Mickey Mouse in Vietnam
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Short Subject (commonly known as Mickey Mouse in Vietnam) is a 16mm underground animated short film. The director was Whitney Lee Savage (father of Adam Savage, of MythBusters fame); the producer and head designer was Milton Glaser. It was produced independently in 1969 and has a total running time of one minute.
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Plot
Mickey Mouse is seen walking happily until he sees a sign reading "Join the Army and See the World"; he then walks offscreen and comes back with a helmet and gun; he arrives at Vietnam during the war via a cruise ship; however, moments after while walking in the grass he is shot by an enemy. The short ends with Mickey lying dead on the ground, his smile turning slowly into a frown.
Production
The short was produced under the auspices of a studio named Max Cats and Whittesey Sledge Studios. According to Glaser, it was meant for the Angry Arts Festival which, according to him, was "a kind of protest event, inviting artists to produce something to represent their concerns about the war in Vietnam and a desire to end it"; Mickey Mouse was chosen due to being a symbol of innocence.
Reception
It received an award from the International Short Film Festival Oberhausen in 1970. According to Glaser it was positively received from the audience.
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