All Out for 'V' is a 1942 animated short film (7 minutes) directed by Mannie Davis. It was produced by Paul Terry for his Terrytoons studio.
The idyllic peace of a sylvan forest is interrupted by bombs falling out of nowhere. A raccoon dashes by with a newspaper extra announcing that war has been declared. Instantly the animals of the forest snap into action, mobilizing for the war effort. Chickens lay eggs, termites slice tree trunks into wooden boards, woodpeckers pound nails, turtles use their shells to squash metal plates into helmets—all to help defeat the enemy.
The "V" in the title stands for "Victory". It was a common symbol during World War II.
Tropes:
- Extra! Extra! Read All About It!: "Extra, read all about it! War declared!" So says the raccoon carrying the newspaper with the "WAR DECLARED" headline.
- Funny Animal: The animals are all realistically drawn, but they act like people. They do use their animal characteristics, however; lightning bugs heat metal for forging.
- Fur Is Clothing: The sheep simply unzip their wool and whip it off like pajamas—into a machine which churns the wool into soldiers' uniforms.
- Lyrical Shoehorn: The patriotic song that starts the cartoon ends with the lyric "We'll protect our democracy / because Americans are we!"
- Match Cut: An audio match cut, as the chirp of a bluebird as she feeds her chicks is followed by the whistle of the first bomb right before it lands and explodes.
- Wartime Cartoon: The animals of the forest rally to support the war effort.
- Yellow Peril: The bad guys are Japanese water beetles, depicted with the typical slant eyes and buck teeth.
