Hell-Bent for Election

This cartoon is a very effective piece of propaganda and demonstrates the strength and effectiveness of animation as tools for generating propaganda. The initial project of UPA studios, it was undertaken because the outcome of the Presidential election was in doubt in 1944 and a great many people saw the continued presence of FDR in the White House as vital to the prosecution of WWII.

As has been said before, "Anything can happen in a cartoon" and that freedom allows for images much more striking and powerful than words alone can be to be used to make the point forcefully that Roosevelt was far and away preferable to Thomas Dewey. What makes this propaganda is the fact that, while undoubtably FDR was best suited to continue the fight, if for no other reasons than continuity, Dewey wouldn't have been nearly as bad as this indicates he would have been. The most telling attack, the "Jim Crow laws" car on the Dewey train conveniently overlooks the fact that, in the 1940s, the South was largely in the hands of the Democrats and "Jim Crow" laws received broad support from both parties. Propaganda is exaggerated for effect, for the purpose of motivating people, often out of fear, to a particular course of action. This is a most effective piece of propaganda.

You can see both the fine hand of Chuck Jones and John Hubley all over this cartoon. It also shows what would later become known as the UPA style in its infancy. Though obviously quite dated (by its nature, it would have to be), this holds up very well and is well worth seeing, particularly for those with an interest in politics and/or animation. Well worth getting. Most highly recommended.

Directed by Chuck Jones and produced by Steven Bosustow for what would later become known as UPA, Hell-Bent for Election was an attempt to convince certain workers not quite sure who to vote for president in 1944 to cast it for Franklin D. Roosevelt for a fourth term in order to help "win the war" (according to song lyrics written by E. Y. Harburg). Roosevelt is portrayed as a streamlined train that's running parallel to another train called "Defeatest Limited" that has every negative connotation associated with it as connecting cars. This was, I'm sure, effective propaganda for the time and probably ensured Roosevelt got even more votes even though he probably would have been reelected anyway since he did so well before during the previous Depression and the still-active World War II during this time. Well worth a look now for the fluid and stylized animation that would help define UPA during the late '40s and much of the '50s.

This is a rather slickly made propaganda piece encouraging the viewers to vote for FDR and for union-supported government programs. However, instead of directly stating these at the beginning, a story about a railroad worker not falling asleep at the switch was employed.

This is a rather effective propaganda piece, though the basic message seems rather dishonest. This union-financed film could have easily said that the public should support the President in his re-election bid for a wide variety of good reasons. At the time, Roosevelt had done an excellent job in leading America at war, so an honest cartoon COULD have been made. Had I been alive and able to vote back then, I might have cast my ballot for him instead of the Dewey and the Republicans. Instead, the message seems to be that if you DON'T vote for Roosevelt you are a traitor, are a friend to evil self-interests OR that you just plain love Hitler!! Talk about a dishonest message and hyperbole. Had Dewey won (and he didn't have a prayer), I truly doubt the country would have joined the Axis or capitulated--especially since by late 1944 the war was all but over and the next year would be mostly "mopping up" actions.

Technically speaking, this was a rather competently made cartoon. While not up to the standards of the Warner Brothers, Disney or MGM cartoons of the day, it is better than Universal's animation. Viewers will no doubt notice the intensity of the colors--it's hard on the eyes, but still well-made. Not a great quality cartoon, but effective and sufficient.

So who would want to watch this today? Well, apart from history teachers like myself, most wouldn't--though it is a nice window into the spirit of the times. Worth a look--just understand that this is truly negative propaganda.

Chuck Jones moonlighted with the artists of what would eventually become UPA to make this excellent piece of election propaganda. It was funded by the United Auto Workers to help re-elect Franklin Roosevelt. In the cartoon Roosevelt is caricatured as a streamlined train, while Thomas Dewey is the Defeatist Limited. A southern senator tries to lure Joe Worker to fall asleep at the switch and so allow Dewey to win. The animation is somewhat stylized with pleasing graphics. Probably one of the few, if not only, cartoons to be so overtly political (one of the Dewey train cars is labeled "Jim Crow"). I recommend it for any fan of animation history.

This was vomit stifling. FDR expanded government and moved us into socialism as if cluster f$&@ of a government was the solution. Now we're seeing all this waste playing out in 2022.