The New Spirit

This is an odd little propaganda film made by the folks at Disney. During WWII, they made a lot of films for the government as well as the Canadian government--supporting such programs as war bonds, taxes and the like. Here, Donald Duck does his part by showing incredible excitement to help in the war effort--and he is positively giddy with the prospect of paying his yearly IRS bill. In fact, he's so excited, he pays early! What a huge difference between then and now, huh?! Regardless of the VERY dated message, the film is extremely well animated and enjoyable even today...in an era where most folks can't stand the Internal Revenue Service! An interesting little curio that is best enjoyed by HUGE fans of animation as well as historians. Oh, and by the way, that's Cliff Edwards (the voice of Jimminy Cricket) doing the singing in this one.

I know that money isn't what it was, but even in 1942 I'd have thought poor old "Donald" would be on more than $2,501 in an whole year! What does that matter? Well the slightly offbeat message for this wartime cartoon is "taxes against the axis". Yep, it's a rallying call for citizens of the USA to pay their income tax! With some rousing Yankee Doodle style cheerleading to start and some more traditional animations of the militarisation those dollars pay for at the end, this is a less frantic outing for the duck (who still sounds like Katharine Hepburn) and he does his bit to keep the payrolls of industry moving. The radio is quite a menacing looking gadget, like something from "Metropolis" (1927), but otherwise it's all fairly standard stuff.

I didn't quite get this cartoon as the tax system in this country is very, very different from that in America. It appears that if Donald Duck pays his taxes early then somehow it will give the American government a better chance at winning WWII.

This Donald does with worrying eagerness. So much so he races across the country with the envelope in his hand instead of relying on the postal system (do you blame him?).

Nothing much else of interest. It does say on a tax form though, that Donald has adopted his nephews Huey, Duey and Luey. This I never knew. It was also up from an Academy Award for Documentary Short Subject.

Donald Duck has always been one of my favourites, which is reason enough to see The New Spirit. The message is interesting for the time, but feels dated I agree by today's standards. But other than that, there is very little to criticise. The animation is wonderful with lots of colour and detail, the war-like images are almost harrowing while the music is lush and catchy. The New Spirit has some fine moments like the ending and particularly the almost surreal part where the writing accessories come to life, and while things get more serious after a subtly humorous start it gets its point across without feeling too heavy-handed. Donald is strongly characterised, with his fever-pitch enthusiasm steadily wavering, and comes across as a very relevant spokesperson.

All in all, well made and fascinating if with a dated message. 8/10 Bethany Cox

This is a documentary short done by Disney for the Department of the Treasury to encourage people to pay their taxes early. This was nominated for a Academy Award for Documentary and though it is somewhat dated, it is a fascinating look back in time. Consider Donald's income level, for one thing. The amount he owes in taxes is another eye-opener. Even though this is about a serious subject, the standard Disney flourishes are very much in evidence throughout.

This is on the Disney Treasures On The Front Lines, an extraordinary collection of work produced by the Disney studios to aid in the war effort. Some of this was commissioned by the government and some of the material was produced as entertainment, but with a war-related theme. An exceptional set, well worth getting. New Spirit is recommended, but On The Front Lines is most highly recommended.