Charley's Black Magic

A landmark four disc Box Set - Unearthed from Moscow's legendary Soyuzmultfilm Studios, the 41 films in ANIMATED SOVIET PROPAGANDA span sixty years of Soviet history (1924 - 1984), and have never been available before in the U.S.

World War II propaganda trailer asking travellers to have patience and make concessions when travelling on trains. Film mostly consists of rostrum animation of still cartooned images with some very short pieces of true animation. (BFI)

This remarkable documentary dedicates itself to an extraordinary chapter of the second World War – the psychological warfare of the USA. America’s trusted cartoon darlings from the studios of Warner Bros., Paramount, and the “big animals” of the Disney family were supposed to give courage to the people at the homefront, to educate them, but also to simultaneously entertain them. Out of this mixture grew a genre of its own kind – political cartoons. Insightful Interviews with the animators and producers from back then elucidate in an amusing and astonishing way under which bizarre circumstances these films partially came into existence.

Based on the book by Major Alexander de Seversky's about his theories of the practical uses of long range strategic bombing. Using a combination of animation humorously telling about the development of air warfare, the film shows de Seversky illustrating his ideas of how air power could win World War II for the Allies.

Short cartoon made for US military soldiers during World War Two.

The first Greek animated film was shot by the cartoonist Stamatis Polenakis (1908-1997) with the title "The Duce tells...". The seven-minute "Mickey-Mouse-style" film, as its creator mentions in the credits, satirizes the Italian invasion of Greece on October 28, 1940, and especially Mussolini, who recounts his exploits, but reality constantly contradicts him. Stamatis Polenakis, one of the leading Greek cartoonists of the 20th century and a pioneer of animation in our country, began drawing the sketches for the film in 1942 in his hometown, Sifnos, where he had taken refuge during the Occupation. He worked under the boot of the Italian conqueror, risking arrest. The film was lost during the Civil War and it was not until 1980 that a negative was found and restored.

Lu Dahai and his shipbuilding team want the 10,000-ton ocean freighter "The East" to be given a sea trial. But the ship is made with domestic parts, and Chen Zongjie, a leader of the Party Committee of the Bureau of Foreign Transport, believes that the quality is not sufficient, and orders that the parts be replaced with imported ones before the sea trial takes place. In the end, the sea trial not only sets a successful new record, but also rescues a Taiwanese fishing boat in distress.

A propaganda film during World War II about a boy who grows up to become a Nazi soldier.

7 Wise Dwarfs is an educational short animated film commissioned by the National Film Board of Canada as a short film for educating the Canadian public about war bonds during World War II. The short features the seven dwarfs from Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, four years after the characters made their screen debut.

The entire Disney menagerie appears in a parade urging the purchase of war bonds.

A World War II propaganda film about the need to remain calm and logical during wartime.

Donald is stuck on KP at an air training base. Sergeant Pete gives him a huge pile of potatoes to peel first, then gives him some tests: close your eyes and touch fingers, pin the tail on the airplane. He finally gets sent aloft, only to discover it's a parachute jump. Eventually, both Donald and Pete end up falling with no chutes and a bomb.

Animated documentary promoting timely filing and payment of Federal income taxes, demonstrated by Donald Duck's difficulties with his tax return.

Donald Duck deals with income taxes and their benefit to the American war effort in this inspirational documentary short animated film.

The Three Little Pigs sell Canadian war bonds.

Private Duck is a camouflage painter. He paints a giant cannon with some very gaudy colors, until Sergeant Pete explains that the point is to make it so the cannon can't be seen. Donald finds a bucket of experimental invisible paint and makes the cannon disappear. Pete isn't happy with this, and knocks Donald into the paint, then chases him, until he runs into the general. As Pete tries to explain, Donald prods him with a cactus, then goes off to steal some pies. Eventually, Pete goes berserk and starts throwing grenades willy-nilly and gets in more trouble with the general.

The Seven Dwarfs fight malaria.

A doctor persuades a group of boys to be vaccinated by explaining how it will protect them against disease. Animated sequences depict the body metaphorically as a city, defended by the blood cells, which are stimulated by vaccination to amass arms and ammunition, in order to defend the city when it is invaded by germs.

Donald Duck buys Canadian war bonds in World War II.

World War II propaganda film on the importance of American farming. A morale booster film stressing the abudance of American agricultural output.