简介：Whatanexhilaratingpieceofworkthisis!HELL-BENTFORELECTIONisbyfarthemostenjoyableandeffectiveexampleofcampaignpropagandaI'veeverseen,afascinatinganimatedextravaganzathatplayslikeanelaborateeditorialcartooncometolife.This13-minutefilmwasacollaborativeeffortbetweenthelegendaryChuckJonesandthetwomenwhowouldformthenucleusofUPA(thehippestcartoonstudioofitsday),SteveBosustowandJohnHubley.Thegoalofthisparticularprojectwasthere-electionofPresidentFranklinD.Rooseveltin1944,andtheartistsinvolvedgaveiteverythingtheyhad:thevisualstylecombinesthefluid,funnycharacterworkfoundinJones'WarnerBros.classicswiththecubist,angulargraphicsUPAwouldsoonhelpestablishasthedominantpost-warstyle.Thescriptissharp,fullofpunsandtopicalreferencesthatmightbewilderviewerswhoaren'twell-versedinthepoliticalhistoryofthe1940s.Butevenifyoudon'tcatchallthejokes,there'snodenyingthatthecampaignsongthatclosesthefilmisincrediblycatchyandmayhaveyousingingalongbytheend.ThelyricswerewrittenbyE.Y.("Yip")Harburg,whowrotethewordsforanumberofsongsthatcansafelybecalledimmortal,including"It'sOnlyaPaperMoon"and"OvertheRainbow." ThestoryconcernsarailroadworkernamedJoewhosejobitistothrowaswitchsothatoneoftwotrains--butonlyone--canproceedtotheWhiteHouseonasingletrack.Thetrainsrepresentthecandidatesofthetwomainparties,andthisiswherethepoliticalanalogiesareespeciallyclever:FDRispersonifiedasaslick,moderndieseltrain,theWin-the-WarSpecialnoless,whiletheoppositionisdepictedasatired,wheezing,decadentlocomotivecalledtheDefeatistLimited.Thereisnoattempttomakethe"Republican"trainresembletheGOPcandidate,ThomasE.Dewey,butthefilm-makerswerecarefultoshowthistrainpullingalotofuglyfreightloads,suchastheBusinessasUsualSleeperandaJimCrowcarrepresentinginstitutionalizedracism.(Thislastaccusationwasprettynervy,however,sincesomuchJimCrowlegislationoftheerawassponsoredandpassedbyconservativeSouthernDemocrats.)Asthesetwotrainsapproachthejunction,meanwhile,Joeispesteredbyawickedlittlepoliticianwhoattemptstodistracthimwithflattery,blather,andboozefromabottlelabeled"CampaignChampagne–NoProof."ApowerfulcigarofferedbythisscoundrellullsJoeintoaheavilymedicated,hallucinatorynightmarestate,butthere'slittledoubthe'llmanagetosnapoutofitanddotherightthinginthenickoftime. Ithinkit'sworthpointingoutthatdepictingFDRasapowerfultrainwasabrilliant,almostsubliminaltransformationofhispersonalmisfortune,i.e.hisparalysis,intoanasset.PresidentRooseveltwasneverphotographedinhiswheelchair,andaccordingtopeopleofmyparents'generationthetrueextentofhisdisabilitywasnotwidelyunderstood,butcertainlymostAmericanswereawarethathecouldnotwalkwithoutassistance.Todepicthimhereasagrinning,confidentdieseltrain,happilybarrelingdownthetracktowardscertainvictory,wasastrokeofgenius. Inanyevent,awrittendescriptiondoesn'tdothiscartoonjustice,nordoesasingleviewing.It'sadazzlingdisplayoftheanimator'sartaswellasbrilliantpoliticalpropaganda.FromwhatIgatherthefilmwasoriginallyshownnotinregulartheatersbutatlabormeetings,rallies,DemocraticPartyconclaves,etc.I'msureitwasaveryeffectivemeansofrallyingthetroops,especiallywiththatgreatsongatthefinale.Eventoday,manydecadeslater,youmayfeelchargedupandreadytogooutandvotewhenit'sover.~wmorrow59fromWestchesterCounty,NY…