In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

g QUILDinG AWARTim~ cons~nsus 1n T~~ 1940s AnD 1950s IN EARLY DECEMBER I94I, THEjAPANESEATIACK ON PEARL Harbor prompted Time magazine to displace its originally scheduled cover story regarding Walt Disney's new cartoon movie creation, Dumbo. After the December 7 attack on the Hawaiian Islands and Germany's declaration of war on the United States a few days later, Americans immediately focused on the spreading horror of World War II. The fate of the big-eared circus elephant in Disney's feature-length cartoon suddenly seemed trivial.l Quickly, however, popular culture's place in the nation's life became stronger than ever. Indeed, over the next twenty years or so, during World War II and the early Cold War, the entertainment industry helped forge a national consensus celebrating the American way of life. Amusements and patriotism had often been intertwined, certainly during the crises of the 1930s, but that linkage tightened as Americans rallied to their nation's defense against the Axis powers and, subsequently, the Soviet Union and communism. The entertainment industry bolstered a victory mystique, provided opportunities for temporary amusement in an all-too-grim world, and profoundly influenced Americans' perceptions of themselves and their country. In late 1941, when the United States plunged fully into World War II, the fate and role of popular culture were initially much in question . The spreading conflict's insatiable need for materiel and personnel threatened to drain the entertainment industry of crucial resources. Government-instituted rationing programs for products such as gasoline could strangle amusements such as circuses, music groups, and athletic teams that depended on travel. Wartime shortages of other materiel such as shellac and celluloid jeopardized the record and movie businesses. "Dimout " and "blackout" regulations made Coney Island at night resemble a 264 WITH AMUSEMENT FOR ALL ghost town; at Steeplechase Park, a mere two thousand shaded bulbs replaced the sixty thousand bright lights that previously illuminated the area. Government insistence after 1943 on the reduction of paper usage by 1520 percent created problems for newspaper, magazine, and comic-book publishers. And a number of prominent entertainers, ranging from Jimmy Stewart and Clark Gable in films to Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams in baseball, joined the armed forces.2 But, as Dumbo's fortunes in December 1941 ultimately demonstrated, Americans hastily embraced popular culture. Although Time magazine exchanged Disney's character for war news on its cover right after the Pearl Harbor attack, the magazine did not completely ignore the cartoon elephant . Indeed, the December 29 issue included a story characterizing him as "the most appealing new character of this year of war." In the movie, the little elephant's ridi!:;ulously huge ears, which initially make him the target of jokes, ultimately lift him to heroic status as he saves the circus and becomes its star. "Among all the grim and forbidding images of A.D. 1941," Time conjectured, Dumbo's "guileless homely face is the face of the true man of good will." In fact, "Dumbo could only have happened here." Certainly, the story of the defenseless but courageous underdog who triumphed over injustice and hardship provided a ready-made script for anation at war with aggressor forces.3 For good reason, then, President Franklin D. Roosevelt's administration recognized popular culture's importance for the war effort. The government 's position was that the show must go on, although entertainment producers were supposed to ask of their products: "Will this help win the war?" The Office of Defense Transportation thus allowed circus trains to operate because circuses were crucial to "morale on the home front." For the same reason, Roosevelt ensured that Hollywood could continue producing commercial movies. "The American motion picture is one of the most effective mediums in informing and entertaining our citizens," he said. And, when he established a liaison between the government and Hollywood, he emphasized that he "want[ed] no censorship of the movies ." Roosevelt turned also to the music industry: "The inspiration of great music can help to instill a fervor for the spiritual values of our way of life; and thus to strengthen democracy against [its enemies]." Even without such urging, the makers of popular culture-from movies to Tin Pan Alley, radio, sports, and comic books-eagerly raised the flag, seeking in the process to enhance their public image and worth.4 Comic-book publishers were an important example. For parents who fretted about comics' bad influence on youngsters, the war provided the comic business with...

Share