Duck and Cover (1952) User Reviews

A Film That Gets More Amusing as Time Goes On

[gavin6942 · 5/10 · 13 August 2008]

"Duck and Cover" is something of a mystery to me. Looking back now, over fifty years later, the suggestions seem fairly absurd that one could protect themselves from a nuclear blast with a blanket or stop their neck from being burned by putting their hands over the back of their head.

Now, some folks will say that bombs in the 1950s aren't what they are today and that the radius of a blast wasn't as far, so if you were on the outskirts of the explosion, these rules and suggestions might actually be useful. (Although, one suspects that if you have to wait for a Civil Defense worker to tell you to get up, you'll be waiting a long time.)

But another thing I found interesting is that people seem to get the message backwards on this short -- they think it takes a realistic fear and makes it seem trivial or quaint. But, for me, it seems that it takes something that is rather rare and makes it one more thing to fear. Even during the Cuban Missile Crisis (and Cuba didn't even turn "communist" for another seven years after this film) the risk was small. For those of us in the Midwest, the threat is essentially nil, both then and today. There are many other threats that would be better to warn us about.

Whatever the case, this film stands as a piece of history that will remain rather interesting and grow in the coming years, hopefully being beyond "surreal" or "absurd" at the 100-year mark. We live in an atomic age, but should we go about fearing it? There's little need to fear much of anything if we properly assess the risks involved.

"We all know the atomic bomb is very dangerous!"

[classicsoncall · 6/10 · 8 May 2010]

It's already taken me more time to read other member reviews of this Fifties era Civil Defense short than it did to watch the film itself. I don't recall ever seeing it as a kid in parochial school during the Fifties, but there's something oddly familiar about Bert the Turtle. Just can't put my finger on it.

Back in the day, we used to do those duck and cover drills quite regularly, and I also remember helping put away boxes of canned goods that all the students brought in as a stockpile in case we ever came under attack. I used to think to myself that if it ever happened, I'd rather make a break for it across the baseball field from school to my house where I'd be with my family. Think about it, those planes would be pretty high up there; surely I could make it in a dead run under a minute. I even timed it a few times, I knew I could make it.

Seriously, I remember all of that. Now I wonder how an eight or nine year old kid grows up with that kind of paranoia, seeing as how the picture suggests repeatedly that danger exists EVERY DAY, ALL THE TIME, EVERY DAY, ALL THE TIME. I imagine it's how kids today must feel while being constantly bombarded by the idea that global warming is going to annihilate civilization as we know it. Drive less, buy smaller cars, go green, buy in to the propaganda that the government is going to save your butt because you're too dumb to figure things out for yourself. Then there's the threat of nuclear terrorist states getting an atomic bomb themselves. Maybe it's time to start doing those duck and cover drills with the air conditioning on.

"Always remember, the flash of an atomic bomb can come at any time"

[ackstasis · 6/10 · 24 November 2010]

I've got a friend who once, during a temporary moment of stupidity, remarked that "when a bomb goes off, the best place to be is next to it." Yes, an atomic bomb. His comment remains the worst piece of survival advice I have ever received. Now meet the runner-up! 'Duck and Cover (1952)' is a fascinating window into American society in the midst of the Cold War: when nuclear holocaust seemed, not just a possibility, but an inevitability. The narrator (Robert Middleton), in his no- nonsense fatherly way, introduces a rosy-cheeked cub scout with the words "Tony knows the bomb can explode any time of the year, day or night." I can't imagine living under such a monumental national threat. Air-raid drills draw an immediate response, the camera lingering dramatically on the discarded baseballs and skipping ropes.

'Duck and Cover' explains, in childish terms, the actions one should perform in the instance of a nuclear attack. Number one on the agenda is the titular "duck and cover"; that is, throwing yourself to the ground - preferably against a wall, beneath a desk, or under the wheel of a moving tractor - and covering your head and neck. The inanity of this premise was memorably lampooned in the early 'South Park' episode "Volcano," in which citizens duck and cover in the path of an approaching lava flow, to little avail. All things considered, it's not terrible advice. In such a position, you're certainly less likely to catch flying shards of glass or other debris. It all depends on your proximity to ground zero: if the atomic bomb lands on your school, for example, ducking and covering is not likely to improve your survival chances. In 2004, 'Duck and Cover' was added to the National Film Registry, and for good reason. It captures the insanity of an earlier era, when civilisation nearly destroyed itself.

Fascinatingly disturbing stuff

[bob the moo · 26 July 2007]

Bert the turtle is walking along when a monkey with a firecracker comes at him. At the last minute he avoids injury by ducking down to the ground and covering his head. Bert's idea is so good in fact that, say there was an atomic bomb attack (no – stay with me here), Bert would probably come off not too bad. This public information film from the 1950's explains to school children what action to take if there is an nuclear attack in their area.

We all know about this film and we have all seen it spoofed in things like Simpsons and South park but I really do recommend that you watch it because it is genuinely hard to describe just how surreal and creepy it is. Here we have the Government speaking to their people of the time – the people who they were leading into a period of history where atomic bombs were used on others and also likely to be used on them. This is the official and cheerful advice that they gave to the children of their nation. In fairness I suppose it would have been worse to come out and say "look – you're pretty much screwed" because the public reaction might have been to question why their government is putting them in that situation, so here is what they did.

Done in the same style as "proper" educational films, this is eerie to watch because you cannot mentally make the jump back in time when this might have been accepted. It is hard not to think of the fate of those people advised to avoid bad burns by hiding behind newspaper or by ensuring that they cover the back of their neck with their hands. With this in mind the cheerful voice of the presentation shouting the slogan "duck and cover" like a kids TV host is all the more jarring for it.

Fascinatingly disturbing stuff that is worth seeing even if it will only serve to upset and feed cynicism if you linger on it. That said though, it is nice to move past the easy spoofs that we all have seen and watch this for what it is.

iconic government B.S.

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 21 June 2022]

It's a government instructional short for school kids. In case of a nuclear attack, the kids should hide under their desks. There is more but this is mostly silly B. S. It's iconic B. S. from the government. Everyone knows what this short is about and most have seen snippets of it. The slogan is darn catchy and that's the most important part. It's a placebo for the masses and very effective propaganda.

Making nuclear annihilation fun AND survivable!

[planktonrules · 2/10 · 13 October 2009]

As an American and World History teacher, I find that cartoons like DUCK AND COVER are wonderful windows into the 1950s. Nowadays, kids have no idea of the fear about nuclear war that gripped the world as well as the insane belief that perhaps such a war would be survivable and perhaps even fun! Fun?! Well, that's what many kids might just take from this film. With a cute turtle, a very catchy song and its direct appeal to children, this public service film distributed to schools must have made the prospect of such an awful war a bit exciting! Today, when you watch it, you can't help but laugh at the ridiculous methods by which kids will supposedly survive an atomic blast. By covering your face with a newspaper or lying crouched under a desk, you'll apparently survive and thrive such an attack according to this film!! Such naive notions perhaps were intended to give people a false sense of control so they wouldn't panic when Armageddon arrives--but newspapers are actually not the best blast-resistant devices, believe me (though it is true, I am no expert--maybe there's something in the ink that will block all the radiation and 10,000,000,000 degree wall of heat).

Overall, a stupid film that manages to entertain even if it is giving you rather shabby advice.

The Timeline

[jowoto · 10/10 · 5 April 2013]

This review is in response to the faulty information that swirls around this short civil defense/propaganda film, particularly the notion of "its stupid we would all die and the government was just trying to fool people". While I wont try to argue the clear propaganda goals of the film, the question of survivability is a different matter.

A simple timeline should do the trick: 1949- The Soviet Union detonates its first atomic bomb.

1952- The film "Duck and Cover" was first shown early in the year, but was produced in 1951.

1952- November 1st, almost a year after the film was released, the first H-Bomb was detonated by the USA at a test grounds in the Pacific. If you do not know the difference between an A-Bomb and an H-bomb there are many sources on the internet, lets just say its a big difference.

1953- The USSR detonated its own H-bomb.

1955- The USA had a total of about 350 H-Bombs (small H-bombs, if you can call an H-bomb small), that would be delivered by airplane. The USSR was behind but catching up fast.

1957- The first ICBM's were developed by the USSR and the USA.

1959- ICBM's began to populate the arsenals of the Cold War powers.

"Duck and Cover" was aimed at a possible war using a relatively small number of A-Bombs that would have been delivered by airplane. In such an attack the information given was correct and could have saved lives. There were many instances of people surviving the attacks on Nagasaki and Hiroshima at basically ground zero. Again its the difference between an A-bomb and an H-bomb, in 1952 atomic war did not mean instant or even prolonged death. When H-Bombs and ICBM's started to amass in the arsenals of the superpowers these films started to disappear.

Even in retrospect it's hard to say what was behind this thing.

[Tubular_Bell · 2/10 · 22 February 2007]

That the "Duck and Cover" technique would be virtually useless in the event of a nuclear attack, I guess we all know. But the real question in this is whether the movie was a honest, genuine attempt at saving lives; a worthless but effective way of soothing down panic; or, more cynically speaking, a way of building fear of child-eating-commies in school children back then. We, in our modern 2000's in which we sit before Pentiums in comfortable chairs in air-conditioned rooms, can just chuckle and enjoy nine minutes of campy entertainment on YouTube or Google Video, but it makes you wonder how watching this must have been back then. This is a flashback from a dramatically different era, in which you'd expect a nice gentleman to cordially point you the way to a fallout shelter as if he was showing you the way to the movie theatre.

Of course, stranger aspects arise when you realise that the only black kid in the film is given focus when the narrator talks about "dangers that are around us all the time". Just noticing that and wondering whether it was an intentional, almost subliminal notice, or the nastiest goof one could make, is already worth the price of admission alone.

And if you are more interested in the scarier, more fatalistic aspect hidden behind the friendly cartoon turtle and the smiling kids training "Duck and Cover", check out the British "Protect and Survive" series from the 70's and its evil synthesizer jingle.

Surreal and stupid

[Unicorn-9 · 10/10 · 30 September 2002]

Truly one of the most mind-bogglingly surreal movies I've ever seen, teaching kids that all they need to do to survive a nuclear war is duck down and cover their heads; and quite rightly satirised in the 'South Park' TV show. Watching it today it's hard to imagine that the US government could have made it as a serious training film, or that American teachers could have shown it to their kids with a straight face.

More seriously, I imagine that when they first began planning the movie they were probably still in the A-bomb era where it might have made a difference: the damage from such a bomb was fairly localised so a single bomb in a major city would kill only a small fraction of the population... but by the time it was being shown to kids H-bombs could obliterate an entire city in one go, and 'Duck and Cover' tactics were utterly pointless.

Duck, cover, and kiss your ass goodbye!

[lee_eisenberg · 1/10 · 28 November 2005]

In the 21st century, when we know that a nuclear blast would wipe out everything, "Duck and Cover" seems laughable at best. And believe you me, it IS laughable. Made at the height of the Cold War/Red Scare/Nuclear Scare, it reminds wholesome American schoolchildren what to do if a nuclear bomb falls: cover your head. To try and attract peoples' attention, they have a turtle remind us this.

As a side note, around the time of the 40th anniversary of the Cuban Missile Crisis, I asked my Russian teacher what they were taught in the Soviet Union about nuclear blasts. She said that they were taught how to help someone after a nuclear blast. In other words, they were also lied to. But that's no surprise; both the USA and USSR were both responsible.

But either way, you'll get a real kick out of "Duck and Cover", just for how stupid it is.

There was a turtle by the name of Burt, and Burt the turtle was very alert...

[deltajuliet · 29 December 2006]

Being too young to have been in school in the '50's, I had the privilege of viewing this little gem in US History.

Starting off with a very catchy song about Burt the turtle, "Duck and Cover" describes how ducking and covering will make you safe in a nuclear blast. Needless to say, it's very amusing.

I also liked it just for its '50's vibe (i.e. "Little Timmy knows what to do!"). This combined with the government's reassurance that a nuclear blast is not that big a danger made me utterly love every second of it, however ludicrous it might be.

"Duck and Cover," however, is also an interesting look at government propaganda. Again, very amusing for its not-so-subtle approach in this department.

So if you have some time, check it out. It can be viewed on the internet (http://www.archive.org/details/DuckandC1951), and it's 9 minutes where you can just shake your head and laugh.

So remember children, when you see a flash, DUCK AND COVER!

Delusional nonsense

[rdoyle29 · 5/10 · 7 November 2017]

This is probably one of the most infamous educational films about nuclear war. An animated turtle helps tell the children this is aimed at that, in the case of nuclear attack, they can protect themselves by dropping on the ground and covering their head and neck with their hands. It's not clear why you would want to spread this ridiculous misinformation ... most likely to create a false sense of security by creating the impression that your foreign policy isn't aiming towards the complete destruction of your society ... we can all survive kids. Just cover your head!

A film of its times

[mshaw61 · 10/10 · 8 May 2010]

African-Americans are not discriminated against, mom doesn't want to work, she wants to bake in the kitchen all day until she can attend to father when he gets home from work, there is no pain or suffering in the world and: Yes! You too can survive a nuclear blast just by following the instructions to "Duck and Cover"! This short little film is an incredibly insightful look into life in America in the 1950s (without setting out to do that, of course). Problems didn't exist because the government said they didn't exist. What is incredible in the 21st Century is that, for the most part, Americans really believed this. Maybe the 1950s were a product of those that survived the horrors of World War II. Maybe they invented the "perfect" 1950s to hide the pain from what they experienced in the Pacific and in Europe during WW II. In any case, if you want a short encapsulated view of the surreal life in America in the 1950s, watch this little gem. This should be required viewing for any course about life in post-WW II America.

Interesting Artifact of the 1950s

[atlasmb · 2/10 · 17 November 2014]

I'm sure this purportedly educational film seems foolish and funny from the 21st century viewpoint. Aimed at children, "Duck and Cover" was apropos for its time, when the public was mostly ignorant of the real risks of nuclear warfare, but very afraid of its implications--the way it changed one's view of the world and personal safety, in general.

It would be difficult to ascertain if the film accomplished what it set out to do--to give children (and their parents) a sense of security in a more dangerous world. Or did it actually make life seem scarier and more uncertain with its warning about "the bright flash" that might interrupt a beautiful day, without prior alarm, from some unseen, ominous and omnipresent source?

Having been a child during that era--and the Cuban missile crisis--I can verify that there was a toll exacted by the constant barrage of warnings about the unspeakable horrors that might befall American citizens at the hands of an evil, godless entity. Thanks, government, for demonizing an entire population and producing such ridiculous garbage as "Duck and Cover".

The film clearly has another agenda--one that pervades almost all government-produced films: legitimizing those in authority. The children who view the film are told "We must obey the civil defense worker". And more than once, it tells kids to ask "older people" in the event of an atomic emergency. Images remind the student viewer that teachers are in charge in the classroom, a message I am sure all educators appreciated.

This film is an interesting artifact from a "simpler" time--simpler in the sense that the average American citizen rarely questioned authority. I think the average congressman in 1952 knew little more than his constituents about the effects of nuclear weapons. The naivete that pervades the film is authentic.

Humorous, telling, and chilling all at once

[tombeaman · 10/10 · 18 May 2005]

Such an excellent film! While today, without the Cold War hanging over our heads, it is a bit less biting, this film does a great job of illustrating how ludicrous our leaders were in preparing us to win The Big One.

Throughout the 1980's, as the Reagan administration returned to this type of "civil defense", the movie was particularly hilarious. Today, it gives you a chance to see film footage that you won't see in many other places, and it still brings a chuckle.

While others remember "Bert the Turtle", my favorite line was from the training film explaining how to stock your Bomb shelter with tranquilizers: "Be sure to include tranquilizers to ease the strain and monotony of life in a fallout shelter. A bottle of 100 should be sufficient for a family of four. Tranquilizers are not a narcotic, and are not habit-forming". This advise was interspersed with an announcement that Vice President Richard Nixon was ringing in National Mental Health Week...you get the idea!

Of Course, It's Ridiculous

[Hitchcoc · 5/10 · 5 December 2020]

In the early fifties, wee were aware of the potential for a nuclear holocaust. Japan had happened and we nearly annihilated whole cities. To leap to protecting ourselves as if we were surviving a rain shower was ludicrous. I actually saw this film in my first grade class. We kids didn't have a clue and trusted that the information was valid. The sad thing is that the government had tests that showed a moderate atomic bomb literally vaporizing everything nearby. The people making the film were simply catering to fears and trying to alleviate them, misguided as that was. It was "fun" to see it again after decades.

Baby "Boom" Nostalgia

[JVSanders · 15 February 2006]

I recently found the entire nine-minute "Duck and Cover" film online. Unfortunately, I have no distinct memory of having seen the movie while in elementary school (the "Civil Defense" craze of the 1950's was petering out by the time I started first grade in 1962.) Nevertheless, I do recall one or two "air raid" drills that involved hustling all the kids down to the school's basement. I also remember at least one "duck and cover drill" where, on a signal from the teacher (Sister something-or-other) we all "ducked" under our desks and "covered" our heads with our hands. Afterwards, the nun led us in a solemn prayer asking god to help our president defend us against the communists.

As others have already observed, the development of thermonuclear weapons had, by the beginning of the Sixties, more-or-less invalidated the concept of effective civil defense, at least in urban and suburban areas. CD-related drills were no longer conducted in my school after the 1963-64 term. If memory serves correctly, though, monthly testing of municipal air-raid sirens continued for a couple more years; and U.S. Army anti-aircraft missile batteries protecting major American cities and suburbs remained operational until the early-1970's.

"Duck and Cover," with its 1940's-inspired music and authoritative narration ("We must OBEY the Civil Defense worker"), is a laughable throwback to an era when there were only 48 states in the Union; and when citizens were expected to (and largely did) trust "their" government to look after the common good.

A bit pointless

[Horst_In_Translation · 4/10 · 10 March 2016]

"Duck and Cover" is a 9-minute short film from almost 65 years ago and the title refers to what people should do in the event of an atomic bomb explosion. It may look a bit cheesy today, but back then, during the days of Cold War and less than 10 years after World War II, there was a danger existing that such a scenario may happen also in the United States. I personally found it a bit ridiculous nonetheless, but from another perspective. I am not sure that if such a catastrophe happens, people will really remember an educational movie. Will they panic and run around aimlessly? Probably. Or maybe they will really duck and cover as they are told to. i think it depends on their characters and not on the question whether they have seen this film. Of course, the good intentions the filmmakers had here with this black-and-white movie (color existed for decades already by the way) are clearly there, but the film just hasn't aged well. This one is primarily directed at younger audiences, that's why there are also a couple sequences with an animated turtle ducking and seeking cover under its big shell. Overall, a curious watch, slightly awkward at times, for example when the boy jumps off the bike to duck and cover, but not really good. I do not recommend watching it. Still, I guess we can be grateful that films like these aren't needed today anymore. Let's hope it stays that way.

Hilarious for so many reasons

[hershiser2 · 8/10 · 10 January 2004]

I'm sure the atomic bomb scares caused them to make this film to ease children's fears of an incident, by giving them hope that by covering their head and neck, they'd have a chance of survival. But, it's hilarious- there's no way those who made the film could have believed what they were saying, and the way things are acted out make it even funnier.

I did the drill

[janesbit1 · 8/10 · 6 September 2001]

All through grade school we did the various drills and I remember seeing the film during that time. After all that trained paranoia, it made the Cuban Missle Crisis far scarier than it looks like today in Thirteen Days.

Of course the film appears comical today, but I do remember being cynical about the duck and cover drill back in 4th grade. I distinctly remember telling my desk partner (Pam) that I didn't think the drill would do any good if the bomb actually drops cause we'd all be killed anyway.

It's fun to look back on this film and have a good laugh though. Even more ludicrous are the governmental lies and denials--on the second sequence they state that "thousands of lives at Hiroshima could have been saved if they had known to 'Duck and Cover'"

Mr. Turtle tells us what to do when the atomic mushrooms bloom.

[yenlo · 11 April 2000]

Having been in the first grade during the Cuban Missile Crisis the entire elementary school I attended got to watch this film. It of course now is looked upon the same way that a film like "Reefer Madness" is looked upon. It seems to me that the authorities i.e. the government, school administrations, whoever, would have had enough education and just plain common sense to realize that in the event of a nuclear blast hiding under a school desk with your coat over you just wouldn't cut it. The film is the standard public service films that were cranked out during this period. A little light humor is thrown in with a cartoon turtle who crawls into his shell whenever trouble comes his way. Video stores sometimes carry these films and while they are now hilarious and severely outdated they no doubt were taken seriously at the time.

Reasonably interesting short, a mix of animation and live action

[llltdesq · 9/10 · 24 June 2014]

This is an educational short from the 1950s. There will be mild spoilers ahead:

What I'm going to write shortly probably isn't going to satisfy anyone, but that's life. Judged solely by its technical aspects and basic style, this is a nice little short well worth watching. Nice bits of animation are worth seeing.

As to the informational value, it's really not as good or bad as either its supporters or its detractors think. In some instances, the advice given would be very helpful. The best advice which could be given was, "Be in a good, solid structure not directly damaged by the blast and away from any exposure to the flash".

If you were sitting in a windowless classroom which was not seriously damaged in the blast, good for you. Your immediate survival chances were good. But if you were in a classroom with lots of open windows facing the blast, "duck and cover" under the typical desk found in a school room is of vanishingly little value.

There were Allied POWs being held in Nagasaki who were basically sheltered in a ditch with a tent covering them. Most of them stayed inside the tent with the flap closed. The few who went outside to have a look all died immediately. The ones in the ditch under the tent survived.

There's useful and not so useful information here for the time period. This isn't quite as ridiculous as it seems nowadays.

This short is on a number of PD DVDs as well as online and is worth watching.

Radioactive Nonsense

[dougdoepke · 5 October 2017]

In 1951, my 12-year old brain knew the Chinese hordes would soon be swarming over our little mountain town. Never mind the big peaks to the west. After all, hadn't these same hordes just a year before forced our best fighting force, the Marines, into headlong retreat in Korea. Only one thing could stop them-: we had the bomb, so let's use it. Better a nuclear war than Chinese hordes.

Seeing the movie now, 65-years later, is somewhat painful. I never saw the short then since we didn't have TV. But my cousins in Denver told me about getting down and covering. My surmise now is that govn't was more interested in conditioning us than in actually preparing us. After all, how much good would D&C do in an actual radioactive explosion. About that, the short says little. It does imply an effectiveness beyond just going through the motions. I'm glad I didn't see it then as it would have only added to my foolish beliefs.

I wish I could laugh at the cartoon silliness now, but I can't. For younger folks, there remains the idea of what hung heavy over many of us of the time. But more importantly, the dangerous nonsense still has lessons for our own nuclear age.

Fair

[Michael_Elliott · 16 January 2009]

Duck and Cover (1953)

** (out of 4)

Atomic scare film is part animation and part live action. The animated part has Bert the Turtle walking when a monkey lights a firecracker behind him. The turtle then teachers the kids how to duck and cover. We then get a narrator telling us what we should look for an expect in case of an atomic attack. Looking at these films today you can't help but roll you eyes but at the same time it's somewhat scary because of what we're told in this film. Had an atomic explosion really went off you can't help but this about how unhelpful films like this would have been. Informing people to put a newspaper on your head to prevent burns? Cover your necks with your hands to avoid burns? On a technical level this thing is pretty poorly done because if you pay close attention you'll notice then telling you how to "duck" during one scene at yet others showing us how to duck are wrong or at least don't match up with what was told earlier.