Anybody ever hear of the "Private McGillicuddy" Navy cartoons?

[Sogturtle]

Just thinking about the Jam Handy cartoon post, made me wonder... Anybody out there ever hear of or see the "Commandments For Health" made for the Navy during WWII??
These were of course designed to urge caution and cleanliness for our troops in remote tropical locales. They are quite relevant to animation history as they were made parallel to the "Private Snafu" cartoons. BUT were made by Hugh Harman Productions (could be directed by Harman, Bob Allen, or George Gordon) and feature a unique mixture of very limited animation and some full-animation. The limited animation makes it hard to judge possible director-authorship. Not as funny as the Private Snafu's, but entertaining just the same. Annnnnd another tie to Warners and MGM, the narration and voice of Private McGillicuddy is provided by none other than... Mel Blanc!!!

(What the heck was the Navy doing making films about a Private in the Army??:D :D )

[Jack]

Sounds interesting. Were they black and white as well? Also, do they look like the MGM product of the time, or do they have a "modern design" like most other war films?

I think I might have seen an exherpt from one in a documentary a long time ago, it might have been about mosquitoes.


Jack:D

[Sogturtle]

Originally posted by Jack
Sounds interesting. Were they black and white as well? Also, do they look like the MGM product of the time, or do they have a "modern design" like most other war films?

I think I might have seen an exherpt from one in a documentary a long time ago, it might have been about mosquitoes.

Jack:D

Yak~

The ones I have are indeed black & white. These are all dated as being from 1945, but they have the "look" of the MGM cartoons of earlier, shaded characters etc. The backgrounds look to be either watercolors or black and white washes, but feature realistic jungles and landscapes. At one point the blistering noon sun becomes a Japanese stereotype!! The thing that is jarring is the lurch from limited animation and "very long holds" to animation without inbetweens and then to the segments of full animation, and back!! (Sort of like "The Tell Tale Heart").

Harman's one "Private Snafu" features much fuller animation (as directed by George Gordon) but has one great oddity... The Private Snafu in it is drawn almost completely differently from the Schlesinger or UPA entries. Much like coming from a different model sheet. A great pity that the one MGM Snafu wasn't filmed. Comparing would have fascinating.

Harman's other post-MGM work (what I've seen of it) is quality-wise almost indistinguishable from his Metro cartoons, lush full animation and all. Though 'tis a great pity that none list animators, though they DO credit storymen, directors, and layout dudes.