Tokyo Woes (1945) User Reviews

one of the most racist cartoons that I've ever seen (though still entertaining at times)

[lee_eisenberg · 5/10 · 27 June 2007]

About as offensive as a cartoon can be, "Tokyo Woes" starts off with a radio broadcast from Japan's capital. Naturally, the characters have giant teeth and slits for eyes (one even has the same voice as Porky Pig). But over in the United States, Seaman Hook is listening to the broadcast and decides to take charge: he launches a bomb at them.

Obviously, it's a little hard to laugh at this cartoon in the 21st century, especially after Hiroshima. But as long as we understand what it portrays, we can still watch it; in fact, I recommend this cartoon just to show the WWII-era zeitgeist. The end was the seminal prediction of optimism; it has applied off and on since the war ended.

Tokyo Woes has some scenes considered offensive now though the end was hilarious enough to make up for that!

[tavm · 6/10 · 12 July 2015]

Oh boy! If you thought Take Heed, Mr. Tojo was awful in its stereotypical portrayal of a Japanese pilot, you'll probably be really offended by the way Tokyo Rose is caricatured here! She's all teeth and slant eyes speaking in the American vernacular of the time on the radio. I actually cringed during that scene and a little (though also a little amused) at the next Japanese being depicted as one who spoke like Porky Pig, you know, speaking in a stutter while using alternate words when he can't get certain words out clearly. It's not until the end when Mr. Hook gets a makeover (with two new round things forming on his stomach!) and then gets changed to a Zoot Suit and doing that Wolf whistle when seeing a well-endowed woman that I found myself laughing. This site says Bob Clampett directed it and judging by the what I saw in the cartoon, I believe it!

Could there be a slight possibility that this cartoon is offensive?

[slymusic · 23 October 2009]

"Tokyo Woes" is a very funny "politically incorrect" Warner Brothers cartoon made for the United States Naval Forces and starring a dorky big-nosed sailor named Mr. Hook. The subject of this cartoon: Why buy war bonds? What good do they do? In a wildly wacky, musical, humorous way, this cartoon (directed by Mr. Wacky himself - Bob Clampett) attempts to answer these questions for us.

My favorite scenes from "Tokyo Woes": Our radio hostess Tokyo Rose makes her first appearance being caught sitting on the crapper! She then elegantly strides toward the microphone and then bursts loose with some wildly impossible physical gyrations as she makes her opening speech, all the while some wonderfully swinging boogie-woogie music can be heard in the background; then a Japanese prisoner of war known as "The Sad Sack", who talks EXACTLY like Porky Pig, takes over the mike. An animated war bond delivers a singing telegram to Tokyo Rose, to the tune of "My Bonny Lies over the Ocean". The war bond dresses up Mr. Hook in a zoot suit with two round things too many!

"Tokyo Woes" is quite a humorous cartoon that really slams it to the Japanese. They of course were America's enemy at the time this film was made, so the animators & voice actors apparently didn't care if this cartoon contained offensive material. It unfortunately doesn't hold up so well in today's politically correct society - it's unlikely that you'll ever see this cartoon on television. Luckily, it is preserved for us on DVD (the Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 5 Disc 3).

Very shocking in the 21st century for its depiction of the Japanese, but very effective as propaganda...and funny, too.

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 18 May 2009]

This is one of several "Mr. Hook" cartoons made to encourage soldiers to buy war bonds. In this installment, the film begins in Tokyo, with Tokyo Rose and her evil friends broadcasting propaganda to the Allied servicemen. When the message reaches Hook's ship, he's incensed when Rose suggests that war bonds are a waste of money, so he sends a little "surprise package" her way. Then, following this, you see all the great ways that these bonds will pay off when the war has completed--nice clothes, a nice car and some spending money--everything a guy on the prowl for a "hot tomato" needs!

By today's standards, this is a very shocking film. After all, the stereotypes of the Japanese are rather racist. However, as long as the viewer actually understands why the enemy was portrayed this way and the context for the film, it's still an enjoyable film--plus it really helps to make the message clear to soldiers and sailors.

By the way, this was not intended to be seen by the general public but only by servicemen. In order to save money, unlike other Warner Brothers cartoons, this one is in black & white--a money-saving maneuver.

Giving Tokyo Rose A Bit Of Her Own Propaganda

[ccthemovieman-1 · 8/10 · 12 November 2007]

Yes, this is very anti-Japanese and it shows the stereotypical "Jap" with the exaggerated teeth and slanted eyes, but I find it not offensive at all because it was done in 1945 and that's the way a lot of North Americans (yes, Canadians, too) thought of the Japanese back then. They weren't thought too highly of after bombing Pearl Harbor and getting the U.S. into a horrible war. So, you'll have to excuse them if they are a bit out of line in the politically-correct arena. If this was made today, I would have a problem with it.

Basically, it makes fun of "Tokyo Rose," a propagandist who gained fame with her many broadcasts to the U.S. soldiers....and they weren't encouraging. Making fun of her is quite acceptable, the same as they made fun of Hitler in cartoons in this era, too.

Actually, the drawings here of "Rose," along with her jive talk, are very funny and Mel Blanc's Porky Pig imitation on someone is also good.

The thrust of the cartoon isn't to make fun of the Japanese, anyway; it's to plug the sale of war bonds to help with the Allied War effort. It's a "Mr. Hook" cartoon produced by the U.S. Navy and that was the intention of the handful of Hook animated shorts that were produced. This is the third one I've seen and frankly, the only one that had a good share of humor to it. It was also made for the sailors because there a couple of "boob" scenes in here you wouldn't see made for the kiddies!

One of a series of training films Warner Brothers made for the US military during World War Two

[llltdesq · 8/10 · 20 December 2014]

This is a short training film done on contract for the US Navy during World War Two. There will be mild spoilers ahead:

A couple of things need to be noted about this short. One, it was made during wartime for the US Navy as a training film intended to be seen by naval personnel and was never expected or intended to be seen by anyone else. Two, it is propaganda and as such is understandably slanted and intended to be demeaning to the enemy. Applying current standards or sensibilities in judging its merits or demerits is a bit ridiculous, as it had one purpose and fulfilled it more than adequately.

It parodies the Japanese propaganda broadcasts of Tokyo Rose (here, "Tokyo Woes") in various ways, such as showing her sitting on a commode and looking and acting like a bobbysoxer.

Mr. Hook (the Navy equivalent to Private Snafu) is listening to the broadcast, hears "Woes" ask what good buying war bonds would do and Hook shows her, by stuffing bonds in a shell and firing it at the studio. The shell ultimately detonates in the studio, putting paid to "Woes" and he cohorts.

The short concludes with the shell and passenger returning to Hook to pay him back his investment in bonds plus interest with Hook now a civilian. The intent of the film was to make clear that buying bonds not only helps the war effort but has a benefit to the purchaser when redeemed at maturity.

It's a good example of wartime propaganda aimed at men in uniform, who probably wouldn't react positively to something which treated the Japanese as fairly as some seem to think it should have. A product of its time, available on DVD. Recommended.

Down with the P.C./Up with the USA

[mutiny-27268 · 10/10 · 30 April 2019]

This WWII vintage cartoon was covertly produced by Warner Brothers for the U.S. Navy. Stereotypes? Yes, of course. We were at war at the time, and the only good enemy was a...well...you get the idea. The humor is somewhat low, but very funny, and was intended to buck up the morale of U.S. service members who saw the 'toon. Tokyo Woes is an hysterical character, first seen while sitting on the john (jane?) and looking like a bowling pin while gliding over to the microphone. Then she breaks into a Brooklyn-ese laced patter that is very funny considering how she's depicted. A very "in" joke occurs when the "sad sack" character, purported to be a U.S. serviceman, but really a Japanese who stutters in a Porky Pig voice, begins to sing "Rum and Coca-Cola." Wose quickly shoves him away from the mic. This was a dig at some of the censorship in the U.S. at the time which forbade the song from radio air play because of the alcohol reference. In all, this is a very funny cartoon if you're intelligent enough to get past the P.C. nonsense, and view it in the context of a WWII piece of historical animation.

On the surface, TOKYO WOES serves its propaganda purpose . . .

[oscaralbert · 8/10 · 1 November 2016]

. . . of persuading U.S. Sailors such as "Seaman Mr. Hook" to Buy War Bonds Today (that is, 1945, as World War Two petered out). However, when you take a closer look at TOKYO WOES, it turns out that Warner Bros.' always prophetic Looney Tuners are using the "Tokyo Rose" character as a Hillary stand-in! The dead giveaway of this fact comes between the 38th and 41st second of TOKYO WOES, when the eponymous title character--Tokyo Rose--makes her entrance, literally, from Hell. As the Up Elevator stops at her radio studio, its doors open to reveal Rose--that is, Hillary--SQUATTING ON THE CRAPPER!! Think about this. In the first place, this aspect of TOKYO WOES wasn't even MEANT for the 1945 audience (they could not even see it--viewers need a frame-by-frame viewing option to enjoy Hillary's dump!). In the second place, it's Hillary--NOT Rose--whom Leader Trump labeled as being "disgusting" for her suspicious and unprecedented President Debate Delaying Toilet Time-Out. Warner Bros. warns America again of Hillary's Dark Nature 50 seconds into TOKYO WOES by revealing her wearing panties Black as Sin. Seaman Hook then shuts Hillary up by jabbing a mop into her yakking loudspeaker pie hole (2:06). Finally, Hook exercises his Second Amendment Rights by blasting Hillary with his biggest bullet of all (2:45).