Dean and Sam Meet Roy and Walt Again
In the midst of the current Presidential campaign, it is important to realize that the first television commercial for a U.S. President candidate was made by the Disney Studios.
Dwight D. "Ike" Eisenhower was a World War Ii hero. Past the end of the war, he had supreme command of all operational Allied forces. He retired from the service in May 1952. Both the Democrats and the Republicans wanted him to run in the Autumn 1952 U.South. Presidential election.
Jacqueline Cochran was a successful cosmetics executive and ane of the virtually famous women pilots in the globe. In Feb 1952, she helped sponsor a massive rally at Madison Square Garden for Eisenhower supporters. It finally convinced the Full general to run for president as a Republican. Ike and Cochran remained close friends for the rest of his life.
What does all this take to practise with Walt Disney? Well, during the 1952 campaign, Cochran contacted Roy O. Disney at the Disney Studios and persuaded him to produce a black-and-white animated television set commercial in back up of Eisenhower's candidacy.
Eisenhower was the first presidential candidate to ever use television commericals in his campaign.
However, the most oft run (and supposedly near popular) Eisenhower campaign advertisement was not his many alive action ones just an animated one that was produced quickly past the Disney Studios. The actual spot (and the song created by the Disney Studio) was officially called "We'll Take Ike (to Washington)".
Officially, 225 prints of the i minute spot and 210 prints of the 20 second spot were shipped to the important telly stations in the country. "Since the election, we have been advised by these stations that these drawing spots were played more any of the other Eisenhower tv set films," claimed Disney Producer Bill Anderson in November 1952.
The boosted material begins with a niggling, confused animated "everyman" overwhelmed by all the bug of the twenty-four hours from war to lower wages. "I've listened to everyone. I've tried merely who'southward right? What are the facts?"
The moving picture cuts to a dapper business suited alive activity player who remarks that the defoliation is natural but "beyond all the words, beyond all the claims, there is actually just one thing on which most people base of operations their concluding decision…the man."
And then it seques into the well known advertizing. At the end, the live activeness actor again appears and states, "Those were the voices of the people. What'south your conclusion? Who will you vote for?"
The little animated everyman nows wears an "I Similar Ike" button and smiles, "Me? I similar Ike!" Then there is silent footage of Eisenhower accepting his nomination at the Republican national convention while the vocalism over says "The National Citizens for Eisenhower-Nixon have presented this message to all thinking voters regardless of party amalgamation."
The body of the one minute commercial is filled with a tricky tune and repeating animation cycles. A strutting Uncle Sam wearing an "Ike" button on his lapel leads a parade of regular citizens marching to the nation's capitol where a shining sun with the proper name "Ike" in the centre rises in the air. Those steadfast American citizens include young parents pushing a babe carriage, a cowboy, a house painter, a baker, a railroad engineer, a fire-eater, a draftsman and fifty-fifty a milkmaid.
The parade includes a large grey elephant draped with a banner featuring a extravaganza of Eisenhower's face. The elephant beats with his tail on a drum pulled behind him to help rally the spirits of the placard and banner conveying supporters. All these folks are marching to the right and briefly in the groundwork is a shadowy figure (implying information technology is Eisenhower's Democratic opponent Stevenson) riding a donkey the wrong fashion to the left.
Singers:
Ike for President. Ike for President. Ike for President.
You similar Ike, I like Ike, everybody likes Ike for President.
Bring out the banners, beat the drums, we'll take Ike to Washington.
We don't desire John or Dean or Harry. Let'south do that large task correct.
Allow'southward arrive pace with the guy that's hep. Become in footstep with Ike.
You lot like Ike, I similar Ike, everybody likes Ike for president.
Bring out the banners, vanquish the drums, we'll take Ike to Washington.
We've got to get where we are going, travel twenty-four hours and dark.
Permit Adlai go the other fashion. We'll all become with Ike.
Yous similar Ike, I like Ike, everybody likes Ike for President.
Bring out the banners, shell the drums, nosotros'll have Ike to Washington.
We'll take Ike to Washington!"
The "John, Dean or Harry" mentioned in the song and caricatured every bit donkeys were meant to propose Stevenson'southward running mate John Sparkman, as well as Democrats Dean Acheson and Harry Truman.
After the triumphant arrival at the domed capitol, the Voice Over Announcer (the narrator and writer of the True Life Gamble documentary serial, Winston Hibler) states: "Now is the time for all good Americans to come to the help of their country." (By voting for Eisenhower, of course!)
The Disney Studios put together an autographed cel gear up for several people straight involved in Eisenhower'south campaign. These included Mr. Arthur Summerfield (who Ike fabricated his Postmaster Full general), Mr. Paul Hoffman (an influential, if unofficial advisor), Mr. Paul Helms (whose Smoke Tree Ranch Home was used as a vacation spot by Ike) and Mr. Tex McCray (who helped stage the Madison Foursquare Garden rally). In addition, an autographed cel setup was sent to Ms. Cochran
Producer Bill Anderson wrote to Cochran in November 19, 1952, "I am enclosing an autographed cel setup for yourself, and an autographed cel setup and a re-create of the vocal "Nosotros'll Take Ike" for Full general Eisenhower. The cel setups were prepared from the original art material used in the television spot, 'Nosotros'll Take Ike'.
"We prepared several of these and rather than send them all to General Eisenhower, we sent i to Mr. Arthur Summerfield, Mr. Paul Hoffman, Mr. Paul Helms, Mr. Tex McCrary, and yourself. We thought all of you lot would get a boot out of them as a souvenir.
"We have sent General Eisenhower'south to you lot as the original idea for a television spot was yours and we think you lot are the logical one to pass them on to him. Thanks again for rallying us to the Eisenhower Band Railroad vehicle and we hope y'all will relish this autographed cel setup as a memento of the campaign.
Left To Correct: Dwight Eisenhower, his son David, and Walt Disney.
"All of us hither take this opportunity to give thanks y'all for the part you played in putting the thought of a tv set spot over. We had a peachy deal of fun in making the films and it was with pride that we viewed our work on boob tube night later night. For most of usa, this was our outset agile political entrada.
"Naturally, we are all very happy that General Eisenhower was elected President with landslide proportions and we like to call up that our films contributed in a small-scale way. Producing these films taught usa a lesson; we constitute out only how speedily nosotros could put a ane infinitesimal spot together and get prints distributed on a nation-wide basis."
Walt's brother, Roy Oliver Disney also wrote to Cochran a few days before on November fourteen, 1952: "The boys and girls all enjoyed working on the project and, of course, we are all very happy at the outcome of the election. Kindest regards."
Roy besides included a list of the Disney employees who contributed their time and efforts to the cartoon. That list and other related correspondence is in the Jacqueline Cochran Papers, Eisenhower Campaign Series, Box ii, in the Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum in Abilene, Kansas patiently awaiting some other researcher to journey there and reveal its contents.
Source: https://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/the-disney-animated-presidential-commercial/
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