Censored (1944) User Reviews

It makes it point very well,...and provides a few laughs

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 14 May 2009]

The Private Snafu films were clearly made to be seen by soldiers and not by the general public. The dirty jokes, sexual innuendos and language is relatively tame today but never would have been allowed in the regular theaters due to the Production Code. But, such off-color remarks went over very well with the enlisted men and helped to illustrate important information in a humorous and memorable fashion.

In this particular short, Snafu keeps trying again and again to sneak a letter to his girlfriend past the military censors. However, again and again they catch him. So, when his Technical Fairy First Class arrives, Snafu asks him to deliver the letter. As usual, the fairy is able to show Snafu what COULD happen if this information got out--even if it seemed very innocent.

All in all, not among the very best (such as BOOBY TRAPS and SPIES) but still a very good cartoon. Not only did it illustrate its point well but had a few good laughs thrown in to make the message quite palatable.

Be careful what you write

[emasterslake · 7/10 · 23 March 2006]

Private Snafu is determine to mail his letter to Sally Lou and tell her what he's been doing in the army.

Only problem is he's unable to pass the censored center. Which they edit out all the Military Secrets that shouldn't be heard in outside the premises.

No matter how many times Snafu tired he just can't manage to send his letter uncensored to his girlfriend. But when all luck seemed lost. Technical Fairy First Class appears and will delivery Snafu's letter uncensored.

But little does Snafu know is that he just made a mistake.

This one has some laughs and the usual Looney Tune gags. Also has a lesson in be careful what you write.

On the surface, CENSORED seems to be about . . .

[oscaralbert · 6/10 · 31 July 2016]

. . . conveying the message that "Loose lips sink ships." However, frame-by-frame scrutiny of this World War Two Era "Private Snafu" Warner Bros. animated short reveals that CENSORED is ACTUALLY promoting a "Loose lips jinx Nips" message. Bare Nips appear on many of the Pin-ups plastering the walls of Snafu's South Seas Quonset Hut. They later are featured prominently when Snafu's loose-lipped gal back home, Sally Lou, greets her mailman totally topless. Bare Boobies are even used as a camouflage screen by the Japanese troops acting upon Sally's Brazen Braless Baring of American Invasion plans for "Bingo Bango Island." This atoll is drawn as an apparently welcoming but actually Nit- or Nip-infested portal for the entry of clueless U.S. Seamen. Snafu then crows about catching someone with "their pants down," but it's awfully hard to tell just whose panties are in a bunch. CENSORED is pretty much five minutes of non-stop sexual innuendo. Warner Bros.' subliminal marching orders urge U.S. servicemen to instigate a Baby Boom by servicing American Ladies ASAP. This strategy of eventually overwhelming the Japanese through a sheer U.S. numerical advantage was, of course, short-circuited by the atom bombs. However, by then the flood of babies already were in the pipeline (no more able to be returned to the Tube than excess toothpaste).

"Looks very good, on the HOLE! Yuk yuk yuk yuk yuk yuk!"

[slymusic · 16 October 2009]

"Censored" is a funny Private Snafu cartoon made at Warner Brothers during World War II. Snafu repeatedly tries to write a complete letter to his girl Sally Lou, but because soldiers need to be careful of what they write during wartime, all of Snafu's letters get severely censored.

Highlights: When an electric eye catches Snafu's butt, all hell breaks loose. One shredded letter turns into paper dolls, and I love Snafu's angry facial expression. Although it's wrong, I laugh at the stereotypical Japanese communications (thanks to voice actor Mel Blanc) via telephone and radio regarding Snafu's whereabouts, after which Japanese submarines surround Bingo Bango Island within a matter of seconds.

One surprise we can find in "Censored" is a TOPLESS Sally Lou! Clearly this cartoon was not meant for a general audience, but the GIs could accept a little bawdy display now and then.

Watch What You Write

[Hitchcoc · 6/10 · 26 January 2019]

Once again we have Private Snafu, who is one of the worst soldiers we've ever seen. To start with, he flies in the face of any authority. In this one, he is warned not to share important information with his girlfriend back home. He goes through numerous gyrations to get a message to her. Of course, his messages are rife with military secrets. It's all very predictable, designed to frighten World War II Gi's into minding their P's and Q's.

A so-so Snafu cartoon notable mainly for some surprising nudity

[phantom_tollbooth · 4/10 · 9 January 2009]

Frank Tashlin's 'Censored' is a so-so Private Snafu short which aims to teach the importance of the Censor in stopping military secrets from leaking out. Snafu attempts to get word out to his girlfriend that he's to be stationed in the South Pacific but the Censor foils each attempt he makes to send the letter. These early scenes are the best, with the unseen Censor plucking the letter out of the sky with long mechanical arms, nets and even a specially employed eagle! The second half of the cartoon, in which Snafu manages to send the letter with the aid of Technical Fairy, First Class (who is actually teaching him a lesson), is less funny and climaxes with a disappointing only-a-dream finale. The main point of interest in this part of the cartoon is the appearance of Snafu's extremely scantily clad girlfriend who is even seen bare-breasted, albeit with strategically placed limbs at all times! Aimed at the military, the Snafu shorts were often characterised by a heightened bawdiness but these scenes, crowbarred in as they may be, are by far the most erotic I've come across in any of these shorts thus far. Despite all this, I prefer the Snafu shorts that go for the jugular a little more, usually resulting in the death of the main character. For great examples of this, seek out Tashlin's 'The Goldbrick' or Chuck Jones's 'Spies'. 'Censored' is fairly weak by comparison.

One of a series of very short cartoons made as training films for the Army by Warner Brothers during WWII.

[llltdesq · 9/10 · 4 December 2003]

This is one of 28 short (three to four minutes each, typically) cartoons showing how NOT to be a good soldier and the potential consequences of doing or saying the wrong things. Targeted solely at servicemen, the language was far more graphic and animation more adult in nature on a few occasions. Censored is about the need to censor correspondence home so that the enemy doesn't pick up vital information from the seemingly innocuous, casual remark (i.e., troop movements, location, unit number, et cetera). Private Snafu is the world's worst soldier and the name is an acronym-Situation Normal, All Fouled Up being the kinder, gentler meaning given in polite parlance. Excellent series, well worth seeing. Highly recommended.

One of the longer Snafus, but not one of the best

[Horst_In_Translation · 4/10 · 14 March 2016]

"Censored" is a 1944 black-and-white cartoon that runs for almost 5 minutes and features idiot soldier Snafu again, who taught American soldiers how not to behave. This one here is about what you should write to your girlfriend, family etc. when you are stationed somewhere and what you should not write. Of course Snafu writes exactly what he should not write. He has a pretty hot girlfriend though. Director is Frank Tashlin this time and Mel Blanc is on board as usual, this time with Bea Benederet. I personally thought his was one of the weaker Snafus. not recommended. Watch some of the other perhaps instead, or just another Mel Blanc/Fran Tashlin cartoon that is not war-themed.

Intriguing and of very good quality

[TheLittleSongbird · 8/10 · 4 September 2013]

Not one of the masterpieces of animation, neither did it need to be and nor did it try to. Censored is still very good as a cartoon and has degrees of interest too. The first half is funnier than the second with slightly better timing, and the it's-only-a-dream ending may leave one feel cheated(unless it's necessary this viewer has never been a fan of this type of ending anyway so there may be a little bias). The animation is excellent though, everything is beautifully drawn and the colour shadings are crisp and expressive, while the music is catchy and characterful as well as appropriately orchestrated. The humour and gags are a lot of fun, for the time also quite daring, you have to love Snafu's facial expressions and the part with the electric eye. Censored has a good and important lesson of being careful what you write that makes its point without being preachy, and is interesting for the scantily clad and somewhat erotic character of Sally Lou as well. Snafu is very endearing even when being the worst ever soldier. Mel Blanc as always does stellar vocals, the Japanese communications are indeed stereotypical but Blanc does also make them rather amusing to hear. Overall, very good quality stuff and of good interest value. 8/10 Bethany Cox