Video: Duck and Cover

Probably the most famous Civil Defense film ever made, Duck and Cover explained the dangers of the Cold War to schoolchildren across the USA. With the help of Bert the Turtle, the narrator outlines the emergence of a new threat, the Soviet Union’s atomic bomb, and the ‘duck and cover’ method of sheltering in place. The film became a cultural touchstone for a generation of young Americans. 'Duck and cover’ grew into a sometimes earnest, sometimes ironic slogan of the Cold War.

Later on, the film was widely criticized as propaganda meant to frighten children, and ‘duck and cover’ was written off as an ineffective, comforting measure for the doomed. More recently, however, the value of seeking shelter in a nuclear blast has been increasingly recognized. Whatever your opinion on this controversial film, it stands out as an iconic aspect of the Cold War era and its enduring effects on American culture.

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