Duck and Cover: America’s Response to the Cold War

Aaron Cole

December 14, 2025

            What would a turtle do in this situation? The opening of this short film shows a cartoon turtle named Bert comedically retreating inside his shell whenever a threat arises. The movie Duck and Cover is a civil defense film produced in cooperation with the U.S. federal civil defense administration. It was directed by Anthony Rizzo and released in 1952. The filming took place in Astoria, New York, and was shown to the public schools there. It was during the Cold war at a time when nuclear bombs were becoming more prominent, and the danger was starting to become more real.

            The film begins with that animation intro, and then cuts to a class of students watching the animation. The movie is in black and white. It shows the class practicing duck and cover by hiding in their desks. This short film works as an instruction video about the dangers of the atomic bomb and what to do in the case of that emergency. It shows different scenarios and the necessary course of action during those scenarios. It shows the best places to hide and emphasizes the importance of covering yourself up to protect yourself from radiation burns. The camera pans close to the kids and the different places to duck and cover. It makes sure to tell the audience what to do in each situation. I’m not sure how well the duck and covering would work in the event of an atomic bomb, it would really depend on how far the explosion took place. It seems that the “duck and cover” would be more useful for a tornado or some other natural disaster. However, I do think one of the main goals was to put the American people at ease and to ensure that there isn’t a mass panic if such an attach ever took place. All we can do is that we never have to test how well the “duck and cover” technique will work.