The Swing Shift Shuffle is a radio program of swing, big band, jazz, boogie woogie and other popular music from the 1930's and 40's that airs every Wednesday from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. (US Central Time) on WEVL 89.9 FM in Memphis, Tennessee, with a live webcast at wevl.org. In addition to the radio show, this blog is dedicated to all aspects of the Swing Era, including art, automobiles, cartoons, comics, history, movies, music, news, science, technology, and anything else that happened during that time. It also includes announcements about events in the Memphis/Mid-South area related to the Swing Era, such as classic movies, concerts, dances, lectures, etc. If you see something that fits the description, send it to me at tim@wevl.org. If you would like more information about the radio show, just go to the Radio Show FAQ page.

Friday, June 6, 2014

Private Snafu: Spies

In recognition of the 70th anniversary of D-Day, I thought a Private Snafu cartoon would be appropriate for a change.  These cartoons were produced by the U.S. Army as training films and morale boosters for the soldiers.  They were never intended for widespread public viewing.  As you watch, bear in mind the time and intended audience.  Stereotypes of the Germans, Italians and Japanese were commonplace in media during the war.  In addition, the audience would have been all male, aged around 18-25 years.  I picked this Snafu because of its focus on maintaining secrecy and spies.  Both played a very large role in the success of the Allied landings in Normandy.  From the Internet Archive, here is the 1943 Private Snafu animated short, Spies.

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