Any Bonds Today?

This World War II pitch for war bonds has stuck in my mind since childhood. How that's possible I don't know, it was made 2 years before I was born. I most likely saw it on very early TV.
Media History Essay from here on-- Every kid from 1920s-50s knew who Irving Berlin was but we'd have never connected him to a Bugs Bunny cartoon. Berlin recycled it for the war effort from "Any Yams Today", 1938 Ginger Rogers number. It probably ran over and over on 1950s TV, and us kids probably never realized it was outdated, one war behind. In early 50s when TV suddenly caught on, programming was labor-intense, all Local and all Live (and we'd watch anything, didn't matter what-- it was TV!) To stretch very short broadcasting days, stations started tossing up any kind of film, travelog, industrial, silent stuff, any footage that was free or cheap. The first feature movies seen on TV were sold secretly to individual stations out a studio's back door. Hollywood sneered at TV but "Poverty Row" studios would do anything for a buck. They were mostly B Westerns, and here's the cool part-- these FILMS WERE SOLD BY THE POUND! I remember something about $8/lb but that might have been fish or potatoes yesterday, who knows, I claim mild dementia on recalling facts. And nobody gave a damn about © or public domain. I saw this footage again after 60 years when it showed up on the wonderful Vintage Tooncast in itunes. My kiddie brain had accurately retained every bit of the first 50 sec of this vaudeville-style number, but I'd totally obliterated any knowledge of the blackface segment. Doubt I wiped it for any social/ethical criteria, wouldn't have had that input because blackface was still standardly acceptable as humor into the mid-60s. I think I forgot it purely because, from 55 sec on, the production's just not nearly as good-quality show biz! Bugs totally nails that first run-through, it's righteous-- he's a pro and a damned good one! as was Irving Berlin.

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• Bugs Bunny
• World War II Bond Rally
• Irving Berlin
• early TV
• media history
• Vintage Tooncast
• quality cartoon
• blackface.