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.

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.

This is a unique film in Disney Production's history. This film is essentially a propaganda film selling Major Alexander de Seversky's theories about the practical uses of long range strategic bombing. Using a combination of animation humorously telling about the development of air warfare, the film switches to the Major illustrating his ideas could win the war for the allies.

Short US propaganda cartoon.

Mr. Conductor's supply of magic gold dust, which allows him to travel between Shining Time and Thomas's island, is critically low. Unfortunately, he doesn't know how to get more. Meanwhile, Thomas is fending off attacks by the nasty diesel engines. Getting more gold dust will require help from Mr. C's slacker cousin, his new friend Lily and her morose grandfather, plus the secret engine.

A marching band of Germans, Italians, and Japanese march through the streets of swastika-motif Nutziland, serenading "Der Fuehrer's Face." Donald Duck, not living in the region by choice, struggles to make do with disgusting Nazi food rations and then with his day of toil at a Nazi artillery factory. After a nervous breakdown, Donald awakens to find that his experience was in fact a nightmare.

After a hard day at work, Mr. Prokouk decides to invent a machine to ease his labor. But inventing is work too, and Mr. Prokouk spends more time dreaming about inventions than actually inventing anything. Can he find an easy solution?

A pastel animation produced by Sheila Graber and based upon the short story by Sid Chaplin. Narrated by north east broadcaster Mike Neville the film tells the story of Geordie, a miner, and his love for his pigeons and the trials and tribulations of his passion which is very popular around the region. The face of Sid Chaplin is used as Geordie.

A Martian explorer discovers the secrets behind the USA's prosperity — oil and free enterprise.

Once upon a time there lived a journalist. Eager to spark interest in his boss’s newspaper, he published news of a colourful bird, more like a parrot than a chicken, less like an ostrich than a swan. No one could work out the origin of this strange bird and a web of sensational stories soon spun, but it burst the moment it came out that the witty journalist repainted an ordinary duck. From that moment on every lie journalists tell is called a ‘canard’. Our film leads directly to the nest of one such duck, in Bucharest, where the inform-propaganda spin doctor Pavel Judin, instructed by wise managerial orders and Moscow, overblows this featherless bird to the pleasure of ones and the derision of others.

Lightning sketch propaganda stirs outrage about Reims bombing, and features a British bulldog eating the German sausage.

Animated WWI-era comic highlights from the innovative cartoonist George Studdy, creator of Bonzo the dog.

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

Don’t judge a book by its cover but do judge a political party by its garage.

Donald is manning a listening post and falls asleep; he blows trumpet calls in his sleep and wakes his nephews. For their revenge, they send up a model airplane filled with gingerbread men with parachutes; Donald shoots it down, and cowers in fear when he sees the parachutes (and hears a simulated battle), until one lands on his beak. Donald kicks his nephews out until he mistakes a bee for an airplane, and calls them back to fight this menace.

Peaceful citizens (one of whom resembles Felix the Cat) are dancing to music before their island is being invaded by a gigantic rodent that resembles Mickey Mouse. The islanders contact legendary folk-hero Momotaro from a giant book to battle Mickey.

The Sailor and the Seagull was released by the U.S. Navy in 1949 with a simple goal: encouraging servicemen to re-enlist. In the film, a disgruntled sailor named McGinty complains about the raw deal he believes he is receiving by serving in the Navy. As luck would have it, a seagull comes to release him from service so that he can experience the freedom of civilian life. McGinty soon learns, however, that civilian life means less freedom and less money than he had imagined and quickly jumps at the chance to re-enlist. (cont. http://blogs.archives.gov/unwritten-record/2013/09/26/sailor-and-the-seagull/)

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.