Scruffy

**Scruffy** is a 1988 animated, comedy-drama, action, alternate history film

## Plot

Set in an alternate 1944, taking place four years after the failed German invasion of France, which lead to the German and Italian bombing campaign culminating in the intensification of the Battle of France. The beginning sequences take place in July 14 1940, where where Paris is struck by a blitzkrieg. A French fighter pilot name Jean Armitrade engages the Germans over the countryside in the south of France. One month later, German forces pull back from Paris leaving only Alsace and the Low Countries occupied. Leading Hitler to cancel Operation Sea Lion, and the Fall Gelb altogether.

which the restoration of Spanish Republic. But taking place in Gibraltar, the story revolves around the the alternate World War II from the perspective of a colony of Barbary Macaques.

## Trivia

* This is True Skies last animated film to have been made prior to True Skie’s foundation in 1984. As it has been in production since 1980. It was placed on hiatus in order to focus on the post production of Thundersnow and Don Quixote. Production resumed in 1985 while Super Paranormal Mystery Hunt has just commenced production. Shortly before production on The Little Fir Tree commenced.
* This is the first True Skies animated film to take place in World War II.
* Scruffy and Valiant bear earlier similarities:
* Scruffy and Who Framed Roger Rabbit bears later similarities:
* Scruffy and Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame bear earlier similarities:
* This is the first True Skies animated film to used the word “damn”.
* This is the first and only True Skies animated film to use the phrase “bloody hell”. Marking the first True Skies film to use use both words respectively.
* The is the second True Skies animated film to earn the PG rating from the MPAA as well as the first to earn a PG from the Canadian Film Ratings System.
* The idea of Germans bombing French cities during the extended Battle of France was based upon the German bombing of British cities during the Battle of Britain.
* A French and a British World War II historians were hired to discuss ideas for the film.
* The opening shots of Paris being a smoky ruin with the Eiffel Tower and the Sacré Cœur still standing amidst the ruins were based on historical photos from the Battle of Britain.
* The air battle over the village of Ansouis involved German and Italian pilots vs British and French pilots.
* The Canadian Red Ensign which was used to represent Canada during World War II was shown to be historically accurate.
* This is the first True Skies Animated Features Canon film to take place in an alternate historical timeline.
* The idea of France not surrendering to the Germans in World War II was conceived by a part time True Skies Animation employee Suzy Jane Wickes. This idea conceived from a conversation by French True Skies Animation employee Pierre Armitrade who later wrote and directed the film. Janice Bircher produced the film while Joshua Armgardt did most of the animation storyboarding.
* This is the first film to feature Patti LuPone and Christine Emersole, whom they would later narrate Silver Eyes and Universal Peacekeeper. And do voice talents for Yellow Diamond and White Diamond toon the animated series Steven Universe.
* Barbara Goodson was cast to play Cosmo the Macaque despite being a male character. This marks the second time an adult male character was voiced by a female voice talent.
* The film’s main villain Dietrich Schlechtnacht originally supposed to be voiced by Alan Rickman. Due to scheduling conflicts, Tony Jay volunteered for the role of the villain and actually spoke German with a Afrikaans accent instead of European German. Nontheless, Jay did speak German excellently due to a translation team being hired from West Germany and one East German translator and seven Austrian translators to provide the German dialogue for the characters.
* Use of ethnic slurs was heavily avoided to ensure composure with younger audiences.
* Scruffy is the most heavily censored film, due to laws against the display of Nazi, Fascist and Communist Symbols in many European countries with the exception of Ireland, Great Britain and its dependencies and Estonia. The film was banned mostly in Communist European countries, except for Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union. The film was also banned in Norway, Liechtenstein, Israel and Finland until 1992, 1995 and 2002 respectively. Thought the film was still banned in Poland until 2002 with Liechtenstein unbanning the film in 2018 with censors applied. The film did however have a Hebrew dub prior to its unbanning in Israel. The never saw any release in Israel until 2002, with its own censors.
* Adolf Hitler does not make an actual onscreen appearance in the film, except for a cameo as a portrait in Schlechtnacht’s lair during a musical number My ”Name” is (Days of Darkness).
* All Nazi characters in the film are entirely fictitious. The only real Nazi figure to appear on screen is Hermann Goehring who is voiced by Swedish actor Max Von Siddow. Goehring has only 32 minutes of screentime. Where as Schlechtnacht has the most screentime than any other character in the film.
* A Japanese delegate named Fugu was originally supposed to be Schlechtnacht’s sidekick. He was changed to a neutral villain with an obsession with watches.
* Schlechtnacht‘s sidekick was changed to three Rottweilers named Ponzi, Pan and Zer.