Sean Bradley, Staff
Trigger warning: mentions of war, weapons and violence
Christmas has always been a popular subject in animation. When most folks think of Christmas animation, they may think of popular holiday standards, such as “A Charlie Brown Christmas” or “Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer.” However, one rarely seen, animated Christmas film that really should be seen by the public is an anti-war short, titled “Peace on Earth.”
“Peace on Earth” was produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) and was released during the Christmas season of 1939. Directed by Hugh Harman (who is best known for his partnership with Rudolf Ising in establishing both Warner Bros. and MGM’s cartoon studios in the 1930s), the short takes place on Christmas Eve in a post-apocalyptic world only inhabited by animals after mankind went extinct due to war. In the short, a grandfather squirrel (voiced by an uncredited Mel Blanc) tells his two grandsons the story of how mankind waged endless wars. What unfolds during the story sequence is a montage of realistically animated battle scenes, featuring menacing soldiers, bombs, planes, tanks, burning cities and heavy artillery, that ultimately end in a chilling scene of the last two men shooting and killing one another from trenches. Afterwards, the surviving animals emerge from the ruins and discover a Bible. Inspired by the biblical teachings, the animals all decide to create a utopian society based on peace. From there, the short fast forwards back to the present Christmas setting and concludes.
ithin just eight minutes, “Peace on Earth” effectively delivers its anti-war message. This message was especially significant for its time because the threat of war was real since World War II, which would ultimately become the deadliest war in history, was erupting in Europe. The short’s call for peace resonated with audiences of the time, so much that it was nominated for the 1939 Academy Award for Best Animated Short. 84 years later, the film is still relevant. One thing that makes this film timeless is that it effectively gets its message across without diving into the politics of its time. The film doesn’t depict any specific army or political group or figure, but rather depicts war as a failing of mankind. However, this doesn’t mean that the film is flawless. Hugh Harman himself admitted in a 1973 interview with animation historian Michael Barrier that, “We shouldn’t actually have made that as a one-reeler, we should have made it in about three to five reels . . . But cutting the storyboard and switching around. It has some flaws. I just got tired of it near the end.” Some viewers might also say the grandfather squirrel says the phrase “peace on earth” a little too much. But despite the film’s flaws, its message remains important.
So, this Christmas season, I highly recommend checking out Hugh Harman’s brilliant, anti-war masterpiece, “Peace on Earth,” and remembering its powerful message that hopefully one day comes true.
Watch “Peace on Earth” here:
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