Duck and Cover
ca. 1955
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By 1951, it had become evident that some sort of mass preparedness would be necessary after the Soviet Union developed nuclear weapons and the United States began a policy of “containing” communism in Southeast Asia. The result was the "Duck and Cover" campaign, highlighted by the short film of the same name written by Raymond J. Mauer and produced by Archer Productions. It features a helmet-wearing turtle named Bert and a catchy theme song combined with live-action examples of drills conducted by schoolchildren. The drills illustrate a number of different scenarios and how to adequately respond. During the early days of the Cold War, this film was viewed by millions of schoolchildren.
You can also watch this video in our main National Archives online catalog.
This primary source comes from the Records of the Office of Civilian Defense.
National Archives Identifier: 38174
Full Citation: 171.66; Duck and Cover; ca. 1955; Motion Picture Films, 1941 - 1943; Records of the Office of Civilian Defense, Record Group 171; National Archives at College Park, College Park, MD. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/duck-and-cover-film, March 28, 2025]Rights: Copyright Not Evaluated Learn more on our privacy and legal page.
