After the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor brought the United States into World War II in December 1941, a large studio lot in Burbank, California, was swiftly requisitioned as an army anti-aircraft base. Nearby was the Lockheed aircraft production plant, and this newly established site would ensure the plant was protected from enemy raids.
The studios were the property of Walt Disney, already something of an icon in the United States for his animated films. Because of his status, he was soon approached by the US government to produce wartime propaganda films, a task that he embraced wholeheartedly. More than 90% of the Disney company’s wartime output was dedicated to assisting in the struggle against Japan, Nazi Germany, and their allies.
This remarkable period in the studio’s history is the subject of a new exhibition at the Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco. Curated by historian Kent Ramsey and in partnership with Seattle’s Museum of Flight, it showcases more than 550 examples of rare historical objects, film clips, and posters.
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