In an era before television, visual culture was dominated by the movies. In the 1940s, movie theaters were much grander palaces of entertainment. With no “after” market in video or television, movies were made to be viewed once. And they were usually accompanied by newsreels and cartoons. The latter, unlike many cartoons in the TV era, were produced for adult theater audiences, and often incorporated current events and themes into their storylines. The examples above include a trailer for the Movie “Casablanca” (1942), a Bugs Bunny cartoon, and a “Private Snafu” cartoon made for military audiences.

Casablanca (1942)


Bugs Bunny "Falling Hare"


Private Snafu "Spies"