John Sutherland
These links take you OUT OF the Hogan's Alley site to the Prelinger Archives, where you can either watch or download the cartoons referred to in the story on John Sutherland in Hogan's Alley #12. To get back to the Hogan's Alley site after you've viewed a cartoon, click the "back" button on your browser, and you can then either choose another Sutherland cartoon or go elsewhere in the site. (We should note that the Prelinger Archives is one of our favorite places on the Web, containing as it does thousands of vintage propaganda and social-engineering films on a great variety of subjects.) Viewing these cartoons requires you to have either Quicktime or RealPlayer, but if you don't have these applications already, there's never been a better reason to get them!
A Is For Atom (1953) This Sutherland classic, combining great animation with live action, explains the basics of atomic energy. Its emphasis on the peacetime use of atomic energy is not surprising when one considers that General Electric paid for it!
Destination Earth (1956) teaches us that oil and competition are the ingredients that result in American superiority. (And you thought it was democracy and stuff!) You'll be shocked -- SHOCKED! -- to learn that the American Petroleum Institute bankrolled this baby. In light of world events, the petroleum-based message in this cartoon retains a peculiar relevance. Watch as travelers from another planet learn what makes this country great!
It's Everybody's Business (1954) is brought to you courtesy of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Du Pont. This cartoon, produced when the Red Menace was on everyone's minds, links the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution (also known as the Bill of Rights) to the practice of free enterprise.
Meet King Joe (1949) If you read the article on Sutherland in Hogan's Alley, you know that corporate baron Alfred P. Sloan funded some of Sutherland's animation projects through tiny Harding College. This cartoon, in which American workers learn that they are more fortunate than their counterparts in other nations, is one of the results of Sloan's grant. We're still trying to figure out what kind of accent Joe has...is he from Brooklyn? New Jersey? We may never know.
Make Mine Freedom (1948) takes those godless Commies to task. Americans, who have heard some interesting things about the Soviet workers' paradise, are magically transported to a land where they have no rights, no protections and -- as the title implies -- no freedom. You'll laugh, cry and be utterly horrified to learn what life would be like under a totalitarian regime as Dr. Ism tries to persuade citizens for forgo freedom.
What Makes Us Tick? (1952) Have you ever wondered how the New York Stock Exchange would like us to perceive it? Well, here's your chance! (At least, this is how it wanted to be seen in 1952.) The engine of capitalism has never looked better! Stock-market watching has since become the unofficial national pastime, so this cartoon will remind you that, despite the ensuing five decades, we haven't changed all that much as a people.
Working Dollars (1957) This cartoon could be seen as a sequel to "What Makes Us Tick" since it was also produced by the New York Stock Exchange. Watch as Mr. Finchley lives the American dream of prosperity through the wonders of the Big Board! Compare this Sutherland animation to his earlier work and you'll notice the evolution of animation styles, this one demonstrating a notable UPA influence. (Note to readers: If you had your life savings invested in Enron, this might be too painful to watch.)
Why Play Leap Frog? (1949) Also produced through the auspices of Harding College, this cartoon gives viewers a quick and painless lesson in economics as viewed by The Man, who would like to convince workers that it's in their own interests to work harder, harder, HARDER! All right, we're convinced! The presentation of what could have been pretty dry material--we fell asleep in economics class like everyone else--is quite entertaining and, in its own way, actually quite informative.
Although Duck and Cover (1951) is not a John Sutherland-produced film (Archer Productions produced it for the Civil Defense Adminnistration), it is one of our favorite instructional films andwell worth viewing. This one combines animation (starring the classic, iconic Bert the Turtle) with live action (ducking under your desk saves you from nuclear holocuast? Sure!) to produce an unforgettable classic of its genre. If you were made to watch this as a child, you'll no doubt experience the warm glow of nostalgia rather than the warm glow of the mushroom cloud depicted herein.