Bury the Axis

Bury The Axis
Title screen
Directed by	Lou Bunin
Animation by	Arthur Turkisher Lou Bunin
Release date(s)	1943 (1943)
Color process	Cinecolor
Running time	6 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

Bury the Axis a 1943 stop-motion animated short directed and animated by American Lou Bunin, a famous and successful puppeteer who had worked in Hollywood previously, was released by Paramount Pictures on February 3, 1943. It was part of a British plan to showcase the enemies of Britain as truly evil in the eyes of the public in order to continue the war effort. Kenneth Clark, as head of the Films Division of the Ministry of information that was re-established at the start of the war, argued in 1940 that the public must be convinced of German brutality, stating 'we should emphasise wherever possible the wickedness and evil perpetrated in the occupied countries'^[1] Though very little research and historiography has been produced on Bury the Axis, it is often remembered by historians and film and animation researchers as being 'memorable'^[2]

Background

During the Second World War much propaganda was created, each with its own aim. British propaganda's intentions throughout the war varied though focused mainly on boosting morale on the home front and increasing/maintaining a dislike for the enemies of Britain. Bury the Axis is an example of a British propaganda cartoon created to maintain a dislike for the enemy.

Plot

The animation begins with a stork flying and carrying a baby wrapped in white cloth. The Stork proceeds to smell the baby and finds the smell revolting. The stork then drops the defenceless baby who falls through a roof and lands the floor. The building through which the baby falls has written on it 'Schicklgruber' which is the surname of Hitler's grandmother Maria Schicklgruber and the birth name of his father, Alois Hitler. Upon landing, the baby immediately draws a gun before firing it at the stork and then transforms instantly into an adult Adolf Hitler. The narrator then stating 'and so Adolf was born'. Hitler appears very dirty and his first action is to blow his nose to a trumpet sound.

Hitler begins goose-marching from nation to nation while singing. In this song Hitler states how he overthrew democracy and sings of his conquering of European nations, for example he 'marched right through the Maginot Line. Hitlers continues to march from country to country, shown by him walking over lands that are sign posted with the names of the countries such as Norway. Following him on his journey are four goose's. As he continues on his travels the number of Goose's following him decreases until there is only one left following him to Russia. When Hitler then walks into Russia he returns almost immediately with bandages and bruises, he also lost his last goose. When Hitler's scene has finished, he whistles and Benito Mussolini appears out of a dog kennel.

Mussolini proceeds to sing a song as Hitler did, though Mussolini's is largely about being Hitler's dog, stating that 'I'm only a border in Hitler's new order'. Mussolini is seen wearing a Swastika. Mussolini's scene is very degrading towards himself.

Following Mussolini is Emperor Hirohito, the Japanese Emperor during the war. Hirohito is introduced to Japanese music and initially appears as a snake. He emerges from behind a tree singing that he is a 'son of the sun' before leaning over and revealing a sword behind his back. He proceeds to lay on the floor and continues to sing, stating, while kicking a bomb into the air, that 'we only bomb people for fun'. Like Mussolini, Hirohito also wears a Swastika.

Following the three Axis powers individual scenes, the animation then shows Hitler, Mussolini and Hirohito in a tank, with the narrator stating 'the three lugs got together' and that 'when their neighbours weren't looking, they Blitzkrieg'd em'. The narrator continues to state that 'They took over all of Europe' and want to take over 'the whole world'.

The animation then cuts to a hill where the narrator predicts that the united nations of: China, Great Britain, the Soviet Union and The United States will 'bury the axis'. Following this is a skirmish between the Allied forces and the Axis. During the skirmish Hitler, Mussolini and Hirohito are still in the tank. Mussolini and Hirohito are the ones loading the shells and firing while Hitler simply screams orders at the two of them. The shot that is fired simply droops out of the gun and splats onto the ground. Following this, the allies on the hill then fire a shell which has written on the side of it 'Adolf'. This shot destroys the tank and leaves the trio looking humiliated. The Allies fire off two more shots at Hitler, Hirohito and Mussolini; each one completely debilitating the trio and leaving them left in a humiliating position. The animation then ends with the a still screen that reads 'The End'.

Cinematography

The film uses stop-motion animation in order to portray its story. This includes clay puppet models of Hitler, Mussolini and Hirohito.

References

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