Chuck Jones

90 Day Wondering is a 1956 animated short directed by Chuck Jones for Warner Bros., commissioned by the United States Army to encourage discharged soldiers to re-enlist. The cartoon follows Ralph Phillips, who is overjoyed to be a civilian again after his discharge, but finds civilian life less glamorous than expected. Two pixies named Pete and Re-Pete act as his conscience, debating whether he should stay out or re-enlist. As a U.S. government work, the film is in the public domain.

Animation · Comedy · War

A Hitch in Time is a 1955 animated short directed by Chuck Jones for Warner Bros., commissioned by the United States Air Force to promote re-enlistment. The cartoon follows John McRogers, a character closely modeled on Private Snafu, who dreams about his future after four years in the Air Force. He is guided by Grogan, Technical Gremlin First Class — a reworking of the Technical Fairy from the original Snafu series — who explains the advantages of staying in the service versus returning to civilian life. As a U.S. government work, the film is in the public domain.

Animation · Comedy · War

A Lecture on Camouflage is a 1944 Private Snafu cartoon directed by Chuck Jones for Leon Schlesinger Productions, written by Dr. Seuss (Theodor Geisel). Using Snafu as an example, Technical Fairy First Class teaches the methods of effective camouflage in a typically irreverent Snafu short, building to a famously shocking ending. As a U.S. government work produced for the Army Signal Corps, the film is in the public domain.

Animation · War · Educational

Coming!! Snafu is a 1943 Private Snafu cartoon directed by Chuck Jones for Leon Schlesinger Productions, produced for the U.S. Army Signal Corps. This is the very first Snafu short, serving as an introduction to the bumbling soldier character. The cartoon sets the template for the series: Snafu demonstrates exactly what NOT to do in military situations, with humorous consequences. As a U.S. government work, the film is in the public domain.

Animation · War · Comedy

A fox reads that fox fur is the latest fashion rage and, mistaking popularity for affection, eagerly turns himself in to a furrier, with predictably comic results. A Chuck Jones-directed Merrie Melodies short. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy

Private Snafu tosses away his gas mask, confident that poison gas will never reach him, until a surreal gas attack proves him catastrophically wrong. A Chuck Jones-directed Private Snafu training short with a Bugs Bunny cameo. The film entered the public domain as a U.S. government work.

Animation · Comedy · War

Private Snafu goes on leave and can't stop blabbing military secrets to everyone back home, with disastrous consequences for his unit. A Chuck Jones-directed Private Snafu training short written by Dr. Seuss. The film entered the public domain as a U.S. government work.

Animation · Comedy · War

Private Snafu is stationed on the cold, remote Aleutian Islands, where boredom and isolation prove as dangerous as the enemy. A Chuck Jones-directed Private Snafu training short. The film entered the public domain as a U.S. government work.

Animation · Comedy · War

It's Murder She Says is a 1945 Private Snafu cartoon directed by Chuck Jones for Leon Schlesinger Productions, produced for the U.S. Army Signal Corps. In this installment, Snafu becomes the victim of a murder mystery aboard a military base, with the cartoon using the whodunit format to deliver its instructional message about military security and vigilance. As a U.S. government work, the film is in the public domain.

Animation · War · Comedy

Private Snafu vs. Malaria Mike is a 1944 Private Snafu cartoon directed by Chuck Jones for Leon Schlesinger Productions, produced for the U.S. Army Signal Corps. Snafu is stationed in a jungle where a malaria-carrying mosquito named Malaria Mike targets him as his next victim. The cartoon was part of a series of instructional films designed to teach soldiers about malaria prevention in tropical theaters. As a U.S. government work, the film is in the public domain.

Animation · War · Comedy

No Buddy Atoll is a 1945 Private Snafu cartoon directed by Chuck Jones for Leon Schlesinger Productions, produced for the U.S. Army Signal Corps. Snafu finds himself stranded on a tropical island, where he believes he has found a companion — only to discover that his new "buddy" is actually a Japanese sniper. The cartoon is one of the later Snafu shorts, produced near the end of World War II. As a U.S. government work, the film is in the public domain.

Animation · War · Comedy

Prest-O Change-O is a 1939 Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Chuck Jones for Leon Schlesinger Productions. Two curious dogs wander into a magician's house and encounter a series of magical transformations, including a two-headed dog and other surreal creatures. The short is an early example of Jones's developing style, blending Disney-esque charm with the anarchic humor that would later define his work. The film is in the public domain.

Animation · Comedy · Fantasy

Robin Hood Makes Good is a 1939 Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Chuck Jones for Leon Schlesinger Productions. Three young animals play at being Robin Hood and his Merry Men, but when a real fox villain appears, they discover that pretend heroics are very different from the real thing. The short is an early Chuck Jones work, showing his developing storytelling sensibility. The film is in the public domain.

Animation · Comedy · Adventure

So Much for So Little is a 1949 educational animated short directed by Chuck Jones for Leon Schlesinger Productions. Produced for the Federal Security Agency Public Health Service, the cartoon advocates for public health spending, arguing that a few cents per person per year can prevent disease and save lives. The short was theatrically screened and won an Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject. As a U.S. government work, the film is in the public domain.

Animation · Educational

Spies is a 1943 Private Snafu cartoon directed by Chuck Jones for Leon Schlesinger Productions, produced for the U.S. Army Signal Corps. Snafu inadvertently leaks military secrets to enemy spies through careless behavior, demonstrating the dangers of loose lips. The cartoon features a memorable sequence where Snafu is pursued through a nightmarish landscape of espionage. As a U.S. government work, the film is in the public domain.

Animation · War · Comedy

Three pranking brothers at Pimento University must rescue their sweetheart Dora Standpipe from the villainous Dan Backslide. A Chuck Jones-directed Merrie Melodies short, considered a landmark in animation for its limited-animation style and breakneck pacing. The film entered the public domain in 1970 through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy

A Mr. Hook cartoon made for the U.S. Navy, in which the sailor Hook dreams of the girl he left stateside and the egg that represents his future happiness. A Chuck Jones-directed Warner Bros. wartime short. The film entered the public domain as a U.S. government work.

Animation · Comedy · War

Private Snafu endures the grueling marches, drills, and discomforts of infantry life, learning that the blues of the foot soldier are the foundation of military victory. A Chuck Jones-directed Private Snafu training short. The film entered the public domain as a U.S. government work.

Animation · Comedy · War

Private Snafu is stationed on a remote island outpost, where isolation and boredom lead him into typical Snafu-style trouble. A Chuck Jones-directed Private Snafu training short. The film entered the public domain as a U.S. government work.

Animation · Comedy · War