Spies (Private Snafu)
Encyclopedia
Spies is part of the Private Snafu
series of animated shorts produced by Warner Bros.
during World War II
. Released in 1943
, the cartoon was directed by Chuck Jones
and features the vocal talents of Mel Blanc
.
, who orders the Nazis to attack the American fleet - which they do.
A scene in which Private Snafu becomes drunk is musically accompanied by an excerpt from Raymond Scott
's composition, Powerhouse
.
Private Snafu
Private Snafu is the title character of a series of black-and-white American instructional cartoon shorts produced between 1943 and 1945 during World War II. The character was created by director Frank Capra, chairman of the U.S. Army Air Force First Motion Picture Unit, and most were written by...
series of animated shorts produced by Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Released in 1943
1943 in film
The year 1943 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* January 3 - 1st missing persons telecast * February 20 - American film studio executives agree to allow the Office of War Information to censor films....
, the cartoon was directed by Chuck Jones
Chuck Jones
Charles Martin "Chuck" Jones was an American animator, cartoon artist, screenwriter, producer, and director of animated films, most memorably of Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies shorts for the Warner Bros. Cartoons studio...
and features the vocal talents of Mel Blanc
Mel Blanc
Melvin Jerome "Mel" Blanc was an American voice actor and comedian. Although he began his nearly six-decade-long career performing in radio commercials, Blanc is best remembered for his work with Warner Bros...
.
Plot
Private Snafu has learned a secret, but the enemy is listening and he'd better zipper his lip. However, Snafu - little by little - lets his secret slip (by telling the audience, calling his mom, and drunkenly relaying it to a bar girl who works as a Nazi spy): His ship is about to set sail for Africa at 4:30. The information is picked up by spies and quickly relayed to Adolf HitlerAdolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
, who orders the Nazis to attack the American fleet - which they do.
A scene in which Private Snafu becomes drunk is musically accompanied by an excerpt from Raymond Scott
Raymond Scott
Raymond Scott was an American composer, band leader, pianist, engineer, recording studio maverick, and electronic instrument inventor....
's composition, Powerhouse
Powerhouse (song)
Powerhouse is a instrumental musical composition by Raymond Scott, probably best known today as the iconic "assembly line" music in animated cartoons released by Warner Brothers.-History:...
.