Horst in Translation (filmreviews@web.de)
"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.
TheLittleSongbird
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
phantom_tollbooth
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.
Robert Reynolds
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.
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