Target Snafu

Plot

In this WWII-era training cartoon, an armada of anthropomorphic mosquitoes carrying malaria flies toward their human targets with military precision. The squadron leader briefs his troops on their mission to infect soldiers who fail to use proper protection measures. Private Snafu, stationed in a tropical location, ignores all malaria prevention protocols, sleeping without mosquito netting, failing to use repellent, and leaving his arms and legs exposed. The mosquitoes launch a successful assault on the careless soldier, who becomes severely ill with malaria. The cartoon concludes with a stern warning about the importance of malaria prevention, emphasizing that carelessness not only endangers individual soldiers but also weakens the entire military effort.

Historical Background

This cartoon was produced during the height of World War II, specifically addressing the serious threat of malaria to Allied forces in the Pacific theater. In 1944, malaria was causing more casualties among American troops in the Pacific than combat, with thousands of soldiers rendered ineffective by the disease. The U.S. military recognized that traditional training methods were failing to get soldiers to take malaria prevention seriously. The cartoon reflects the military's innovative approach to health education, using the popular medium of animation to deliver critical messages. The timing was crucial as the war was intensifying in tropical regions like New Guinea, the Philippines, and various Pacific islands. The cartoon also represents the broader wartime mobilization of Hollywood's creative resources, with studios contributing to the war effort through propaganda, training films, and morale-boosting entertainment. The aggressive personification of mosquitoes as enemy bombers reflects the total war mentality of the period, where even disease was framed as an adversary to be defeated through military-style discipline and preparedness.

Making Of

The Private Snafu series was a unique collaboration between Warner Bros. and the U.S. Army Signal Corps. The Army approached Warner Bros. in 1943 to create a series of cartoon training films that would hold soldiers' attention better than traditional training manuals. Friz Freleng, one of Warner's top directors, was assigned to the project along with other key animators. The production team worked closely with military consultants to ensure accuracy while maintaining entertainment value. Mel Blanc provided voices for multiple characters in each cartoon, often recording several roles in a single session. The cartoons were produced in secrecy, with even other Warner Bros. employees unaware of their content. The animation team took advantage of the military funding to experiment with techniques they couldn't use in commercial cartoons, including more sophisticated camera movements and special effects. The mosquito squadron in 'Target Snafu' was animated using reference footage of actual bomber formations to achieve realistic military precision in their movements.

Visual Style

The animation in 'Target Snafu' employed several advanced techniques for its time, including multiplane camera effects to create depth during the mosquito squadron's approach. The cartoon used dynamic camera angles and movements unusual for theatrical shorts of the era, including dramatic zooms and tracking shots that mimicked military film footage. The visual style combined Warner Bros.' trademark exaggerated animation with realistic military formations and movements. The color palette was carefully chosen to emphasize the tropical setting and the contrast between day and night scenes. The animators used subtle lighting effects to create atmosphere, particularly in the night scenes where the mosquitoes attack. The character animation of the mosquitoes incorporated both insect-like movements and anthropomorphic military gestures, creating a unique visual language. The cartoon also featured sophisticated background paintings that conveyed the oppressive heat and humidity of tropical military outposts.

Innovations

The Private Snafu series, including 'Target Snafu,' achieved several technical innovations in animation. The cartoons were among the first to use synchronized sound for educational purposes, carefully timing audio cues with visual information to maximize retention. The animation team developed new techniques for showing abstract concepts visually, such as using the mosquito squadron formation to demonstrate how malaria spreads. The cartoons also pioneered the use of rapid montage sequences for educational content, condensing complex information into easily digestible visual sequences. The production team experimented with different animation styles within a single cartoon, switching between realistic and exaggerated animation to emphasize different points. The series also pushed technical boundaries in character animation, with Private Snafu exhibiting more subtle and complex emotional expressions than typical cartoon characters of the era. The mosquito characters featured innovative wing animation that created convincing flight patterns while maintaining their anthropomorphic qualities.

Music

The musical score was composed by Carl Stalling, Warner Bros.' legendary music director, who adapted military marches and tropical rhythms to create an appropriate atmosphere. Stalling incorporated popular songs of the era with military themes, reworking them with ironic humor to match the on-screen action. The sound effects were particularly innovative, with the mosquito buzzing created through a combination of vocal effects by Mel Blanc and technical manipulation. The cartoon featured a distinctive musical motif for the mosquito squadron that parodied Japanese military music of the period. The narration by Robert C. Bruce was delivered in the authoritative style of military training films, creating a humorous contrast with the absurd visuals. The soundtrack also included original musical cues that emphasized the cartoon's educational message while maintaining entertainment value. The audio mix was more sophisticated than typical theatrical cartoons, with multiple layers of sound effects and dialogue to create a rich sonic environment.

Memorable Scenes

• The opening sequence where the mosquito squadron receives their briefing in a military style formation, complete with maps and target coordinates
• The night attack scene where the mosquitoes dive-bomb Snafu's sleeping quarters like Japanese fighter planes
• Snafu's transformation from healthy soldier to malaria patient, shown through progressively worse animation and color
• The final scene showing the impact of one soldier's illness on the entire unit's effectiveness

What Critics Said

During its original military distribution, 'Target Snafu' was highly praised by Army officials for its effectiveness in communicating malaria prevention messages. Military medical officers reported that soldiers who had seen the cartoon were more likely to use mosquito netting and repellents. Post-war film historians and animation scholars have recognized the Private Snafu series as some of the most sophisticated and daring animation of its era. Critics have noted the series' clever use of humor to deliver serious messages, something rarely accomplished in educational media. Modern animation historians consider the series a high point of Warner Bros.' creative output, with many arguing that the freedom afforded by military funding resulted in some of the studio's most inventive work. The cartoon's technical quality and innovative animation techniques have been specifically praised in retrospectives of wartime animation. Some contemporary critics have noted the cartoon's value as a historical artifact, providing insight into both military training methods and the cultural attitudes of the 1940s.

What Audiences Thought

Among the target audience of WWII soldiers, Private Snafu cartoons were extremely popular and effective. Soldiers reportedly looked forward to training sessions that included Snafu cartoons, unlike most other military training materials. The humor and relatable portrayal of a bumbling soldier resonated with the enlisted men, who saw aspects of themselves in Snafu's mistakes. Post-war, when some cartoons were eventually released to the public, they developed a cult following among animation enthusiasts and military historians. Veterans who remembered the cartoons from their service often recalled them fondly as one of the more entertaining aspects of their training. Modern audiences discovering the cartoons through archives and special screenings have been impressed by their sophistication and adult humor, which was unusual for animation of the period. The cartoons' effectiveness was demonstrated by measurable improvements in malaria prevention compliance among troops who viewed them.

You Might Also Like