| The New Spirit | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Wilfred Jackson Ben Sharpsteen |
| Story by | Joe Grant Dick Huemer |
| Produced by | Walt Disney |
| Starring | Clarence Nash |
| Narrated by | Fred Shields |
| Music by | Oliver Wallace |
| Animation by | Ed Aardal Andy Engman Dan MacManus Josh Meador Don Patterson |
| Layouts by | Kendall O'Connor |
| Color process | Technicolor |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | War Activities Committee of the Motion Pictures Industry |
Release date |
|
Running time | 7 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The New Spirit is a 1942 Americananimatedshort film produced byWalt Disney Productions and theU.S. Department of the Treasury, and released by theWar Activities Committee of the Motion Pictures Industry.[1] The cartoon, which starsDonald Duck, was the first film created as part ofWalt Disney's World War II propaganda production. It was commissioned byHenry Morgenthau Jr., thenSecretary of the Treasury, to encourage American citizens to pay theirincome tax in support of the war effort. The film was directed byWilfred Jackson andBen Sharpsteen, and featuresClarence Nash as the voice of Donald, Fred Shields as the radio announcer, andCliff Edwards singing the theme song.[2]
The New Spirit was nominated for the Academy Award forBest Documentary at the15th Academy Awards, an honor it shared with 24 other films.[3] The following year, Disney releasedThe Spirit of '43 which had a similar purpose and reused many of the scenes fromThe New Spirit.
The film begins withDonald Duck, flush with the contemporary patriotic spirit present with the United States' full entry intoWorld War II, dancing to a patriotic song. A radio announcer tells about the new patriotic spirit and asks Donald if he is willing to do his part. Donald fervently asserts his loyalty and begs to know how best to show it. His enthusiasm fades when the radio announcer advises he pay hisincome tax promptly, but the announcer changes Donald's mind by stressing the country's need for resources to aid the war effort.
Now that Donald is motivated once again, the announcer, along with the help of a talkingdip pen,inkwell,blotter, and note pad, show Donald how to properly fill out his simplifiedForm 1040 A.[4] After this the announcer urges Donald to mail his payment to the Federal government at once, and Donald enthusiastically races across the nation toWashington, D.C. to deliver it in person.
The film concludes with a montage of images to illustrate to the audience the wartime necessities the money is needed for such as munitions and combat vehicles to defeat theAxis powers. With a final image framed in a sky lined with red, white and blue, the announcer repeatsThe Four Freedoms and reminds the audience that taxes are essential for victory and will keep democracy on the march.
Under theRevenue Act of 1942, approximately 15 million American citizens would become eligible to pay income tax for the first time. In anticipation of the law's passing, Secretary of the TreasuryHenry Morgenthau Jr. requested that Disney produce a film to cast the tax increase in a positive light and to explain why the government needed the money. A main part of the goal was to ensure that the taxes were paid on time, and to create as little resentment among the public as possible.[5]
However, there was significant disagreement between Walt Disney and Morgenthau on who should star in the film. After Disney presented astoryboard of the film in Washington, Morgenthau said that he did not like Donald Duck, and preferred instead a new character to represent "Mr. Average Taxpayer". This, he thought, could better convey the seriousness of the issue, but Disney was adamant that Donald be used. The duck was at the time the studio's biggest star, and Disney felt that using him could make a painful task as fun as possible. Disney eventually got his way.[6]
Time magazine said that "although the cartoon does not make the new short-form blank crystal clear, it gets its propaganda across with the anesthetic blessing of laughter and great good humor. As cinema,The New Spirit is a most effective job." It added, somewhat tongue in cheek, that "Bachelor Duck has complained about a lot of things, but his salary ($2,501) is not one of them. Its revelation is pure patriotism on his part."[7] At the15th Academy Awards the next year the film was one of 25 films nominated for theAcademy Award for Best Documentary Feature.[3]
Among the public, the film created its desired effect, income taxes were more prompt in 1942 than in any year previous.[8] Historians have citedGallup Polls to show more than 60 million people saw the short in theaters, and it contributed to an increase of twice as many income tax filings from the previous year.[9]
Despite the film's response, members of Congress did not appropriate $80,000 for the production. The U.S. Treasury had to fund the film from different sources.[8]
A comic strip version ofThe New Spirit was published inLook magazine. This version of the story was shorter, and ended with Donald actually mailing the tax form.[8]
The short was released on May 18, 2004, onWalt Disney Treasures: Walt Disney on the Front Lines.[10]
