Out of the Frying Pan into the Firing Line (1942)

During WWII the United States was cut off from supplies of cooking oil, much of which came from the South Pacific. This oil also had military and industrial uses and there was soon a great shortage. Butter and other fats were being rationed by 1943. This did not completely ease the shortage. There was also a shortage of glycerin which is a byproduct of the use of fat in soap making. Glycerin use was restricted in civilian products to make it available for pharmaceuticals, explosives and other vital wartime uses.

To add to the supply of glycerin the government turned to civilians and asked them to save their fat. Civilians were told that a pound of fat makes enough dynamite to blow up a bridge. Housewives were to store the oil and turn it in for additional ration points.

The government turned to Disney Studios to get the point across to the housewives of America in this entertaining short shown in theaters nationwide.

THE SPIRIT OF '43 (1943)

In 1941 the Disney studios branched out from entertainment films to instructional movies. The first film was for the Lockheed Aircraft Company and explained methods of flush riveting. For the rest of the war, Disney made several training and morale building films. Dozens of films were produced for both civilians and military personnel. Donald Duck was the star of a popular film for the home audience.

Federal Income tax had been collected before WWII but it was only a minor amount and taxpayers were expected to mail in the payment 4 times a year. It was only at the start of WWII that taxes were levied on wages of the average worker. They were still expected to mail it in 4 times a year, but the government was having trouble getting the payments. So they turned to Walt Disney to make a film laying out exactly why it was important to the war effort for everyone to send in their taxes. The Donald Duck film was shown in theaters nationwide and was a great success, although at first the government balked at the price tag.