Frank TashlinPrivate SNAFU - The Home Front (1943)

Private Snafu imagines the good times his family is having back home while he's stationed in the Arctic. Technical Fairy First Class shows that even his family is helping with the war effort - his dad building tanks, his mom planting a Victory Garden, Grandpa riveting battleships, and his girl joining the WAC's and even the family's horse is pitching in.

This is one of 26 Private SNAFU ('Situation Normal, All Fouled Up) cartoons made by the US Army Signal Corps to educate and boost the morale the troops. Originally created by Theodore Geisel (Dr. Seuss) and Phil Eastman, most of the cartoons were produced by Warner Brothers Animation Studios - employing their animators, voice actors (primarily Mel Blanc) and Carl Stalling's music.

This item is part of the collection: A/V Geeks

Director: Frank Tashlin
Production Company: U.S. Army Signal Corps / Warner Brothers
Audio/Visual: sound, b&w
Keywords: military; animation; Private SNAFU

Creative Commons license: Public Domain

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Reviewer: hudgeliberal - - January 11, 2007
Subject: One of the better ones.

Very good animation and Mel Blanc at his brilliant best. Funny,these were only shown to soldiers and when one or two did make it to public..people were shocked and called it vulgar and lewd..lol. Imagine if those same people could watch South Park,Family Guy and Adult swim cartoons?! Heart attack time..lol.

Reviewer: sharp357 - - January 11, 2007
Subject: Televisor!

What is interesting here is the use of the "televisor". Television was so new in 1943, only 10 years earlier less than 200 sets owned in the world, that many viewing this might have had a hard time knowing what it was. Televisor,hmm, I wonder when "television" became the popular phrasing?

Reviewer: bread - - November 25, 2006
Subject: Cute little time capsule!

Cute little cartoon that has aged well. It's a really good time capsule of the times, with great animation and funny gags. Enjoyable and recommend.

Reviewer: Spuzz - - January 10, 2006
Subject: So Snafu

Very nice and crisply drawn cartoon here. This features SNAFU wondering about all the fun the people back home are having while heÃÂÃÂs at war.DadÃÂÃÂs probably playing pool, MomÃÂÃÂs playing bridge and his galÃÂÃÂs probably schtupping another guy. Not so fast! Says his fairy godmother! He pops up a televison and finds out all 3 of them are doing their part for the war! Huzzah!

Reviewer: Christine Hennig - - October 1, 2004
Subject: So, You Think They Have It Soft, eh, Snafu?

SNAFU, stuck in a frozen wasteland, starts complaining that everybody at home has it soft: "They don't even know there's a war on!" Technical Fairy First Class brings out a televisor that shows him just how soft the folks at home have it: Dad builds tanks, Mom plants a Victory Garden, Grandpa welds ships, and his girl has joined the WAC! This is a fairly typical SNAFU with a few good gags and a really weird moment of a horse spreading his own manure on Mom's Victory Garden.
Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ***. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.