I can't remember exactly where I saw this cartoon, it was either at art school or an animation festival. Either way it is an excellent short, filled with many funny and surreal images. A (literal) nightmare in which Donald Duck works in a Nazi munitions factory at breakneck speed while constantly saluting caricatures of Hitler, it is a cartoon that would make George Orwell proud. One great scene of many has the duck hoarding a single coffee bean which he treats like gold. His covetous attitude and expression tell volumes about wartime shortages. The art direction is really strong throughout, especially the psychological uses of color to reflect Donald's varying moods. Also featured is the splendid title song, later recorded by the band leader Spike Jones. Although the Jones version of the song is available on CD, the cartoon itself has never been released on videotape or laserdisc. This is unfortunate since it is one of the best the studio has ever made. Disney has been extremely touchy these days about any image that could be construed as politically incorrect. Heaven forbid if a small child should see this cartoon; he might think fascism was bad. If you have access to a projector, you can probably rent a 16mm print of the cartoon. Many schools and colleges have catalogs of available 16mm films. *EDIT* The cartoon is now available on DVD, from the Disney Treasures set "On The Front Lines".
Review of Der Fuehrer's Face
