Mr. Blabbermouth!

Wartime or peacetime, the basic idea of this film still applies: "for safety's sake, please engage brain before putting mouth in gear"; and don't assume that the guy you're listening to has followed that rule!

As Ray Bolger observed in "The Wizard of Oz" back in 1939, "Some people without brains do an awful lot of talking!" And while such people usually only damage themselves by looking ridiculous in front of people who actually do know something about the subject under discussion, sometimes they do manage to do major damage to others, whether by innocently ruining a reputation over something they've misinterpreted or by "only trying to help!" (case in point on that last: the Mr. Blabbermouth who invited himself along on a camping trip some friends and I had planned--he nearly laced our trail stew with "perfectly harmless wild mushrooms" which my friend D correctly identified as death angel mushrooms and intercepted in the nick of time!)

War or no war, Mr. Blabbermouth lives and can be hazardous to your health!

At first glance this seems to be a stereotypical patriotic U.S. WWII film. It is much more than that even when you factor in some of the cringing portrayals of the enemy. If the enemy were as idiotic as they are often portrayed why were they such a problem? This film balances the jingoistic part with a very good message about attitude. Mr. and Mrs. Blabbermouth are the people who always make the worst of a good situation. If there is any good to be found they will bury it. This film tries to give the American public a feel good boost about their situation in the war. It's a morale builder and it works. I know that I would have felt more optimistic after seeing this short in 1942.

This is an amazingly well made propaganda film--one that is backed up with facts and isn't about stirring up the people. In fact, unlike most propaganda, its aim is to CALM the public--to get them to understand the facts and NOT give way to crazy rumors. In essence, this short film demonstrates that propaganda CAN be good, as propaganda consists of an argument meant to sway opinion--and isn't always bad. In particular, the industrial output of the Allied nations is compared to the Axis--showing that victory is all but inevitable (which turned out to be true).

"Mr. Blabbermouth" is also effective because in addition to using a lot of facts, it also employs a nice sense of humor when addressing the nay-sayers and people who spread wild rumors. You can't help but laugh AND be a bit inspired and relieved when you see the film.

All in all, at the time this came out, there couldn't have been a much better tonic for frightened Americans. Folks WERE falling prey to insane rumors and they needed to relax and understand that the war was winnable--just not immediately. And, to understand the need to keep your head and confront rumor-mongers for the good of the nation. A wonderful little piece of history that seemed very well reasoned and constructed throughout. Well worth seeing.

An MGM Short Subject.

Who's that boorish fellow, with his constant negative talk about our Allies and the War effort? Why, it's MR. BLABBERMOUTH!

This little film uses a humorous approach to illustrate a problem nagging the country. It is not, as the title might suggest, a `Loose Lips Sink Ships' lecture, but rather how to deal with those Americans who constantly brought down the morale of others by their pessimistic attitudes about our fight against the Axis. It is just as pertinent now as it was then.

After Pearl Harbor, Hollywood went to war totally against the Axis. Not only did many of the stars join up or do home front service, but the output of the Studios was largely turned to the war effort. The newsreels, of course, brought the latest war news into the neighborhood theater every week. The features showcased battle stories or war related themes. Even the short subjects & cartoons were used as a quick means of spreading Allied propaganda, the boosting of morale or information dissemination. Together, Uncle Sam, the American People & Hollywood proved to be an unbeatable combination.

This features quite an effective use of archive to bolster US public awareness of the risk of idle talk. Using a variety of social scenarios, we put some "I've heard" or "I've read" sentences in the mouths of those in the shops, the hairdressers and the bars and then attempt to counter these speculative gossips with some facts and then some out and out propaganda about the superiority of the American soldier, kit and technology against not just the Japanese, but the Nazis too. On that last front, it does recognise that the USA is not the only nation fighting here, but as this is essentially designed to boost domestic morale and encourage people to keep their traps shut, it's largely a celebration of the might of a military and the strength of a democracy that will prevail, no matter what. There is some original photography here, but if you've followed the approach newsreel cinema took to World War II in any depth, then you will have seen most of that before. The commentary is far too earnest, and the more I watched this I wanted someone sarcastic and caustic - like Pete Smith - to make the point a little more engagingly and less like it was a school lecture, but in 1942 it probably served it's purpose.