Watts, Stephen.  "Walt Disney: Art and Politics in the American Century" The Journal of American History 82(1): 84-110.

This essay by Steven Watts presents a historical look at Walt Disney and his films, and the effect that Disney’s background had on his filmmaking.  Watts explains that Disney’s conservative, Midwestern upbringing made him sympathetic to the common man, and his films reflected that.  Mickey Mouse was the representative populist hero, always shown triumphing over someone larger or more powerful.  The article traces Disney’s shift from an idealistic supporter of FDR and the New Deal to a disillusioned anti-Communist.   He made countless training and propaganda films during WWII, but his experience with the US government proved to be frustrating, which contributed to his change in politics.  Watts concludes the article by explaining how Disney’s identity as “Mr. Average American” allowed him to reach a wide audience and mediate historical change.

This article explains how Disney became a cultural force and was able to enact political change through films like The New Spirit and Spirit of ’43.  It also gives insight into the development of his ideals and how they played into his decisions as a filmmaker and studio head.  During World War II, he was already well-known for making films that appealed to children and adults, which is why his propaganda films were so effective.  The films contain recognized characters like Donald Duck, who is described as representing someone who “has no qualms about asserting his capabilities and defending his place in society” (98).  Disney was able to become a cultural phenomenon, and because of this, his films like The New Spirit and Spirit of ’43 were able to have real political implications.

This is a transcript from testimony Walt Disney gave in 1947 in front of the House Un-American Activities Committee.  Disney explains the films he made during WWII, referring to them as propaganda and anti-Nazi.  He also talks about the impact he believes his films had on the public during the war, particularly with regards to The New Spirit and Spirit of ‘43.  According to Disney, 29% of Americans said that the films caused them to pay their taxes earlier and gave them a better understanding of what taxes do.  He goes on to implicate former studio employees as members of the Communist party, and states that they are to blame for the strike the Disney studio experienced a few years prior.  In his testimony, Disney makes clear his anti-Communist and anti-labor union sentiments.

In this source, Disney himself discusses his war films and the effect they had on the world during World War II.  He establishes that film is an effective way to disseminate propaganda, and cites a study that claims that his films caused 29% of people to file their income taxes earlier.  This is a very significant effect, and it indicates that not only were people watching the Disney films, but they were changing their behavior based on them.  In part due to Disney’s films, the war effort was able to garner the support of the American people.