Synopsis
1968 film by Ward Kimball protesting LBJ's escalation of the war in Vietnam.
Escalation
1968 Directed by Ward Kimball
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Probably the least surprising thing about me is I have a favorite of the Nine Old Men and it’s Ward Kimball.
This is an anti-LBJ short where his nose gets so hard that it comes American propaganda. Maybe not the most groundbreaking political commentary of all-time but it’s fun to imagine that -had he not died two years earlier- this would’ve killed Walt Disney.
Anyway, Ward Kimball rules.
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Animation Challenge 2019-Week 18: Watch a Film by one of Disney's 9 Old Men
This short is just over two minutes without credits (it's definitely one of the shortest films I've watched for this challenge) so it may feel like cheating to some, but in the context of Ward Kimball's career and the 'Nine Old Men' in particular, it's an interesting artifact, opening with a grotesque caricature of LBJ whose nose seems to be caught somewhere between Pinocchio and a Weapon of Mass Destruction before it explodes, triggering a sudden montage of Americana (Fast Food, Heroic GIs) Carnal imagery (Naked breasts!) and explosions that mirror the opening credits of Daisies-an assault that lasts about 45 seconds before the whole darned thing collapses on itself. Short and not exactly subtle, the film is especially notable when considering the fact that it was made independently of Disney, who might have found it a little too...........political?
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A very short anti-Johnson short from Ward Kimball, one of Disney studios 'nine old men'. Johnson's nose grows like a phallic Pinocchio, and bursts. There is a bombing montage showing various pop culture icons of the sixties.
I only found out about the cartoon last night while looking up the nine old men. It's there on YouTube to check out, if the need arises. -
Look, a lot of protest art from the Nixon era is pretty dull and expected. This one might not be the apex of artistic creativity, but it ain't dull.
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Simplistic propaganda. I wanted to rate it higher, because it is for a good cause, but I just didn't like it enough for that.
Part of my effort to watch at least one short film per day. Here is the list I am currently working through, with a random number generator determining the film each day. I will take recommendations for everything that's 40 minutes max.
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A short by Ward Kimball, one of Disney's famous "Nine Old Men", that is a criticism of Lyndon B. Johnson's *escalation* of the War in Vietnam. He does this first with a depiction of LBJ as a parade float, and his phallic nose getting longer and more pronounced, eventually resulting in a climax, leading into a montage of explosions, tits, americana, and carnage.
Very not Disney. Very good.
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Lyndonowi Johnsonowi staje nos, satyra... [kolejna cegiełka na rzecz późniejszych komunistycznych obozów koncentracyjnych w Wietnamie...]
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Re-education_camp_(Vietnam)
An anti-Vietnam War cartoon mocking U.S. President, Democrat Lyndon B. Johnson. The author showed it at film festivals, college campuses during the U.S. presidential election year in 1968, and personally gave away copies of the film to whoever was interested. IMDb
It is an anti-Vietnam War cartoon mocking U.S. President, Democrat Lyndon B. Johnson.
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The animation begins with a countdown from 10 and a drumbeat, skipping over the number 7 and with each numeral getting larger in size as the countdown progresses. A dove of peace flies upside down and backwards, with X marks over its eyes as if it were dead. Then… -
Sure looks like Ward Kimball saw the writing on the wall for the Disney animation department once Walt’s ashes were interred and decided to let his freak flag fly.
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Ward said LBJ’s a dick face. Also there’s a hotdog, some boobs, medals, cigarettes and the atom bomb.
A curiosity of an animated newspaper political cartoon.
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