films remain models of how to present information clearly and concisely.

Many of the wartime entertainment shorts are largely propaganda. Donald's nightmare of working on a Nazi assembly line in "Der Fuehrer's Face" is still hilarious slapstick. The grimmer "Education for Death" and "Chicken Little" have aged less gracefully. Disney's oddest wartime project was Victory Through Air Power (1943), a live action/animation feature based on Major Alex de Seversky's controversial book that called for the adoption of long-range bombers. By the time it was finished, air power was a reality.

Front Lines also includes several health films made for the Office of Inter-American Affairs, and bond-buying shorts for Canada that reuse animation from Snow White and "Three Little Pigs." This collection of genuine rarities is a must-have for anyone interested in the history of animation, the Disney Studio, or America during WWII. (Rated G, suitable for ages 10 and older: violence, ethnic stereotypes, tobacco use) --Charles Solomon

Product Description

On December 8, 1941, the Disney Studio was taken over by the military as part of the war effort. Making the most of the talent that hadn't shipped out yet, Walt Disney spent the next four years creating and producing training, propaganda, and educational films for the Armed Forces. In addition to these films, this extraordinary volume also includes the full-length feature "Victory Through Air Power." Released theatrically in 1943, this powerful propaganda film has never been reissued until now. You'll also see recently discovered on-the-set footage, and get rare firsthand accounts about the work and culture at the Disney Studio in interviews with Disney Legends Joe Grant, John Hench, and Roy Disney. Featuring exclusive introductions by film historian Leonard Maltin, this is a timeless collection from generations past for generations to come.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

200 of 205 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars DIFFICULT BUT CREATIVE ERA FOR DISNEY October 5, 2003

By Jerry Edwards

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The years that the probable contents were released, as well as some info on the various works.

FILMS

1943
VICTORY THROUGH AIR POWER - This film was basically propaganda with some entertainment and some powerful animation. Mainly championed Major Seversky's 1942 book of the same title with the theory that long-range air power could defeat the WWII enemies. The scene of an American eagle attacking the Japanese octopus is very powerful, moving animation.

ENTERTAINMENT/PROPAGANDA SHORTS

1942
DONALD GETS DRAFTED-always enjoyed the idea of Donald reporting to the draft board in his sailor suit.
THE ARMY MASCOT-Pluto schemes to take over the job of a mascot goat, with hilarious results.
THE VANISHING PRIVATE-Donald goes crazy with invisible paint, leading to war with his sergeant Pete, with a perfect, funny ending.
SKY TROOPER-Donald wants to be a pilot, and his sergeant Pete gives him more than Donald bargained for.

1943
DER FUEHRER'S FACE-the famous and infamous cartoon in which Donald dreams he is in Naziland where he is forced to work in a munitions plant.
EDUCATION FOR DEATH-very strong propaganda about Germany's totalitarian state which turns an innocent young boy into a robotic soldier.
PRIVATE PLUTO-Pluto has a war with the chipmunks in guarding the area.
FALL OUT - FALL IN-Donald experiences some of the trials of Army life, such as super-long hikes.
REASON AND EMOTION-entertainment and propaganda used in a story about reason and emotion working together for the war effort, enjoyable animation.
VICTORY VEHICLES-Goofy shows off alternate transportation due to the wartime rubber and gasoline shortage, settling on the pogo stick.
THE OLD ARMY GAME-Sergeant Pete catches Donald sneaking back into base after a late night on the town, leads to a merry chase.
HOME DEFENSE-Donald's nephews conflict with Donald after he sleeps during his duty of watching for enemy attack.
CHICKEN LITTLE-The classic "the sky is falling" story, originally planned to have more wartime references.

1944
HOW TO BE A SAILOR-Goofy's story of the history of sailors, ending with him using himself as a torpedo to sink Japanese ships.
COMMANDO DUCK-Donald is sent on a suicide mission to wipe out an entire Japanese air base, with hilarious results.

EDUCATIONAL SHORTS

* = Created for Canada to sell their war bonds.

** = CIAA films (Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs) created to combat the German Nazy influence that was widespread in Latin American in the early 1940s.

1941
THE THRIFTY PIG * - animation from Three Little Pigs cartoon adapted, with the Big Bad Wolf wearing a Nazi hat and armband.
THE SEVEN WISE DWARFS * - animation from Snow White adapted to show dwarfs buying war bonds.

1942
DONALD'S DECISION * - uses animation from 1938 Donald Duck cartoons "Donald's Better Self" and "Self Control" to convince Donald to buy war bonds.
ALL TOGETHER * - uses animation from several sources, including The Band Concert (1935) and Mickey's Amateurs (1937) to show several Disney characters in a parade to sell war bonds.
THE NEW SPIRIT - Donald is encouraged to pay his income tax to help the war effort.
FOOD WILL WIN THE WAR - Stresses the importance of farmers to the war effort. Includes the Three Little Pigs leading a long line of pigs.
OUT OF THE FRYING PAN INTO THE FIRING LINE - Minnie & Pluto star in an effort to show how important it was for housewives to save kitchen fats and greases for the war effort.

1943
THE GRAIN THAT BUILT A HEMISPHERE ** - Tells the history of corn and its importance to the world.
THE SPIRIT OF '43 - Donald Duck resists Nazi propaganda and pays his taxes to support the war effort.
WHE WINGED SCOURGE ** - The Seven Dwarfs point out ways to defeat the malaria-carrying mosquito.
DEFENSE AGAINST INVASION ** - Shows the human body's ability to fight off germs through vaccination.

1945
CLEANLINESS BRINGS HEALTH ** - The difference between the Clean Family that is happy and healthy and the Careless Family that is unhappy and unhealthy.
WHAT IS DISEASE ** - Shows what causes disease and how to protect against disease.

1946
PLANNING FOR GOOD EATING ** - Careless Charlie is used to teach a family about good dietary habits.

TRAINING FILMS

1942
FOUR METHODS OF FLUSH RIVETING - basic animation for education purposes
STOP THAT TANK (BOYS ANTI-TANK RIFLE) - a great deal of live action but fun, enjoyable animation of Hitler being blown to Hell by the rifle

1942-1945?
TRAINING FILM MONTAGE - A selection of scenes from various training films, I assume.

There are a few war-related entertainment shorts not listed here - one or more might be added to this collection instead of what is listed above.

1943
DONALD'S TIRE TROUBLE - most likely short. Donald has continual trouble with flat tires due to the wartime shortage of rubber.
PLUTO AND THE ARMADILLO - small connection to the wartime. Short releated to the Latin Armerica trip and the Saludos Amigos and The Three Caballeros films developed from that trip.

1944
THE PELICAN AND THE SNIPE - same info as for Pluto and the Armadillo.

1945
DOG WATCH - Pluto is a watchdog for a Navy ship.

The war years were a demanding time for the Disney Company. Most of their meager resources were devoted to the war effort. But this era contained a great deal of creative effort that might not have existed if not for the war.

I have seen most of these war works, and I consider them fascinating and among the best of all of Disney's work. I much look forward to owning them on DVD.

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars This is what the Disney Treasures Collection was made for! January 31, 2006

By Monty Moonlight VINE™ VOICE

In the early 1940s, when the United States joined a second World War against the forces of evil, it was important that all Americans did their part. Walt Disney was no exception, and he and his artists took on the task fearlessly! This significant entry into the Walt Disney Treasures Collection limited-edition DVD line compiles the Disney Studios' war-themed animated shorts from that era along with the feature film "Victory Through Air Power," which is accompanied by some great interviews, galleries, and training film samples and clips. Much of this brilliant material has gone unseen since the 1940s, making this set a "Must Have" for Disney and WWII buffs all over! Here's a run through of what you'll find in this Disney dream-come-true!

Disc 1

Propaganda and Entertainment Shorts:

This is the first of three sections into which the shorts of disc one are divided. Each section is kicked off with a nice intro by film critic and historian Leonard Maltin, whom we can thank for this wonderful Disney Treasures DVD series. Leonard puts each group of films into proper historical context for the viewers, hands out viewer warnings when necessary, and often gives nice details about individual films. Leonard also provides an introduction to both discs in each Disney Treasures 2-disc collection.

"Donald Gets Drafted" (1942) - In our first short, one of the funniest in this group, Donald gets a first hand lesson in what it's really like to join the army. The short begins with Donald, draft card in hand and dreams of flying military aircrafts in his head, getting jazzed up on the idea of being a soldier from the alluring advertisements on the sidewalk. Many feature 1940's style pinup girls fawning over the new recruits, and who could resist that? If women like Priscilla Lane were around today and doing military ads, I'd join-up right now! Or, at least, I'd be tempted. As Donald enters the recruiting office, he is immediately put through a hilarious physical examination and uniform fitting, and the Duck is in! He gets a nasty wakeup call, however, when he meets his new drill sergeant, Pete!

"The Army Mascot" (1942) - Pluto is sniffing around outside an army camp when he notices how extraordinarily well fed two mascot dogs are! Pluto immediately disguises himself as the third mascot, Gunther Goat, in hopes of receiving a juicy steak of his own. To Pluto's dismay, he instead receives a pile of empty tin cans for dinner. What's worse, Gunther catches Pluto in the act and quickly retaliates. Pluto makes another attempt at winning a mascot position by outdoing Gunther in tobacco chewing. While this plan works to a fault, Gunther again takes action.

" The Vanishing Private" (1942) - Private Donald doesn't seem to get the point of camouflage painting, but after a scolding from Sergeant Pete, he becomes a little TOO good at it. Donald's snooping around in an experimentation lab leads him to a can of invisibility paint, and soon, Pete is looking "not all there" himself.

"Sky Trooper" (1942) - Donald is stuck in the kitchen peeling potatoes as he dreams of being in the clouds. Sergeant Pete notices the duck's obsession and comes up with an idea. He agrees to let Donald fly after one more pile of potatoes is peeled, and soon he is giving the Duck equilibrium tests and preparing him for the skies. What he isn't telling Donald is that once the Duck gets in the air, he'll be coming down under a parachute.

"Private Pluto" (1943) - In their first cartoon appearance, Chip 'n' Dale are storing their nuts in a military cannon and using the barrel to crack their nuts. Following orders to guard the big gun, Pluto the Pup takes them on!

"Fall Out; Fall In" (1943) - Donald Duck is marching at the back of a line of soldiers on a long hike to a campsite, suffering from fatigue and hunger, and being tormented by all kinds of weather. When the troop finally arrives, Donald must get his tent up before he can eat and go to bed. Naturally, his efforts are futile.

"Victory Vehicles" (1943) - This classic Goofy short makes light of the gas and rubber shortages of WWII in a highly entertaining way. With an intro portraying the transportation troubles that have come about, we move on to a cavalcade of ideas from the public (all reenacted by the Goof) for ways to get around the problem. Various incarnations of Goofy travel up and down the streets of America in a variety of absurd inventions, but the final solution to the transportation question appears to be a mere child's toy: the pogo stick! This short features a funny original song that will likely get stuck in your head for a while!

"The Old Army Game" (1943) - Sergeant Pete discovers Donald and some other soldiers have snuck out one night, and he's there waiting when the Duck returns. Donald pulls some clever tricks, but eventually, Pete catches up with him. A mid-chase encounter with a saw leads Don to think he's been cut in half. The short is a little dark, as it's one of those that uses attempted suicide humor (these old cartoons did that sometimes), when a despairing Donald puts a gun to his head and a sobbing Pete asks him to do it in the bushes so he won't have to watch. Of course, they realize he's in one piece before then end.

"Home Defense" (1943) - Donald is manning a listening station, while Huey, Dewey, and Louie standby as the gun crew. The boys get their kicks by playing pranks on their poor uncle, but will they be ready for a real attack?

"How to be a Sailor" (1944) - A typically hilarious Goofy "How to" short, this cartoon gives us a history of seafaring, Goofy style, all the way up to today, and includes some standard Goofy "How to" info in the lesson as well.

"Commando Duck" (1944) - This highly entertaining morale booster gets a lot of its humor from Japanese stereotypes depicting the enemy, as Donald is dropped from a plane on a mission to destroy an enemy base. The brave duck succeeds only after a series of dangers and mishaps which involve some very Indiana Jones-ish action scenes! This was a first time viewing for me, as best I could remember, and I think it's one of my faves in the set (though I have many).

Educational Shorts:

The 14 shorts in this group, as Maltin tells us in the intro, were created to inform and encourage the public to be healthy, pay their taxes on time, and buy war bonds. Recycled animation and classic characters were sometimes used in these surprisingly entertaining shorts made not only for us, but for Canada and the Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs as well.

"Thrifty Pig" (1941) - This short features mostly recycled footage from the original "The Three Little Pigs," though you won't miss the Big Bad Wolf dressed as a Nazi officer this time around! This twist on the classic tale features a house made not of regular bricks, but of war bonds! Like many of these shorts, this one ends with a straightforward message. In this case, the message is to buy Canadian war bonds.

"Seven Wise Dwarfs" (1941) - In this second short delivering the same message and also ending with a dramatic "Keep Your Money Fighting!" finale, footage of the Seven Dwarfs from "Snow White" is reused with an edited version of the song "Heigh Ho." This time, the song goes off on a verse about winning the war with "five for four." The dwarfs turn in their jewels for war bonds in the small bit of new footage blended in with the rest. At only 3 minutes and 46 seconds, this is an example of how short these "message sending" cartoons can sometimes be. Enjoyable nonetheless!

"Food Will Win the War" (1942) - One of the most interesting and unusual shorts in the set, "Food Will Win the War" is an informative piece supervised by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. There's no story here. Instead, the short begins by showing us the destruction the Axis powers are causing overseas, and how the hope for victimized nations lies in our abundant food supplies in the United States. Depicting American farmers as heroes, the bulk of the short is used to show the audience just how much food we produce here in America. This is done with humorous analogies and art depicting giant corn cobs and fruit pies, a sweater made of spaghetti that could be worn by the planet Earth, and other such bizarre concepts to illustrate our vast agricultural production.

"Out of the Frying Pan and Into the Firing Line" (1942) - This fascinating 3 and a half minute short brings us Minnie Mouse cooking breakfast at her stove and offering Pluto a gravy of hot bacon grease for his dog biscuits. Just then, a voice on the radio cuts in to inform "housewives of America" to stop throwing out their used kitchen fats! The speaker teaches Minnie and a reluctant Pluto about how such used greases can be made into ammunition for the boys on the front lines (cue photo of Mickey in his uniform on the wall). As in the previous short, we are treated to an in depth look at how kitchen fats can win the war for us. The film rounds out with a demonstration by Minnie and Pluto about how to turn in their bacon grease to the local "meat dealer" in exchange for cash (or, in Pluto's case, sausages). This short also ranks as one of my favorites, not only because it's so interesting, but also because it really makes you feel like you're in 1942 when you watch it!

"Donald's Decision" (1942) - This cartoon made for Canada uses previous Donald Duck footage, mostly from "Donald's Better Self," to encourage people to become regular war savers. Donald's devilish half encourages him to spend his money, while his angel urges him to save it. Read more ›

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent collection, but be warned. May 20, 2004

By Garry K. Mason

I've been waiting eagerly for this collection, and for the most part, it didn't disappoint. But be warned--some of the most famous of these wartime shorts, such as "The Fuhrer's Face" and "Chicken Little" have an annoying Leonard Maltin intro tacked onto them, and you can't skip through them. I say annoying because Maltin insists on giving away story points and illustrating his simplistic remarks with clips from the cartoons you are about to see! It ruins the experience of seeing these cartoons as "new"--particularly relevent in this case because these films were designed to elicit a strong emotional response from an audience. Don't miss this collection, it's a real rarity, but unless you're the type who turns immediately to the last page of a whodunit, or who always uses cheat codes on video games, mute Maltin's comments and close your eyes when he comes on--at least, for the first time you watch these.