Duck and Cover (film)
Duck and Cover is a 1952 American civil defense animated live-action social guidance film that is often popularly mischaracterized as propaganda.
| Duck and Cover | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Anthony Rizzo |
| Written by | Raymond J. Mauer |
| Narrated by | Robert Middleton |
| Distributed by | Archer Productions |
Release date |
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Running time | 9 min 15 sec |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
With similar themes to the more adult oriented civil defense training films, the film was widely distributed to United States school children in the 1950s. It teaches students what to do in the event of a nuclear explosion.
The film was funded by the US Federal Civil Defense Administration and released in January 1952. At the time, the Soviet Union was engaged in nuclear testing and the US was in the midst of the Korean War.
The film was written by Raymond J. Mauer, directed by Anthony Rizzo of Archer Productions, narrated by actor Robert Middleton, and made with the help of schoolchildren from New York City and Astoria, New York.
The film is in the public domain, and is widely available through Internet sources such as YouTube, as well as on DVD. This film was screened on Turner Classic Movies' Saturday night–Sunday morning film showcase series, TCM Underground.
In 2004, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."