The Spirit of '43

In 1943, this cartoon was an excellent positive propaganda piece discussing the importance of savings and income tax to help America beat the Axis. It made a dull topic a little more palatable to audiences of the day. However, when seen today, it probably seems very, very heavy-handed and pretty dull, as Donald Duck is not particularly evident above all the propaganda. Yeah, he IS there, but he's so overshadowed by the material, that little kids would absolutely hate the film today,...as would most others. Now from a historical point of view, this IS still worth seeing and it does give us an excellent view of the times.

No wonder I didn't like this cartoon when I was a kid! It centers on Donald Duck trying to decide whether to spend his paycheck on a night out or by saving it up to pay taxes for the war effort. Same old cartoon story, isn't it?! But now as a grownup and as a Donald fan, I can appreciate The Spirit of ‘43's unique storyline and its historical implications. It's just so weird to see childhood characters delve into issues like war and taxes. I just can't see Spongebob Squarepants doing an episode on terrorism.

After Donald's segment the cartoon takes an even more serious turn highlighting some of the warplanes and weaponry that would be used to destroy the `Axis,' as they put it. It's also kind of shocking to see animation of Nazi planes and weaponry. There are some serious issues discussed in this cartoon!

Nevertheless, this is a very interesting cartoon. Donald's still a loveable character, just in a very grown-up and serious circumstance. Another stark image is that of the swastika to symbolize the evils of spending recklessly instead of supporting our troops. I also enjoyed hearing the narrator's take on the situation including this statement that I'll paraphrase, `Every American should, and look forward to, paying their taxes.' Let that be a lesson to you kids!

My IMDb Rating: 8/10

This is an excellent wartime morale-builder cartoon that gently and amusingly not only prods the viewer to save rather than spend, but reminds him that paying taxes is a patriotic act, particularly in wartime.

The only jarring note that I found in watching the second half of the cartoon, when the Donald Duck humor gives way to a histrionic, almost bombastic call to pay taxes to finance more and more weapons to destroy the Axis powers, was the chilling realization that if a film like this was made today, it would probably be laughed out of the cinema by our modern, ultra-"cool" and supposedly sophisticated audience.

We should consider ourselves lucky that back in the 1940's, our forefathers were still "gullible" enough to believe cartoons like this and to fight the Nazis.

In this Donald Duck short Donald Duck has a dilemma. Spend his money or save it to pay tax and help the American soldiers who are fighting in WW-II. It is an aggressive short and although the Americans were the good guys I don't like propaganda like this. A cartoon character must be used only to entertain and not for political statements. 5/10.

My love for animation, Disney and Donald Duck were what drew me to seeing The Spirit of 43 in the first place. While it is a good and interesting short, I can definitely see why some people and children will dislike it today. Some of it, as it takes on difficult and important issues of the time- something that may come across as dated now-, does get a little too heavy-handed- though also well-intended- and the pace can feel dull due to the serious rather than entertaining nature(though considering the subject it in evaluation couldn't have been any other way). However, the animation is great with good detail and colour, and interestingly Donald's counterpoint looks like an early version of Scrooge McDuck. The war images are very well done and do make their point, if perhaps somewhat too obviously. The music is rousing and dynamic and the story is unique and of good historical interest. The two ducks(Donald and the thrifty) are very strongly characterised and interact very well.

In conclusion, The Spirit of 43 is an interesting Disney short, and made well. But it is more for historical rather than entertainment value, and some- while acknowledging how it would have been received back in 1943 where it would have been more relevant- may find it dull, heavy-handed and dated today. 7/10 Bethany Cox