Some Cartoons for Saturday Morning #238

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

Today's cartoon selection begins with Tweety's first appearance in a cartoon, A Tale of Two Kitties (1942). Sharp eyed viewers may notice that Tweety is not yellow in this film, but pink. Since he was a newborn baby bird, it made sense for him not to have feathers. According to director Bob Clampett, he based the character off of a nude baby photo of himself. Tweety already has his famous line, "I Tawt I Taw a Puddy Tat." According to animation historian Jerry Beck's book, I Tawt I Taw a Puddy Tat: Fifty Years of Sylvester and Tweety, this line also originated with Bob Clampett when in the mid-1930's he wrote a letter to a friend on MGM stationary. Next to Leo the MGM lion, Clampett drew a small bird with a word balloon with "I think I taw a titty-tat." Instead of Sylvester Tweety is here pitted against two cats named Babbit and Catstello. As should be obvious by the names, these cats were a take-off on the infamous comedy team Abbott and Costello, who had just made their movie debut just a couple years earlier in One Night in the Tropics (1940). The voice of Catstello was provided by the man of a thousand voices, Mel Blanc (who also voiced Tweety) and Babbitt was voiced by writer Tedd Pierce. A reviewer in Showman's Trade Review was very impressed with these voices stating, "Either the famous comedy pair furnished the accompanying dialogue themselves, or the impersonators are the last word in perfection." Though they would not catch on the way Tweety did, these characters would reappear in other cartoons. Some of these cartoons would even feature the duo as mice instead of cats. They would even appear with Tweety much later in a 1998 episode of the TV show, Sylvester and Tweety Mysteries. This cartoon was reissued to theaters in 1948, the year Abbott and Costello made their most popular movie, Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948).  

Next comes the Fleischer Screen Songs cartoon, Come Take a Trip in my Airship (1930). This was the second time, The Fleischer studio had made a cartoon centering around this song. They had earlier made a film that used an early sound on film process (Come Take a Trip in my Airship (1924)). The earlier film featured the Fleischer cartoon of KoKo the clown, who starred in many silent cartoons for the studio and would later become a supporting character in their Betty Boop cartoons. 

Now we join Honey Halfwitch in Brother Bat (1967). 

Up next is Farner Al Falfa's Bedtime Story (1932). The following is a review from the Motion Picture Herald. "Clever Cartoon. The Farmer goes to bed; the cat's go out for the night - and the mice come out to play as only the animated cartoon artists can make them play. Their tricks and stunts are cleverly drawn, amusing. This rates as among one of the better of the cartoon shorts - Running time, 6 minutes." 

Now it is time for a commercial break. 

Next is an early Woody Woodpecker short, The Dizzy Acrobat (1943). In these earlier Woody films, the character is a bit cruder than fans of his later work are used to. But there is something about this sheer unabashed craziness that many cartoon fans (including myself) can't get enough of. This movie was nominated for an Academy Award; however, it lost to Disney's Der Fuehrer's Face (1943). The following is from an issue of Showman's Trade Review (dated June 5, 1943), "Walter Lantz Cartune Studios which releases through Universal, has just released 'The Dizzy Acrobat,' A Woody Woodpecker special. The cartune revolves around the circus, and Lantz had experts advising the animators so that the action and facts would be accurate.

It is now time for a silent Felix the Cat cartoon, Felix the Cat Ducks His Duty (1927). 

Next comes one of Disney's funniest cartoon shorts, Der Fuehrer's Face (1943). This film grew out of a Donald Duck short about paying your taxes during war time called The New Spirit (1942). There was going to be a scene (in a story treatment by Joe Grant and Dick Huemer) in that short that featured a radio announcer talking about the horrors of living in a totalitarian state. This was not used in that short, but the idea stayed in the heads of those working at the Disney studio. These ideas grew into a cartoon that would feature Donald Duck living in Nazi Germany. Jack Kinney, Disney's most comedic and satiric cartoon director being placed in the director's chair guaranteed that this short would be a comedic masterpiece as well as an effective piece of political commentary. The cartoon was originally going to be titled Donald Duck in Nutziland. However, it would be retitled Der Fuehrer's Face after the satirical and catchy song Oliver Wallace wrote for the cartoon. Disney studio staffer Jim Macdonald remembered Wallace improvising the song one day at Walt's request. Macdonald stated, "He did that in about ten minutes. That's spontaneity!" Before the cartoon even reached theaters Spike Jones and his City Slickers released a recording in late 1942 and had a massive hit with it. This film also benefits from some top-notch animation. John Sibley animated the hilariously cartoony marching band animation at the start. The real highlight of the cartoon is the great montage sequence which was animated by Les Clark and Hugh Fraser. This cartoon we earn Donald Duck, his one and only Oscar. It later received the 22nd spot in Jerry Beck's must-own book, The 50 Greatest Cartoons. 

Today's cartoon selection ends with the Simpsons in Dinner Time (1987). This is one of the shorts made for The Tracey Ullman Show before the animated family 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

The 50 Greatest Cartoons edited by Jerry Beck

I Tawt I Taw a Puddy Tat: Fifty Years of Sylvester and Tweety by Jerry Beck.

Donald Duck: The Ultimate History by J.B. Kaufman and David Gerstein

https://mediahistoryproject.org/

  

Classic Short Film: Bobby Bumps' Fourth (1917)

Video Link: Say It with Firecrackers (From Holiday Inn (1942))

Ranking the X-Men Movies

 

While the X-Men movies might have had some movies that did live up to the franchise's potential, it also contained some that hold their own with the greatest superhero movies ever made. As the X-Men are set to join the MCU, we say goodbye to the Fox era of Marvel. While I feel the MCU has been more consistently good than the Fox Marvel, I appreciate that Fox took big swings and chances with their Marvel movies. While not all of these chances paid off (The Fantastic Four movies being the greatest example), when they worked, they were often fantastic. 

With this in mind, recently I have decided to look at Fox's most popular and long running Marvel franchise, The X-Men movies. Here is my personal ranking of each of these films. Note that these are all just my opinions and if mine should differ from yours's, I hold nothing against your taste in movies.  

14. Dark Pheniox (2019)

There is no contest for what the worst of the X-men movies is. While other movies on this list may have their flaws or fail to live up to their potential, this is the only one of these films where I don't even have one positive thing to say about. The characters seemed to have all their personalities drained away and there is nothing interesting about any of them. The storyline is also a compete mess making little to no sense whatsoever. Avoid this one like the plague. 

13. X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)

The first of the Wolverine trilogy is not a bad movie but it is a forgettable one. This movie is full of clichés and bland supporting characters. However, it does have some strong action scenes as well as a strong ending. And of course Hugh Jackman is wonderful in the main roles. This movie does give Deadpool (played by Ryan Reynolds even here), a very weak cinematic debut completely wasting the beloved character. 

12. X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)


While not a bad movie, as a finale to the original trilogy, it comes off as a bit of disappointment. It lacks the emotional depth of the previous two films and Jean's character arc comes off as completely rushed. However, it does have good action scenes and introduces such great X-Men characters as Kitty Pryde and Beast (the later perfectly cast as Kelsey Grammer). 

11. X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)

A bit of an underrated X-Men film. It may seem derivative of other X-Men films, and it struggles to balance all the characters. However, it is quite a bit of fun with some strong action scenes and a great villain. It may not be perfect, but it is fun.  

10. Deadpool (2016)

When I first saw this movie, I didn't think much of it. However, over time I have come to appreciate it more. While I still feel that the sequels are superior, I now admit there is quite a bit to like about this movie. Ryan Reynolds is perfect in the title role and his charm, and the character himself have grown on me. I do feel the humor can be hit and miss but there are moments that now make me laugh. I especially enjoy Deadpool's moments with Colossus. The romance is also quite well done here. I do feel though that some of the supporting characters are quite bland and the villain is even more bland though. 

  
9. The Wolverine (2013)

The second entry in the Wolverine spin-off trilogy is a marked improvement over the first. That is because this movie is what the first film should have been. It is a great delve into who Wolverine is as a character and the emotional connection you feel to him is very well done. It does suffer from an extremely weak villain though. 

 8. The New Mutants (2020)

Despite the poor reviews this film had received, I actually feel it is quite a strong movie. The idea of combining a superhero movie and a horror film is a unique and original one and it is done quite well here. There is a great sense of atmosphere here that is quite successful and the twists along the way are very smart and clever. However the film is often too timid and after it starts to get creepy it backs away from this as if it is afraid to make a superhero movie actually scary. 

7. X-Men (2000)

Though dated (especially in the effects department) this is a very strong start to this movie franchise. It is smart and not afraid to delve into more serious subject matter and social commentary. It does this in a very effective way that still makes this film gripping today. Wolverine and Rouge are also great lead characters that we immediately care about and relate to. I will admit the action scenes can be a little lacking though. 

6. Deadpool 2 (2018)

A definite improvement over the first Deadpool, this movie is funnier with nearly every joke landing. It also introduces better characters for Deadpool to play off of and has a surprisingly engaging storyline. 

5. Deadpool and Wolverine (2024)

Easily the best of the Deadpool films and quite a strong Wolverine movie as well. The two characters (as well as Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman) play off each other perfectly and are a joy to watch share the screen. The humor is consistently funny; the action scenes are fantastic and there is a truly great villain. This is a real treat. 

4. X-Men: First Class (2011)

A very well-made superhero movie. This movie has lots of characters yet manages to give enough time to each one to make them feel fleshed out. The movie also makes great use of its 1960's setting, perfectly working the Cold War and the fears of 1960's America into the themes of the X-Men franchise. The result is a very smart and fun superhero film.

3. X2 (2003)

As good as the first X-Men was this sequel is superior in every way. Everything that was great about the first film, this sequel does even better. This is a superhero movie that is very complex in both characterization and themes. This is simply a very smart and very intelligent movie, while also containing a lot of pure superhero fun.   

2. X-Men Days of Future Past (2014)

It was hard to pick a top choice between this and Logan as both are pure masterpieces and among the best superhero movies ever made. Though this film comes in second on this list, if I were to make this list on a different day the places might be switched. Everything about this movie is near perfection. This movie is more intelligently written and clever than your average time travel movie. Yet as much thought as went into the way time travel works in this film, the focus remains not on this but on the characters and their stories. This becomes a very investing and emotionally powerful watch that hits all the right emotional notes. At the same time the action scenes are wonderful, and the humor is hilarious making this movie just as fun as it is intelligent. 

1. Logan (2017)

Logan is not only one of the greatest superhero movies ever made but an absolute masterpiece by any measurement. This movie serves first and foremost as a character study. As such it presents the most complex and thoroughly engaging take on Wolverine for any of these movies. By the end of the film, you feel that you truly know and understand this character. The tone to this film is quite serious and mature. It is also completely and utterly sincere causing this film to stay with you long after it finishes. The acting performances from every single cast member also to the depth and the sincerity of this great drama.  

Movie Review: Jurassic World Rebirth

 

Michael's Movie Grade: C+

A step in the right direction for this franchise. 

While this new entry in the Jurassic Park franchise, may not come even close to recapturing the magic to the original Jurassic Park (1993) (something even Spielberg himself couldn't accomplish), it is an entertaining trip to the movies. That is more than could be said for the previous three films in the series. I admit when this film was announced I was far from hopeful. When Gareth Edwards, who directed my least favorite Star Wars movie, I had less hope. But to my surprise Edwards did a much better job directing this film than he did directing a Star Wars film. He creates some surprisingly successful suspense scenes. These scenes are very well staged, and the timing is excellent. This movie also brings back one of the most important accepts of the original movie that have been missing from the past few. This is actually trying to create some awe and wonder. While Gareth Edwards does a good job directing this film, he is not Steven Spielberg. Because of this he creates some beautiful visuals and a great sense of atmosphere but is unable to create the sense of magic that flowed throughout the first film. Yet after the last three movies were lacking in visual beauty and atmosphere, this was still a delightful surprise.  

The characters are definitely undeveloped. However, they do accomplish their jobs. The characters that are supposed to be likable are likable. The characters we are supposed to hate we hate. While we may not become fully invested in these characters, we care about them just enough for the suspense and action scenes to work. A great cast (including Scarlett Johanson, Mahershala Ali, Jonathan Bailey) also helps these characters accomplish what they need to accomplish. 

The humor on the other hand falls consistently flat with not a single laugh in the whole film. The movie is also much longer than it needs to be and quite a bit could have been cut to make it flow better. There is also a message about capitalism that is overly preachy and subtle as a giant T-Rex.    

Summer Movies (2021)

 

This book from TCM explores the tradition of the summer movie. Author John Malahy takes a very broad approach to this subject. Such lighthearted summer fun as Gidget (1959), The Parent Trap (1961) and Beach Blanket Bingo (1965) co-exist with the likes of Ingmar Bergman's Smiles of a Summer Night (1955), Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window (1954) and Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing (1989). Also included are the part-silent part-talkie Lonesome (1928), the Andy Hardy movie You Only Live Once (1937), Jaques Tati's Monsieur Hulot's Holiday (1953) and of course the original summer blockbuster Steven Spielberg's Jaws (1975) as well as many more. This broad approach makes this book a must for both causal movie fans and hard boiled cinephiles (who might even discover a film or two from this book). 

The writing style and format of this book makes it a light and breezy read, while still having quite a bit of substance. Malahy's tone is warm, causal and inviting. Yet at the same time he offers some great critical insight and historical background for these films that causes us to look at movies we have seen before in a new way. 

A nostalgia-soaked introduction by Film Historian and Critic Leonard Maltin only adds to the great fun of this book. 

The New Mutants (2020)

 

The New Mutants marked the last of the X-Men movies for Fox Studios. This film offered a compete change of pace for these movies. Not only does it focus on brand new characters, but it also brings this movie franchise into the horror genre. 

In this film five teenage mutants are being held a secret institution, where they are undergoing treatments to cure them of their powers. As these treatments go on, they find themselves face to face with their worst nightmares.  

Despite the poor reviews this film has received, I actually liked it a lot. On the onset combining a superhero film with a horror film is a rare unique idea for current Hollywood. This idea is often explored in a rather intriguing way. With the character of Rouge previous X-Men movies have taken a look at the idea of superpowers not always being a blessing. With this movie, the franchise delves even deeper into this theme. There is never a single moment here, where we would ever want to be a superhero. For most of these characters their powers are a curse rather than a blessing. This is a fascinating idea that too few superhero movies give any credence to and to see it explored in such an intelligent way was a pure delight. As for the characters themselves they may be undeveloped, but they are likable. Even if they aren't complex, we care about them enough to feel an emotional connection to this story. This is helped by the well-done performances from the leads playing these teenagers (Maisie Williams, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Heaton, Blu Hunt, Henrique Zaga). The story is also very well constructed and the reveal of why all these spooky events are happening is very clever. This movie also does a great job building an atmosphere that has a truly eerie feel and a general sense of unease. 

The main problem with this movie is that the filmmakers were too timid to go all the way with the horror elements. There are moments when the film starts to get genuinely creepy but then it backs off from this as if the filmmakers are afraid to make a superhero movie actually scary. Because of this, there are scenes that start out as legitimately creepy but end up leaving the audience disappointed with their conclusions. 

This film was directed and co-written by Josh Boone, who had earlier directed (and co-written) the romantic movie, Stuck in Love (2012) and The Fault in Our Stars (2014). The New Mutants is a true departure for him as both a superhero movie and a horror film. However, his experience with romantic films shows itself in a surprisingly sweet and touching romance between two of the teenagers (a lesbian romance that barely calls attention to itself for being a lesbian romance). Boone's co-writer on this film was Knate Lee, who had worked as a writer, producer and camera man on the Jackass TV series and movies. Boone and Lee had worked together on the mini-series The Stand. The New Mutants is the only superhero film either of them worked on. 

This movie was originally going to be released on April 13, 2018. However, it was delayed until February 22, 2019, because of the release of Deadpool 2 (2018) and then to August 2, 2019, because of the release of Dark Pheniox (2019). After Disney acquired Fox, it was delayed again until April 3, 2020. It was then delayed to August 28, 2020, because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, its release was a theatrical release when many places where still in lockdown. Frankly the movie deserved better. 

Boone had planned sequels for this movie. He wanted to turn it into a full trilogy. However, Disney's acquisition of Fox and the plans to put the X-Men in the Marvel Cinematic Universe prevented this from happening.