Two baby squirrels ask grandpa to explain what "men" are when he comes in singing "peace on earth, goodwill to men". Grandpa tells the story of man's last war.
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Title: Peace on Earth (1939)
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Nominated for
1
Oscar.
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Cast
| Uncredited cast: | |||
| Mel Blanc | ... | Grandpa Squirrel (voice) (uncredited) | |
 |
The Hollywood Choir Boys | ... | Vocalists (voice) (uncredited) |
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Plot Summary
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Plot Synopsis
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Storyline
A baby squirrel asks his grandfather to tell him what happened to all the men. The old squirrel reveals that all the humans were killed years ago in a terrible war. The surviving animals started a new society, based on the lessons taught in the Bible. Written by Mike Konczewski
Plot Keywords:
squirrel | bible | grandfather | peace | reference to the ten commandments |Parents Guide:
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Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
9 December 1939 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Friede auf Erden See more »Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Sound System)Color:
Color (Technicolor)Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1
Edit
Baby Squirrel 1: What are men, Grandpa?
Baby Squirrel 2: Yeah, Grandpa, what are men?
Grandpa Squirrel: Huh? What's that?... Well there ain't no men in the world no more, sonnys... nope, no more men. But as I remember the critters, well they was like monsters. They wore great big iron pots on their heads. They walked on their hind legs, and they carried terrible-looking shootin' irons with knives on the end of them. And their eyes flashed, and they had these tremendous big snoots, like this, that curled ...
[...]
See more »
(1818)
Music by Franz Xaver Gruber
Lyrics by Joseph Mohr
English lyrics anonymous
Sung by studio chorus
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
The first MGM cartoon to be nominated for an Academy Award. See more »Quotes
Grandpa Squirrel: Good will to men, yes, good will to men.Baby Squirrel 1: What are men, Grandpa?
Baby Squirrel 2: Yeah, Grandpa, what are men?
Grandpa Squirrel: Huh? What's that?... Well there ain't no men in the world no more, sonnys... nope, no more men. But as I remember the critters, well they was like monsters. They wore great big iron pots on their heads. They walked on their hind legs, and they carried terrible-looking shootin' irons with knives on the end of them. And their eyes flashed, and they had these tremendous big snoots, like this, that curled ...
[...]
See more »
Soundtracks
Silent Night, Holy Night(1818)
Music by Franz Xaver Gruber
Lyrics by Joseph Mohr
English lyrics anonymous
Sung by studio chorus
See more »
This surely has to rank as one of the great "shorts" of all time. Released by MGM at the perfect time - in 1939, with the world poised on the brink of the Second World War - the cartoon portrays a family of squirrels living in an era after humanity has wiped itself out in war, as Grampa Squirrel (voices by Mel Blanc, who would of course become most famous as the voice of Bugs Bunny) attempts to explain to two babies on Christmas Eve why the Christmas song being sung says "peace on earth; goodwill to men." "What are men?" ask the babies, and Grampa Squirrel relates a story that should make all human beings squirm at our hypocrisy as he explains how humans killed each other off, and then relates the discovery by the animals who survived of a book that has a set of rules including "thou shalt not kill."
It's simplicity probably makes this all the more thought-provoking.