Video Link: White Christmas (From White Christmas (1954))

Classic Short Film: Bedtime for Sniffles (1940 )

Some Cartoons for Saturday Morning #208

 Hello, my friends and happy Saturday morning. Once again it is time for some classic cartoons. /

Today's cartoon selection begins with a classic Sylvester and Tweety Christmas cartoon, Gift Wrapped (1952). This short film features the cat and bird duo at their absolute best. This short offers one great gag after another and director Friz Freleng's comedic timing is perfect. This cartoon was submitted for an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film but was not nominated. 

Today marks the first day of winter and so here is an appropriate cartoon, Snow Foolin' (1949). This short film also fits the Christmas season very well as it features the classic Christmas carol, Jingle Bells. James Lord Pierpont wrote Jingle Bells in 1857. Despite being known as a Christmas song today, it was originally written with a different holiday in mind. Under its original title, One Horse Open Sleigh this song was written to be used in a Thanksgiving service at a Church where Pierpont was the organist. The song was so well received that it played again at the Church on Christmas day. For a song written to be performed at a Church, the original lyrics were racier than one would think and would be changed so that children's church choirs can perform the song.

Next comes a delightful short film starring Pooch the Pup, Merry Dog (1933). Though largely forgotten today, Pooch as one of the first starring characters in the cartoons of producer Walter Lantz. He would never reach the fame of Woody Woodpecker, Chilly Willy or even Andy Panda but his cartoons are still fun to watch today.

Next is a classic Donald Duck film, Toy Tinkers (1949). This cartoon features Donald once again going up against Chip and Dale. This film is directed by Jack Hannah, who at this time was directing the majority of the Donald Duck cartoons. When Chip and Dale had their very short-lived series of shorts, Jack Hannah directed all three cartoons in that series. This cartoon is laugh out loud funny. The slapstick is spot on and timed perfectly. Every joke works and they are all very funny. The humor is also displayed perfectly through the great character animation one should expect form a Disney cartoon. While Disney cartoons are often called sweet and cute in contrast to the hilarious antics at studios like Warner Brothers and MGM, the Disney studio could make slapstick cartoons as great as the rest of them (this is not an insult to Warner Brothers and MGM as I love there cartoons a lot as well). This stands as one of Disney's funniest shorts (a joke involving a telephone never fails to make me laugh out loud).  This cartoon would make its TV debut on a 1958 Christmas episode of Walt Disney Presents. That version starts with some new animation featuring Chip and Dale telling Jiminy Cricket how they celebrate Christmas. 

Now it is time for a commercial break. 

Now for a visit to Christmas past and future. 

Up next is one of my favorites of the early Merrie Melodies cartoons, The Shanty Where Santy Claus Lives (1933). I love the atmospheric feel to the early scenes in this cartoon. There is a delightful amount of detail in these opening moments. I also simply love the title song. Despite being a Christmas cartoon, this film was released to theaters on January 7, 1933, just barely missing Christmas. The animation of the dolls singing, and dancing was reused from an earlier Merrie Melody, Red Headed Baby (1931).

Now for a classic Columbia Christmas cartoon, Gifts from the Air (1937). 

Today's cartoon post closes with The Simpsons short, Simpsons Christmas (1988), This is one of the shorts made for The Tracey Ullman Show before the Simpsons got their own TV series. 

Thanks for joining me. Come back next week for more animated treasures. Until then may all your tunes be looney and your melodies merry. 

Resources Used

Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to Warner Brothers Cartoons by Jerry Beck and Will Friedwald

https://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/cartoons-considered-for-an-academy-award-1951/

https://www.thisisdig.com/feature/jingle-bells-christmas-song-story/

 

  

Movie Review: Sonic the Hedgehog 3

 

Michael's Movie Grade: B+

A wonderful movie adaptation of the beloved video game franchise. 

The third movie in this series does exactly what a sequel should do. It ups the stakes without taking away the charm of the previous films. In fact, it even adds to the charm of the previous films. The action scenes are more exciting and fun to watch here, and the humor is often funnier. However, what makes the movie the best of this series so far is that underneath all the silliness there is a surprisingly emotional story. The storyline borrows much from the 2001 video game, Sonic Adventure 2. That includes Shadow's tragic and heartbreaking backstory. It remains just as effective here. Through a series of flashbacks, we grow to care about this brooding black hedgehog, just as much as we do about our blue hero. To a lesser extent there are some emotional stakes with Sonic, Tails and Knuckles learning to work together as a team. These scenes may not have the emotional urgency as the ones with Shadow, but they do their part to keep us emotionally attached to our heroes. Yet despite any emotional stakes, the filmmakers never forget that this is a movie about a blue hedgehog who can run really fast. Because of this they never forget this is supposed to be fun first and foremost and it is exactly that.

Jim Carey can be quite funny in his dual roles here. However, the filmmakers do seem to be too in love with his over-the-top comedy style. There are comedic bits with him that go on far too long and when the story simply seems to come to an unwanted halt for him to do his comedy. 

This film will be a sheer delight for Sonic fans but will entertain those who have never played a video game just as well. 





     

Video Link: Jingle Bell Rock (From A Muppet Family Christmas (1987))

Classic Short Film: There Ain't No Santa Claus (1926)

Video Link: It Feels Like Christmas (From The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992))