Sleepless

1914
Silent
5m

Cartoon drawings come to life to haunt the German Emperor in a witty piece of WWI propaganda.

After events such as the bombardment of historic Rheims and its cathedral, the German Emperor was haunted by bad 'dRheims' and insomnia - according to this witty satire by artist and illustrator Lancelot Speed. Speed cunningly supplements his skilled draughtsmanship with stop-motion animation and other camera effects, plus some inventive humour, to draw out the maximum propaganda value.

Lancelot Speed executes a number of sketches which are then animated, depicting a sleepless Kaiser Wilhelm as Attila, an army trumpeter and a red cross nurse with a gun.

Early Animation

The dawn of a new celluloid art: Britain's animation pioneers at peace and war

When you're creating a new art form, everything is experimental. The pioneers of animation in Britain cast a range of subjects as the stars of their films - the toys of an Edwardian child; insects and animals; Kaiser Bill and John Bull. But even the richest of fantasies on display here offer a window into the turbulent era in which they were made. When the nation went to war, animation was conscripted to meet its propaganda needs. In peacetime, the industry sought success as an entertainer, but found a career in sales.