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The Army moved into Disney's studio
The military used the sound stages to work on optical systems for anti-aircraft guns, since the stages were soundproof, windowless, giant rooms. The studio also sits right next to Lockheed's secret Skunk Works in Burbank, probably the bigger reason it was requisitioned. A large number of animators were drafted too.
Disney was in debt to Bank of America and suspended its dividend to shareholders in 1942, so it took on government work as work for hire. That included films encouraging people to pay their taxes and buy war bonds, and posters using Disney characters like Donald Duck holding a gun. Mickey Mouse was protected from the war image while Donald led the way in the war films, since Donald is canonically a sailor and more of a fighter. The work kept the studio afloat with modest, reliable net income, but it brought nothing new to the flywheel.
Why did the military use cartoons for training?
Animation can show hidden mechanisms in cross-section, which photography cannot. Disney made training films such as Four Methods of Flush Riveting for Lockheed in 1942. Simple, clear visuals helped new recruits learn quickly. The studio produced hundreds of thousands of feet of training film during the war.
What was Der Fuehrer's Face?
It was a 1943 Donald Duck cartoon that satirized Nazi Germany. It won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short. Donald dreams he works in a factory under the regime. The song of the same name was a hit for Spike Jones.
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