Escalation - A Film by Ward Kimball

[ChaosWolf1982]

yay, titties.

[PunkyBear36]

Now I know how Krusty the clown felt after watching 'Worker and Parasite".

"What the hell was that??"

[RetroToledo]

@PunkyBear36 There's plenty of this stuff out there that needs to be watched too.

[Young67013]

Doesn't the intro miss our 7????

10,9,8,6,5,4,3,2,1 LOL

[Madhatter1903]

@Young67013 I think that's the point, 7 is a lucky number and with that war there is no luck

[WeHateFatChx]

My favorite part was the titties!

[Nakams80]

i find this hard to masturbate 2

[birdhouse345]

Buuuuuuubies :D:D

[kidz911]

nose boner???

[Shoknifeman]

@kidz911 Nawwww.... Pinnoccio syndrome

[dazdogman]

BOOBIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

[1chevellelover]

lbj was the worst prez in U.S. history.It's time he got his.That was just about the attitude he had, as well.

[satekmary506094]

some Funny...

I love Kimball <3

[katinaanimator]

Even though Ward Kimball WAS a Disney animator/director, he obviously made this independently. Walt Disney had died two years before Kimball made this. He probably wouldn't have appreciated this short, but Ward Kimball was one of the only people that Walt ever called a "genius". Ward was a very radical, free thinker, and that REALLY comes out in this short. I wonder what people thought of it at the time.

[RetroToledo]

@katinaanimator There's not too many of those geniuses out there anymore I see.

[HDibbles]

Disney said fuck subliminal and just went all out with this one

[Adler36]

Is this really a film from an DISNEY animator? Because the nose looks like an errect *****...

[batshanf]

Thank you very much for sharing this

[RadicalEdwardIV]

Ward Kimball rules. The "Three Caballeros" song and "Toot, Whistle, Plunk & Boom" are two of my all-time favourite bits of animation.

[lollipop5432]

wat the hellll

[Spheremaster0001]

you have to remember that its a political cartoon. And at the time many people were against the Vietnam war, and LBJ was the president who brought us to Vietnam. Many people were upset about this but the main reason why we went was because America at the time felt that comunists were an enemy and were a threat to America and had to be gotten rid of.

But weather or not you agree with this short you have to remember its an opinion of one man about LBJ and the war at the time.

[benmuskler]

they forgot number 7 in the beginning :P

[johnnyjet2006]

WHAT THE F*#K is this supposed to mean?! The man didn't START the DAMN WAR!!! And yet, you disrespect him! WHAT have YOU done, FOR your country, ASSWIPE!? In my humble opinion, YOU, are a  GUTLESS COWARD. At least NOW, the world KNOWS IT! After you put your ASS in the grass, and here the bullets zing by your brainless head, THEN... and ONLY THEN, will YOU have the right to second guess, criticize and condemn the people, that have done their best, to lead and defend this country.

[boisbrut]

lol stfu basterd

[JohnKricfalusi666]

That's the funniest piece of animation that I've seen in ages.

[woodears]

A bit of explanation: To a man of Ward Kimball's generation, a 'johnson' is a penis. That is President Lyndon Johnson in caricature, and the actor caricatures his speaking voice. To those who don't get the point: This was an 'undeclared' war that kept 'escalating'.

[murrangurk]

@woodears Ahhh thanks for that. 

[thisoranyother]

wonderful

ward is my god

[SPAMMYWHOSPAM]

that nose looks like huge cock with erection problems

[charly1785]

Excelent film

argentina

[PLAYxMATE]

x'D

[mdpk1]

excellent

[zobop]

Magnificent! Ward Kimball was a true genius ....

[BadLactose]

Great film from a great animator. Is this user actually Ward Kimball?

[clintrussell]

Ward passed away in 2002.

[avoidbreathingvapour]

2000

[avoidbreathingvapour]

sorry, the book i had said 2000 but yes you are right 2002

[ZEANski]

genius!!!!

[MagnesianPhoenix]

I'm surprised only a few people have commented on the phallic imagery. What a clever way to symbolize dishonesty and irrationality in one image of L.B.J. (I say irrationality because of the duality of instinct and reason.) I don't think I've seen this twist on Pinocchio before.

And it's a triple reference because, of course, it's analogous to the escalation of the war.

JimSweet is right - there's no seven! Does anyone have an idea why?

[jmm1233]

this is what government does !!!!!!!!!

[DenhamSpringsLA]

Amazing film... much too sophisticated for Bush and Cheney to ever comprehend.

[asswhole455]

If Walt were alive at the time Ward made this I doubt Ward would've made it! Walt would surely have shit up a rope.

[bluemax79]

You are correct. Ward would not have had the guts to have done this crap while Walt was alive. Old Ward sure enjoyed his freedom making this "movie"...wouldn't it have been nice if the South Vietnamese could have enjoyed the same?

[JimSweet]

I wonder why there was no 7 at the begining.

[06pittor]

Bellissimo !!! ..e molto attuale

[SchoolofSoul]

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR POSTING THIS!!!!

I saw this short film only once before, in 1979, at an appearance by Ward at Cal State Fullerton, where some of his films were shown and he spoke and took questions, and it had everyone in absolute stitches. I never forgot it, but until now, it has been absolutely IMPOSSIBLE to find this film!!!! Thank you again!!!

[rmmcclay]

Ward Kimball is one of the Disney "Old Nine Men" animators!

[OrphanEater1]

BOOBEHS ON U TUBE!?

[jschob]

Wars don't make governments richer you're a dumbass. Wars are about power.

Yeah the Iraq war suuuuure made us richer....case in point

[rparker0]

Wars do not make governments richer, but don't call the poster a dumbass! Wars make politicians richer, they own the oil (Johnson, Bush) etc. Selling oil to the military at an escalated price sure makes someone richer, and it isn't you or I.

[Jazzspace38]

War is waged to make governments richer. We never learn. Imagine if our soldiers were put to better use like rebuilding New Orleans.

War is not a matter of just or unjust. Governments must be pressured by the people to enact humane policy. The world burns as a result of policy, not ideology. Mistakes are repeated and no one is held accountable. W, Cheney, and Rove should be arrested as war criminals.

Ward Kimball is genius.

[wallyparadise]

Heh, this is why narrative filmmaking will never go out of style.

[grahambailey]

Do you mean "fervent"? By any chance?

Big words are intimidating, I know, but you can still spell them right with practice.

[F1315NJ]

a bizarre short film, but most shorts are bizarre. 4 stars

[monkeymanmachine]

Is this incredibly unsubtle video really worthy of such fervant discussion? I like breasts, but I haven't dropped any nuclear bombs recently. "Oh no! Playboy and consumerism is going to destroy the world..." To be honest this video was worth it just to expose the spectrum of idiotic persecution fantasies being indulged by the weakest part of the democratic system, the voters.

[churkblip]

Cosumerism IS destroying the world. Playboy and other cheap pornography marketed solely for three-second orgasm males also ain't helping matters.

[MsGeek703]

This is very apropos to the current situation. God bless the immortal memory of Ward Kimball.

[grumpystiltskin]

The video criticized escalation, and you have note that its maker was right and ahead of his time about the costs and futilty of escalating that war. But I think this video didn't help much because it was too confusing and went off the deep end. A lot of lives could have been saved if a better argument had been made.

[mgabrys]

someone gets it - and fuck you retards for thinking that calling a video shit means I'm a GOP member. I voted for Nader - TWICE. Mainstream poltics is a farce - and I'd say - we have living proof on both sides of the fences from the mouth-breathing demograhics. I'm merely annoyed at a waste of a message that thinks it's clever. "how's that working out for you - being clever".

[idontwantyourpity]

The real question for me is: why do we have such enfeebled protest TODAY, against the current unecessary and hideously destructive war? Oh, and the crypto-nazis who had to come to power by stealing an election? You know, the ones posting comments here about liberal "sissies" and then accusing this animation of being juvenile? They're just nostalgic for the recently ended period of Hitlerian one-party rule. Because one is as high as they can count. They're over. Pay them no mind.

[carbiduis]

probably because there are people on the other side of the world being brainwashed by a religion that think if they kill me and you via suicide bomb they will be rewarded in heaven. Bush aint haven that shit.WMD's; cant you remember when saddam wouldnt allow UN weapons inspectors in his country...GEE I WONDER WHY? just so he could buy enough time to get rid of them. O yeah, and wasnt michael moore supposed to make a documentary about how the 2004 election was rigged, how is that coming?

[RadicalEdwardIV]

That's a laugh, considering the only country ever to have actually EXPLODED a WMD on another country is America.

Where do they get off policing the rest of the earth?

[dfacetube]

The "opposition?" I'm not really sure if the former commenter is supporting war protesters or ripping on them. This film was posted as a historical record of one of Disney's great animators. Sure, comparing America's aggression in the world to turgid forced male sexuality might seem trite today, but I'd say it was fairly daring in 1968. This is a short film. It's an expression of what this guy ws feeling and thinking. Its silly to judge it so harshly.

[woodears]

The real obscenity was that war. And this one.

[woodears]

This is a political cartoon by one of the brilliant "Nine Old Men' of the Disney studio. I think we can look at a forty-year old photo of a breast without having conniptions. Why not grow up a little?

[synthum]

LBJ Long Binh Jail Viet-Nam where is the apology and reparations for these crimes? quagmire ICC International Criminal court here we come!

[joncro]

that why they call him President Johnson?

[Hevynly1]

Thanks for posting some great historical Ward Kimball material! :)

[GrahamWagner]

great. now i'm aroused by international conflict. add it to the list of things i can't ask my girlfriend to do.

[theshortestfuse]

Honky: Die in a fire.

[singedrac]

OH NO A BREAST

[singedrac]

OH NO A BREAST

[singedrac]

OH NO A BREAST

[TicToc06]

Please do not take this down YOUTUBE! This is very rare and is very important in a political sense.

[mariachimike]

YouTube, please don't take this down and be part of the media which limits political discourse.

[VanMontgomery]

This is AWESOME!!!

Ward Kimball is one of my heros and even more after seeing this.

[nossing]

Kiss my ass.

[litlgrey]

Well he sure didn't draw THIS for Disney. Holy cow. This is a side of Ward Kimball I surely never knew about. This should be shown with Harman and Ising's "Peace on Earth" as a powerful anti-war, animated message.

[mgabrys]

Powerful if you're in the 6th grade. Got anything insightful? Like a fart joke? Perhaps poop! That'd be great too. Good thing the opposition is so dead-on. No wait - they're just dead in the water.

Perhaps another non-binding resolution. That'll show-em.

[Rolandzebub]

Here's something insightful: You are pathetic.

War is not a game, idiot.

[Derioe]

ABsolUtly Great, such a great effect wich so little animation, the soundtrack is really good too..

[KitsuneDarkStalker]

OK, this video was INSANELY fucking retarded.

[skramble]

Retarded in a good way though. War is profitable for the ultra wealthy.

[saisumimen]

"insanenly fucking retarded"? I agree with most people here and thought he did a good job getting his point across. Remember this was made in the '60 and remember all the strong emotions involved during this disaster.

Thank you for your constructive criticism, by the way.

[cashberg]

Who invited all the right-wing nutjobs?

[Gulril]

Maybe the Liberal Sissies XD

Oh, I just have to hear that song again one again

[nikdee]

underwhelmed.

[carlota1228]

Wow. Just wow.

[batguano]

"Accusation without evidence"? There's this wall in Washington with around 50,000 names on it. You should go take a look at it sometime. Vietnam was a pointless and bungled waste, just as Iraq is a pointless bungled waste.

[kultra]

if mgabrys did actually report this to YouTube just because people didn't agree with him in the message board, that would make him such a giant wang.

YouTube, please do not take this video off of your site. It obviously has value. If somebody did register an obscenity complaint, then I would like to register a non-obscenity-this-is-actually­-great-you-shold-keep-it-up-fo­rever complaint.

[roeboy]

there's a reason so many war monuments are phalic....

[maxipad505]

I hope no one takes this down because of the breasts and the obvious phallic suggestion, becaus this is a really great animation. I like how the nose falls off at the end and he breaks apart and crumbles. Very well done.

[DonCrow]

OK I loved Ward's cartoons as a youth, But WHAT kind of drugs was he taking. This was like a trip on LSD with an anti-war protester of the 60's next to you!

[willibro151]

"I figured YouTube should know about the adult content..."

As usual, the right wing are less interested in the debate than they are in whether their opponents conduct themselves like nuns at a church supper. "No swearing, now, kids. It's just people dying after all!"

Fuck you mgabrys.

[MrDestructoid]

I like the part about the breasts

[raist2]

Escalation, an animated anti-war short from Academy Award-winning Disney animator Ward Kimball (1914 --2002). The 1968 film protests then-president Lyndon B. Johnson's escalation of the Vietnam war.

[raist2]

Thanks!

[mgabrys]

Trite? Laws yes. Perhaps some lives could have been saved with - oh I don't know - A COMPELLING ARGUMENT?

[djripley]

yes, if only a single cartoon animation had been more compelling, the Vietnam War could have ended on a happy note!

It really is too bad there was nobody else anywhere in the world who was doing anything to criticize the war and it was all up to this one little cartoon.. Kimball really dropped the ball on this, he could have saved so many lives. The blood of American GIs (and Vietnamese and Cambodians) is truly on his hands.

[mgabrys]

No but it would have gave weight to the opposition instead of being TRIVIAL FLUFF. Oh but you can go back to your non-productive protests and fart jokes and the republicans will continue controlling america with the corporations for another 100 years. Good work. Keep it up.

[wylkyn]

The implication is that escalation is just a testosterone-fuled response, and that American lives were less of a concern than LBJ's pride. The nudity and smokes, are just a barrage of images that illustrate the seamier side of American culture. You may not like this video...but to dismiss it as "trivial fluff" is hardly a compelling argument. And protests are only non-productive when you stop caring what other people think.

[furbearingbrick]

FINALLY, somebody who gets it!

[random4viewer]

Classic. Thanks for uploading this.

[mgabrys]

Well since you're whacking comments with abandon, I figured YouTube should know about the adult content. Good luck with those people skills chuckles.

[saisumimen]

I bet you were a hall monitor in junior high.

[saisumimen]

Oh and BTW, this has a message; it's not pornographic, jackass.

[mgabrys]

Smokes and tits. Yes looks very familar. Apart from the PRON and genetalia refs it's otherwise trite and carries very little weight.

Here's a thought - how about an argument? You know - something with ideas rather than prank-themes? Might actually lend some credibility to the cause.

JUST A THOUGHT.

[raist2]

It's an animated short, not an academic tome. Ever hear of context? Did you not even recognize LBJ? Ha.

[willibro151]

If that's the only "thought" in your head, I wouldn't admit it out loud. As for argument: Dozens of former generals, secretaries of state, and current representatives have tried arguing with this president. And he not only isn't listening, he's actively making things worse. So why not make a little fun of him? He is, after all, like Lyndon Johnson, a blinkered moron.

[misterbryant]

if you need everything spelled out for you then you are an ignorant jackass.

[cazoo]

wow you are dense

[mgabrys]

You're impressed by 7th grade humor. No wonder you have no power in America.

[jepitur]

Weird!

[Oxalis37]

Almost 40 years later and still so relevant!