User reviews

A squirrel grandad visits his boy/girl twins on a snowy Xmas eve to tell them the story of 'Man' - violent, terrible creatures who killed each other off in a never-ending series of wars. As the last man on earth dies the animals take it back and build a happy utopia on the charred rubble. Naturally, cute, furry animals won't be using flame-throwers on each other any time soon. Though I'm not really sure if the animals taking cues from an old bible negates the point.

It's a very important cartoon and was nominated for an Academy Award (losing to Disney's much less significant The Ugly Duckling) as well as a Nobel Peace prize - the only cartoon ever to do so. Of all the Xmas cartoons and specials, this is probably the most poignant.

When Hugh Harman made PEACE ON EARTH, he intended it to be an ambitious anti-war film. He later said he wanted to make it a longer 2-reel cartoon. Nonetheless it turned out to be one of the greatest and most chilling cartoons to come from Hollywood's animation golden age.

Despite being an anti-war film from the late 1930's, the message isn't very clear, beyond demonstrating man's inability to maintain a peaceful society with animals succeeding after man's demise. There are religious icons sprinkled throughout the film, but there aren't used to preach any messages, as one would suspect from a film of this kind. Their presence in the film also seem vague.

The elder squirrel's recollections of man's war echoes the horrors of World War I, which was still strongly in the public's recollection at the time. In fact, it almost feels like an alternative timeline of WWI.

Harman and Ising were known for trying to compete with Disney. They were really the only men that come close to replicating Disney's polished animation, but storytelling was not their strength. Nonetheless, this is one of Harman's best films. Unlike most Christmas films, this one can be unnerving to some audiences due to its grim war sequences and outcomes. A post-apocalyptic film before the genre even existed (without nuclear weapons obviously).

Remade by Hannah-Barbera in 1955 as GOOD WILL TO MEN with updated horrific war imagery reflecting the Cold War and a more clear cut religious message.

Love animation, it was a big part of my life as a child, particularly Disney, Looney Tunes and Tom and Jerry, and still love it whether it's film, television or cartoons.

Know Hugh Harman more for his cartoons that have a cute approach with a lot of sentiment. There have been times where this approach has been done sweetly and charmingly, there have also been other times where it can be too cutesy and cloying. My review summary is in no way a derogatory knock against Harman, far from it. It is alluding to that 'Peace on Earth' is a Harman cartoon that is darker and grimmer to usual. A more mature Harman cartoon and it's good, great even.

'Peace on Earth' is not what one would call subtle, there is a very important, admirable and powerful message that certainly makes its point and at times in too thick a way perhaps. It is though a message cartoon, meaning that there was always a trap of it being on the preachy side.

Regardless, 'Peace on Earth' makes a big emotional impact. It packs a very poignant punch and really makes one think about what it's trying to say. The beginning and end scenes are cute but not too sentimental, while the darker content in between provokes thought and moves. Story-wise, it's simple but this is a good thing, making the cartoon easier to understand and resonate with.

The characters carry the cartoon beautifully, they look adorable in appearance but show stronger personalities than one would expect. Mel Blanc voices beautifully, this is a less manic Blanc than in his Looney Tunes oeuvre, something that was a perfect fit and the right one.

Animation is rich in detail for design and backgrounds, vibrant in colour and crisp. Composer for the prime-era 'Tom and Jerry' cartoons and regular Tex Avery composer Scott Bradley provides a lush and atmospheric music score.

Overall, great cartoon, as well as being perhaps Harman's most mature cartoon it's one of his best. 9/10 Bethany Cox

This surely has to rank as one of the great "shorts" of all time. Released by MGM at the perfect time - in 1939, with the world poised on the brink of the Second World War - the cartoon portrays a family of squirrels living in an era after humanity has wiped itself out in war, as Grampa Squirrel (voices by Mel Blanc, who would of course become most famous as the voice of Bugs Bunny) attempts to explain to two babies on Christmas Eve why the Christmas song being sung says "peace on earth; goodwill to men." "What are men?" ask the babies, and Grampa Squirrel relates a story that should make all human beings squirm at our hypocrisy as he explains how humans killed each other off, and then relates the discovery by the animals who survived of a book that has a set of rules including "thou shalt not kill."

It's simplicity probably makes this all the more thought-provoking.

This is a beautifully-made and quite poignant animated short film, but while no one can doubt the sincerity of the sentiment, it reduces the discussion of war to a level of simplification unfitting for the subject. To diminish such a topic to a five-minute short, and to aim it at children using anthropomorphic squirrels (or mice, in the 1950 remake "Good Will to Men") is the essence of propaganda.

In 1939, Europe was torn by Nazi aggression, but the United States had yet to enter the war. Many people of good conscience were arguing that the U.S. should remain neutral, essentially ceding all of Europe to the tender mercies of Adolf Hitler. It was in this climate that "Peace on Earth" was made, arguing that both sides in a conflict are morally equivalent, since both have violated the commandment "Thou Shalt Not Kill" (which is more correctly translated as "Thou Shalt Not Commit Murder", a very different thing.) It's a good thing that minds of more mature reasoning decided that it would be very necessary for us to fight the Axis powers.

"Peace on Earth" comes from the same sort of personality that states in all earnestness that "war never solves anything" while conveniently ignoring the many things that war has indeed solved: tyranny, oppression, slavery, genocide, fascism, Nazism, and (in the cold war) Soviet communism; the elimination of totalitarian Islamist extremism is still underway.

Peace is not just the absence of war, but the presence of justice, and there are some things for which is is worth while to fight or even die. Diplomacy is of course preferable to armed conflict, but if honorable goals are abandoned in the course of diplomatic negotiation, then the result is simply defeat by a different means, and the justice that was desired was perhaps never deserved.

This cartoon is one of the finest produced by MGM and hasn't really lost it's impact even after sixty years. Given that the shadows of WWII lurked during its preparation, the thoughts of those involved in its preparation are fairly obvious. Although I understand why The Ugly Duckling won the Oscar (it's a beautifully crafted short and deserved recognition), I wish that this one had won or at least tied. MGM did a reprise on this one in the 1950s called, "Good Will To Men" that was good and well worth seeing, but this one is better. The Cartoon Network runs this one and it's also in print. Well worth your time. Early use of roto-scoping (live footage fimed and then animated) is excellent. Profoundly recommended. Anyone who argues animation isn't an art-form should see this!

I saw this cartoon exactly once, when I was about 8. Even as a child, I found it compelling; the radarscope battle scenes still show up in my dreams from time to time. As with many childhood memories, one wonders if it will have the same impact when you see it again, as an adult. Well, having fortunately stumbled upon this by accident on the internet, I was pleased to find it did wear well. Of course, knowing as I do now, that this was made in 1939, I can see it as one of the high moments of American Isolationist sentiment and thus, a mistake. But, setting that aside, it is well-intentioned and eloquent. The usually saccharine Hugh Harman rises above his oeuvre here; the squirrels and bunnies have aren't merely cute. The framing device at the begging and end, if typically cute, is arguably necessary; Harman gets the balance right. The remake of this cartoon -- 1955's "Good Will to Men" manages to miss the balance, and just does not have the same impact. "Peace on Earth" was voted one of the Fifty Greatest Cartoons of All Time in 1994. It is said that this cartoon was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize, perhaps an apocryphal tale, but one that indicates the significance of "Peace on Earth" really well.

Intelligent, thoughtful cartoon about a post-apocalyptic world where there are no more people, just animals. The story of how this came to be is told by Grandpa Squirrel to his grandkids. The kids want to know what the "men" are in the phrase "Peace on Earth, good will to men." So Grandpa tells them all about men. About how they waged war after war with each other until they were all dead. So it's a cartoon with an anti-war message just shortly before WWII. It's beautifully animated and the story is excellent. It was remade in 1955 as "Good Will to Men," updated for the atomic age. That one's good too. But if pressed I would say I prefer this original.

This MGM animated short directed by Hugh Harman was nominated for an Oscar.

It was released on the eve of Europe entering World War Two but not yet America.

If the cartoon was released later, maybe the message would had been different.

However with animators who were veterans of World War One. This has an anti war message.

In a post apocalyptic world. Two young squirrels ask their grandfather about men. They heard it from the Christmas carol: 'Peace on Earth, good will to men.'

The grandfather tells them that men became extinct by fighting wars with ever more dangerous weapons.

In its place the animals took over. Building a new world from the devices of war.

This is an early example of a cartoon with a serious message. Despite the festive setting, it has some sombre and darker moments.

Back in the 1940's, men fought a cataclysmic war until all were killed, leaving the animals behind to build a peaceful society in the ruins.

This has probably the strongest impact of any cartoon I have ever seen -- taking the era in which it was made into account -- and must have been virtually without precedent in 1939. Powerful post-war rivals might include "Animal Farm", "Watership Down", or "When the Wind Blows". Or Art Spiegelman's Pulitzer Prize-winning "Maus" in the field of the graphic novel.

There are scenes here of animated warfare which are still a little grim by modern standards. Childlike innocence gets temporarily suspended. "All Quiet on the Western Front" is an immediate comparison.

As was normal in the '30's, the coming war in Europe was viewed as an extension of the Great War, so we see the technology familiar from 20 years previous -- trenches, gas masks, unturreted tanks. When Neville Chamberlain bought peace for all time from Hitler at Munich, the sort of war he had succeeded in averting was the one depicted in this film. The new World War II technology did not enter the general consciousness until the averted war got underway in Sept. 1939.

I first saw this film about a decade ago, and rediscovered it recently on a compilation video entitled "MGM Cartoon Christmas". The other cartoons on the tape, "Alias St. Nick" and "Pups' Christmas", show quite clearly what a break with convention "Peace on Earth" was at the time.

I saw this when I was maybe 6-8 years old; that was 30 years ago. It stuck with me. Always fighting over nothing...that's us.

This was the first short subject to receive the highly-coveted Parents Magazine Medal as "Parent's Magazine's" Movie of the Month. It also received a (not-paid-for-by M-G-M) half-page spread tribute in the November 27, 1939 issue of "Life Magazine," with three stills from the film.

The trade press also raved: "Definitely a 'must'...should be seen by every man, woman and child...(Showmen's Trade Review) "A cartoon off the beaten track. Timely, amusing! (Film Daily) "Timely. Excellent. Admirably suited to Christmas programs!" (Motion Picture Daily)

The M-G-M ads for "Peace On Earth" all carried an uncommon "Created by Hugh Harman" attribute.

There are no more men after the great war. Grandpa Squirrel (Mel Blanc) tells their story to his young grandkids. After the destruction, nature's creatures take over and try to understand. They rebuild upon the ruins of mankind.

It's an MGM cartoon short from Hugh Harman. It's an anti-war cartoon short. It's sincere with its heart in the right place. It is however very simplistic. It's a cartoon after all. The war between vegetarians and meat eaters is very silly. It's meant to be, but it feels dismissive especially considering the real outside world. It's really talking about the last war instead of the coming one. It's sincere, but simplistic.

The States had not yet entered World War II. England and France had just declared war on Germany. While the US strove to remain neutral, Hitler invaded Poland and already took Austria. We were standing on the brink.

This short is a wonderful reflection of that time. Two baby squirrels listen to their grandfather as he sings "Peace on Earth, good will to men" and ask what "man" is. Grandfather explains about the race of man and how their violent and ugly ways destroyed them. The visuals and images are startling and poignant. It shows a war in the 30s & 40s and still touches a person watching it today. It's a brilliant commentary on the world and humanity. Presented through the eyes of animals, it is an amazing cartoon. Cartoon shows used to show it infrequently when I was growing up, but in the "politically correct" times we live in now, it has disappeared. Don't miss the opportunity to see it if you can.

Yes, it is quite preachy. This is the story of what is left after humans are no longer on earth, due to their propensity for violence and war. A grandfather squirrel tells his little grandsquirrels about how all this came about. Since the cartoon was made in 1939, the war was raging in Europe but the U.S. Government was sitting back watching. Of course, two years later came Pearl Harbor. Certainly, such a presentation could be seen as unpatriotic but that's not fair. The fact of the matter is, no matter who is to blame, we have the ability to annihilate our species. Also, this is a cartoon, and the animals wear clothes and live in houses. They have the emotions and judgments of humans so are they really humans with fur. Also, though metaphorical, there are good guys and bad guys in the human race. A beautiful cartoon offering.

I watched this movie last December and was enthralled with it. I vowed I would purchase a copy of it for each of my three siblings and their families for the next Christmas, and that's right around the corner now. Not sure where to purchase this, however. It was so "right on" and amazing how it shows us how the little animals are much smarter than the big animals that currently are trying to run the government of the United States. If you get a chance, watch this cool little Christmas cartoon because it will surely put a smile on your face while engaging your brain and heart at the same time, but don't let it depress you too much because you will see that it's amazing how the innocent animals know how to keep themselves secure in the face of major threats.

I remember watching this on Cartoon Network's Toon Heads program about Christmas, and as a kid, I was only attached to the little squirrels and other animals instead of the serious message the short was portraying (as it was released in a year when Britain and France would declare war on Nazi Germany after they invaded Poland, starting what would be known as World War II). This cartoon is basically an old-time anti-war propaganda that had a good message, but sadly, one that would do no good, as America entered the war after the Pearl Harbor attacks by Japan (who at the era, were allied with Nazi Germany).

Set in a world where animals only exist, Christmas has come, and after hearing the song the short is named after sung by their grandfather, two squirrel kids asked what the men the song mentions. Here, Grandpa Squirrel tells them a story about how in their world, there are no more men, as he talks about the war where they went extinct.

Yeah, it was very dark for a cartoon themed around Christmas, as it shows scenes of what happened during the first World War (including the gear the soldiers wore, the weapons they used, and the tanks they drove) as well as the destruction that resulted from such battles. As some of the animators are veterans of World War I (and would go on to make World War II propaganda cartoons), adding some realism to the flashback. However, it ends on a good note, and the animals learn a lesson about why war was bad.

The voice acting, although only Grandpa Squirrel has the most lines, were perfect, and the short has a good rendition of Come, All Ye Faithful and Silent Night.

This definitely is one of the my favorite animated films of all time due to the sheer fact that it blew me away like very few forms of art have ever done. This is not just one of the greatest animated films ever but one of the greatest films in history. It was released at the perfect time in 1939 when the world was about to witness the most gruesome war ever recorded. Intelligent, and thoughtful, smartly done animated short film about a post-apocalyptic world where there are no humans, just animals. The message of the film is brilliant and is portrayed in an equally brilliant manner. One of my best memories of childhood for sure.

Outside the town with its ruined cathedral, discarded cannons, barbed wires, and other wreckage, in the small squirrel town, grandpa squirrel tells the little ones about the race of men, vanished in war.

With World War Two raging in Europe, and arguably in China since 1931, High Harman's Oscar-winning cartoon was timed and calculated to war the cockles of those Americans who wished to remain at peace. It's a beautifully produced example of animation, with the elaborate candybox background work, rotoscoped soldiers, and overt warnings so match so well the sentimentality that infused almost all of Harman's cartoons.