Duck and Cover
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| Original title | Duck and Cover |
| Country of production | United States |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1951 |
| length | 9 minutes |
| Rod | |
| Director | Anthony Rizzo |
| script | Ray J. Mauer |
| production | Leo M. Langlois (Exec. Prod.) |
| camera | Drummond Drury |
Duck and Cover is a civil defense film for children released in 1951 . It was produced by Archer Productions Inc. and sponsored by the US Federal Civil Defense Administration .
The animated turtle Bert the Turtle shows children how to behave in an atomic bomb explosion . She explains that such an event can be recognized by a bright flash, which, according to the film commentator, "is brighter than the sun, brighter than anything you have ever seen". Since one tossed by the force of the explosion, hit by flying debris and broken glass and could incur skin burns, it applies in this case, closely crouch immediately facing the ground (Engl. (To) duck "to duck , cover to go ") and to cover oneself (to) cover oneself, for example with a coat, tablecloths or a newspaper. If possible, this should be done behind walls, in doorways or similar objects providing cover. The catchphrase “Duck and Cover” is repeated instructively several times in the film, including within a song about the turtle Bert, whose behavior is presented as a model.
The criticism of this educational film is often expressed that it would deal with a potential nuclear attack "naively". In fact, the simple techniques of the film make sense and would have increased the likelihood of survival in the event of a nuclear attack, provided the person is at a sufficient distance from Ground Zero or certain landscape or other circumstances adequately shield the immediate consequences of the explosion. Meanwhile, the film focuses solely on the immediate consequences of the nuclear explosion and withholds the dangers of the subsequent fallout . In addition, the dangers of nuclear weapons explosions are compared with those of fire and those of road traffic. But this corresponded to the American zeitgeist of the 1950s.
The old film has not served as a teaching aid or educational material for decades, but is often used at least as an excerpt in thematically relevant documentary films, so that it is still quite well known. In 2004 the film was entered in the National Film Registry as having significant cultural and historical significance .
The term has also found its way into IRC jargon as "d & c" ( duck and cover ).
See also
Individual evidence
Web links
- Duck and Cover The film for download from the Internet Archive (various formats)
- Duck and Cover in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Duck and Cover in the online film database