Cap'n Cub (film #1 on V for Victory WWII Cartoons & Shorts Show, Vol. 1 (Something Weird, 1996)). [Category: Military & Propaganda]

This cartoon, featuring a cute bear cub pilot, is kind of surreal. It's plot kind of wanders all over the place, but basically it involves Cap'n Cub demanding more planes, supervising an aircraft factory which builds tons of planes so that all the cute forest animals can go fight the Japs, and an air battle with a huge Japanese plane piloted by a Japanese monkey ("No racial stereotypes here!" my husband quipped when he first saw him). Nevertheless, there's some fascinating imagery here, especially the technology of the airplane factory (I want the entire plant for the Film Ephemera Museum of Quirky Devices) and what happens to the monkey's plane after it is shot apart by Cap'n Cub. I bet kids who grew up during the 40s had weird fever dreams about this one.

Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ***. Weirdness: ****. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ****.