Peace On Earth

Premiered December 9, 1939. 
The subject of today's "Oscar Takes A Holiday" review is animation producer Fred Quimby.

Peace On Earth was nominated for the Best Animated Short Oscar in 1939.  It was directed by Hugh Harman and co-produced by Harman and Quimby.

Quimby won seven Academy Awards for Best Animated Short between 1940 and 1952.

On to today's review:

A squirrel (Mel Blanc) visits his grandchildren (Sara Berner and Bernice Hansen)  on Christmas Eve.  Outside, carolers are singing "peace on Earth, goodwill to men."  This prompts the grandchildren to ask the elder squirrel "what are men?"  Their grandfather tells them that men were "the orneriest, cussedest, dagnabbed tribe of varmints I ever did see," and explains that there are no more men left.

He tells them a story about how men fought each other for decades, finding endless reasons, prejudices and methods to kill one another.

Eventually, there were only two men left on Earth.  They shot each other to death.  The animals emerged from hiding and tried to make some sense of what men had done to the world.  They found a Bible in a bombed-out church and read the sentence "Thou Shalt Not Kill."

The animals decide that the Bible contains some other good ideas and they decide to rebuild the world and live peace in together.

J.A. Morris says:

I first stumbled on Peace On Earth some years ago when Cartoon Network aired it as part of their Yule Tunes special.  This cartoon blew me away and I still find it fascinating every time I watch it. Peace On Earth is one of the most powerful anti-war statements I've ever seen on film.

Viewers of today might be surprised to learn that pacifism was very popular when this short was produced.  This was due to the horrific experiences the world endured during the first world war.

Peace On Earth was released two months after Hitler invaded Poland and within two years, Japan bombed Pearl Harbor and another world war was on.

Peace On Earth features typical 1940s cute "funny animal" characters...

 ...contrasted with very realistic (for its time) depictions of warfare.

This must have surprised viewers in 1939 who probably thought they were in for a cute Christmas toon.  The contrasts in style help Peace On Earth deliver its message.

This cartoon is often aired on Turner Classic Movies during the holiday season and it's available on a DVD called Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Academy Awards Animation Collection.

Peace On Earth is an amazing cartoon and it contains a message about war that is (sadly) still relevant today.

J.A. Morris' rating:

4 candy canes.

RigbyMel says: 

This animated short is ... not subtle in its messaging, but that is not necessarily a bad thing.  (Especially not in a short!)

The animation is stunning.  The rotoscoped humans at war make a stark contrast with the cute little traditionally animated animals that look like they sneaked over from the set of Disney's Snow White.

When you first see the animals' little village, it looks idyllic and festive, and when you figure out what's going on, you notice that roofs are made of old military helmets and lamp posts from discarded bayonets -- again, taking the cutesy and turning it sideways for emphasis.

The shock of the contrast and the subject matter in the Christmas setting adds to the power of the message.

Peace on Earth is definitely worth your time to track down. Trust me, it will stick with you!

RigbyMel's rating: 

4 candy canes.