The Goldbrick

The Goldbrick (1943)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

It's raining and cold outside when the alarm is given for Private Snafu to wake up and go train. He really doesn't feel like working today so he decides to play sick to get out of having to do anything. We then learn why he shouldn't have done this. This is another good entry in the War Department's training series, which was made to show soldiers why certain things shouldn't be done. This one here certainly isn't bad but then again it really doesn't stand out either. The animation is certainly the highlight as it's done extremely well. Mel Blanc also does a very good job with the vocal work. Unlike some of the other films in the series, this one here doesn't feature any of the "adult" moments showing why this was aimed at soldiers and not the general paying public.

Very funny entry in the Private Snafu cartoon series made for the U.S. army during WW2. This one is about laziness and shirking your duties, which could certainly be a dangerous thing for a soldier to do during wartime. Lazy Snafu is encouraged by "Goldie the Goldbrick" to skip drill by pretending to be sick. Goldie is an amusing "fairy" that has to be seen to be believed. He sings a great song that would no doubt turn the most responsible among us into slackers. The short's directed by Frank Tashlin with voicework from the great Mel Blanc. The black & white animation is nice. Look at Snafu's nurse -- insert cartoon whistles here! The short ends with a twist that will be offensive to some today but it's important to keep these things in the proper historical context.

Snafu is tired of not getting any rest.

That's when Goldie the GoldBrick(who's fatter than Technical Fairy First Class) comes along.

He gives out tips on how to skip his duties and rest more.

Snafu takes every one of these tips.

But when he goes out into battle that can be a problem when he's all pooped out. And Goldie the Goldbrick isn't as trustworthy as he seems.

This is another fine Private Snafu Cartoon with plenty of Dr. Suess like rhythms.

It's a good lesson in not being a Goldbrick yourself when you're in the war.

The only thing that didn't come off so well was the caricature of the Japanese Goldbrick, that it's stereotypical is one thing and while I'm not sure whether it can count as racist it is still not done subtly or tastefully and may offend people anyhow. The Goldbrick is still very good, and one of Snafu's better outings. Snafu is still funny and endearing, even when he is the world's worst soldier you can still identify with him. Mel Blanc's voices are still terrific and done with such energy that few voice actors have matched. The animation is beautifully shaded and fluid, while the music is as characterful as you'd expect. And what an irresistibly catchy song. The writing is funny and witty, agreed very Dr. Seuss-like in its rhymes and droll poetry, while the gags are clever and the least they get in effectiveness is amusing. There are also a few elements that may seem tame now but were actually very daring for the time, they are still very interesting and fun to see. There have been some Snafu outings like The Home Front that was a little too heavy on that but here in The Goldbrick it's pitched just right. The second half is more grim in tone but directs its message(a good one too) and to me in a way that wasn't that preachy. All in all, very good and one of Snafu's better outings. 9/10 Bethany Cox

The Private Snafu films were clearly made to be seen by soldiers and not by the general public. The dirty jokes, sexual innuendos and language is relatively tame today but never would have been allowed in the regular theaters due to the Production Code. But, such off-color remarks went over very well with the enlisted men and helped to illustrate important information in a humorous and memorable fashion.

In this cartoon, instead of Technical Fairy First Class, you see a new but fatter character. And, instead of teaching him a good lesson, this fairy encourages Snafu to take the easy way out again and again. By the end of the film, Snafu is in deep trouble and you discover the truth about this new fairy.

Overall, a rather sub-par Snafu cartoon, though for fans of the series, it's still worth seeing. The biggest problem with it is that it's just less funny than the typical film and seemed a bit preachy.