Ever Been Had?

"Buxton's cartoon warning against the con."

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About this film

Dudley Buxton's 1917 animated short uses caricature and quick gags in the style of British wartime cartoon propaganda, though plot details are sparse in surviving catalogs. The title suggests a cautionary joke about being swindled, consistent with Buxton's other topical sketches of the period.

More about this film

About the production

Release date1917

Themes

SatireCon artistry

Themes & topics

Dudley Buxtonanimation1917British

Historical background

British animators produced numerous short propaganda and humor reels during World War I; Buxton worked in the illustrated press before turning to animated topicalities.

Why this film matters

Ever Been Had? is listed in animation filmographies as an early British animated short, though complete prints are difficult to locate.

Making of

Open sources chiefly list credits with Dudley Buxton named as director.

What critics said

Surviving references are chiefly archival; the short is noted by specialists tracing Buxton's wartime output rather than by mainstream reviewers.

Did you know?

  • Animated short by Dudley Buxton, 1917.
  • Listed in early British animation catalogs.

What audiences thought

Audience documentation for Ever Been Had? is limited; availability today depends on archive and streaming copies.

Film restoration

Preservation status should be confirmed against archive holdings.

Where to watch

  • Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ever%20Been%20Had.webm