Though I am too young to have grown up with the old kiddie TV shows, the fact that they introduced a whole generation of movie lovers to silent comedies and classic cartoons endears them to me in a way. Along with all the fun with popular puppet characters, a mute clown and more, Howdy Doody (one of the most popular of these shows often showed clips of various silent comedies. These comedies included those from silent comedy producers Mack Sennett, Joe Rock and Al and Charles Christie as well as some from Educational Pictures and elsewhere. Harry Langdon, Mickey McGuire (a series of comedy shorts starring Mickey Rooney). The Smith Family (a silent series from the Sennett studio) are among some of the silent comedy shorts that appeared on the show.
The following is a short 1948 article from Radio and Television Mirror about Howdy Doody. If you have trouble reading it click on the pages below and use your touch screen to zoom in. If you don't have touch screen, click here.
Here is an episode of the show dated March 8, 1949 and featuring a silent Mickey McGuire.
In Scarlett Johanson's directorial debut, an elderly woman finds herself at a Holocaust survivors meeting (despite not being one) and before she knows it, she tells the story of a late friend's (who was a Holocaust survivor) story as if it happened to her. When a journalism student is visiting the meeting that day and wants to write an article about this story, things get very out of hand. A movie about someone lying about being a Holocaust survivor could easily come off as being in bad taste. However bad taste is one thing I could never accuse this movie of. Rather this film serves as an important reminder of why these stories need to be told and heard. The scenes in which we see our main character's friend talk to her about the Holocaust are incredibly moving a powerful as are the scenes where our main character feels guilt after claiming this story as her own. There were many scenes which moved me deeply emotionally, not all of them were pleasant to watch but they all made me appreciative that I did watch them. The key to emotional effectiveness of this movie comes from June Squibb in the main role. This 95-year-old actress has rarely received the appreciation she deserves as she is in fact an incredible actress who is equally adept at comedy and drama. She is able to make everything about this movie feel completely real and honest. Her chemistry with Erin Kellyman as the young journalism student is simply wonderful and the relationship between the two feels completely real and heartfelt. Along with the serious subject matter, this movie skillfully mixes in some great comedy. I was surprised at just how much I laughed at loud watching this film.
A charming but mostly forgettable animated kids movie.
This movie tells the story of a friendly ghost, who teams up with a group of monsters to help stop a machine that was created to rid the world of ghosts and monsters. There is little to nothing about this movie's storyline that you haven't seen before. In fact, this movie starts with our friendly ghost hero being taught how to scare people by her uncle but not wanting to do it because it wouldn't be nice (similar to a series of cartoons about another friendly ghost). As the movie goes on, its influences are still quite obvious. For a movie with such a familiar storyline, its main problem is simply that everything about it is pleasant but not exceptional. This makes it an enjoyable trip to the movies but one you will forget about not too long afterwards. There is not one thing about this whole film that is truly bad. The characters are likable, the look and animation are fine, the jokes may not make you laugh out loud, but they will make you smile and the movie moves at a fast pace. But it doesn't do anything great enough to stand above any similar movies to not simply get lost in the plethora of animated Halloween type family films.
I definitely enjoyed watching this film but I also know that I will probably forget about it in not too long.
Hello my friends and welcome back for another service of Cowboy Church.
Today's musical selection begins with Roy Rogers and Dale Evans singing In the Sweet By and By. This song came about because of a friendship between composer, Joseph Webster and poet, Dr. Sanford Fillmore Bennett. One day Webster was depressed and Dr. Bennett recognized this. Dr. Bennett asked his friend what was wrong. Webster replied, "Oh nothing. Everything will be alright by and by." These words brought up an idea in Bennett and he wrote down three verses and a chorus to this song as soon as he could. He handed it to his friend saying, “Here is your prescription, Joe.” Webster loved the lyrics and wrote music for them in practically no time at all. Dr. Bennett later said, “It was not over thirty minutes from the time I took my pen to write the words before two friends with Webster and myself were singing the hymn.” The hymn was first published in 1868 and went on to great fame since. This version of the song comes from Roy and Dale's 1973 gospel album, In the Sweet By and By.
This is followed by Jean Shepard with Crying Holy.
Afterwards is Loretta Lynn with Harp with Golden Strings. This recording comes from her 1968 gospel album, Who Says God is Dead.
Next comes Kris Kristofferson with Burden of Freedom. This version of the song comes from Kris's 1972 album, Border Lord. He would later make another version for his 2006 album, This Old Road. A year before Kris wrote this song he had responded to an alter call and this song and Why Me Lord were responses to what that spiritual experience, one that Kris himself admitted he didn't fully understand yet. Around this time a resurgence was happening with Christian music. A lot had happened in recent years and as many young people had turned to God, they brought along their own types of music, that meant something to them personally. Therefore, much Christian music was no longer hymns but mire contemporary sounding music that paid tribute to God while reflecting the world these young Christians had grown up in. Johnny Cash would often play before these audiences as part of concerts mostly made up of the younger artists. Feeling it would be good for Kris to be in such an environment, John invited Kris and his wife Rita Coolidge to perform as well. Kris would play his own songs like Burden of Freedom or Why Me Lord. Yet Kris felt decidedly uncomfortable at these concerts. He would say about the experience, "I was singing songs, I thought were spiritual, but people wanted to hear more songs specifically about Jesus. Eventually I had to tell John that I couldn't do these type of shows anymore I felt like a hypocrite." (quotes from The Man Called Cash by Steve Turner).
Now for the Witney Brothers Quartet with their 1910 recording of Jesus Saviour, Pilot Me.
Then comes Kitty Wells with The Footsteps of my Lord. This recording comes from her 1962 gospel album, Singing on Sunday. The song was written by John D. Loudermilk. Loudermilk was a cousin to The Louvin Brothers. Though he was a recording artist himself, Loudermilk is best known for songs he wrote that were performed by other artists. Some songs that he wrote include Indian Reservation (a hit for Don Fardon in 1968 and for Paul Revere & the Raiders in 1971), Ebony Eyes (a 1961 hit for the Ebony Brothers), Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye (a hit for the Casinos in 1967 and Eddy Arnold in 1968), Abilene (a 1963 hit for George Hamilton IV), Talk Back Trembling Lips (a 1963 hit for Ernest Ashworth), Waterloo (a 1959 hit for Stonewall Jackson), I Wanna Live (a 1968 hit for Glen Campbell) and Bad News (which Johnny Cash recorded on his 1964 album, I Walk the Line).
Afterwards is Ernest Ashworth with When I Sing for Him.
Today's musical selection ends with The Sons of the Pioneers with their 1947 recording of The Old Rugged Cross.
Now for a message from the Reverend Billy Graham.
Now for the 8th chapter of the Buck Jones movie serial, The Red Rider (1934).
Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you. Deuteronomy 31:6
Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10
But you, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high. I call out to the Lord, and he answers me from his holy mountain. Psalm 3:3-4
Weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. Psalm 30:5
I have set the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Psalm 16:8
But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 2 Corinthians 12:9
Thanks for joining me. Come back next week for another service of Cowboy Church. Happy trails to you until we meet again.
Hello my friends and happy Saturday morning. Once again it is time for some classic cartoons.
Today's cartoon selection starts off with Bugs Bunny in Prince Violent (1961). This film would later be renamed, Prince Varmint for TV airings, because I guess seeing the word violent written out would make kids want to be violent.
Now for the Fleischer screen song cartoon, Down Among the Sugar Cane (1932). The title song was originally published in 1908 and was written by Dan Avery, Chas. Hart, Cecil Mack and Chris Smith. Cecil Mack and Chris Smith wrote multiple songs together including You're in the Right Church but the Wrong Pew, It's Hard to Love Somebody (Who's Loving Somebody Else) and He's a Cousin of Mine. Singing the song is Lillian Roth, whose movie career included such films as The Love Parade (1929), The Vagabond King (1930), Madame Satan (1930) and Animal Crackers (1930, with the Marx Brothers).
Next is the Aesop's Sound Fables cartoon, Singing Saps (1930). In 1931 Walt Disney would take the Van Beuren studio to court because two of their mice characters too greatly resembled Mickey and Minnie Mouse. The characters in this film bare more than a passing resemblance to the Disney characters.
Now we join the man (or the mouse) himself, Mickey Mouse in Galloping Gaucho (1928). This was the second Mickey Mouse cartoon ever made (it was preceded by Plane Crazy (1928)). After completing the first Mickey Mouse cartoon, Walt and Roy Disney were trying to sell their new cartoon series to major studios. At the same time, work on the mouse's second film quickly went underway. Since Walt had completed the Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoons, he was contractually obligated to make before setting off on his own, unlike Plane Crazy, The Galloping Gaucho was no longer made under a veil of secrecy. Because of this rather than animating the whole film by himself (as he had done with Plane Crazy, Ub Iwerks (the head Disney animator at the time and co-creator of Mickey Mouse) was now working with other Disney animators such as Les Clark, Johnny Cannon and Wilfred Jackson. Historians J.B. Kaufman and David Gerstein commented (in this must own book on Mickey Mouse) that this cartoon shows the influence silent era action Douglas Fairbanks had on the animated mouse. They also pointed out that Fairbanks had even starred in a movie called The Gaucho (1927) and this cartoon was both a tribute to and a parody of that film. These first two Mickey Mouse cartoons were originally made as silent films. However, after the success of Steamboat Willie (1928), as a sound cartoon, these films were issued to theaters with new musical scores by Carl Stalling (who is probably best known for his work on Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies).
Now it is time for a commercial break.
Next comes one of the most famous and important of Disney's Silly Symphonies cartoons, Flowers and Trees (1932). This film was the first Silly Symphony in color, and it is obvious that even from this first attempt the Disney cartoons had a mastery of color in a way few films would ever reach. Walt knew that color was not just a novelty or a way to make films look pretty but could be a vital part of storytelling. The colors in these cartoons often added to mood of the scene in a way an audience can feel. Walt was alone in believing Technicolor would help boost the quality of his cartoons and many tried to talk him out of it but as was always true of Walt, he stuck with his instinct, and it paid off. The short received much praise (including an academy award) and it still remains a great cartoon to this day. Walt signed a contract with Technicolor for three years, giving them exclusive right to the process in the field of animation. This is why some of the other studios would soon use less famous and less effective color processes for their cartoons of this period. The cartoon itself was directed by Burt Gillett, who would soon direct the most famous Silly Symphony, The Three Little Pigs (1933). J.B. Kaufman and Russell Merritt's book, Walt Disney's Silly Symphonies: A Companion to the Classic Cartoon Series states, "David Hand animated most of the film, partly by himself and partly with apprentices." David Hand would later be supervising director on the Disney features, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) and Bambi (1942). The following is a short article from The Film Daily (dated Sept. 17, 1932), "As a result of the tremendous reception at the Grauman's Chinese in Los Angles and the Roxy in New York of the first Silly Symphony, in natural color, Walt Disney, its creator says all the Symphonies released this year by United Artists will be done in Technicolor and that later the Mickey Mouse may also be photographed in natural color. The first Silly Symphony in Technicolor 'Flowers and Trees,' was in the nature of a feeler. It was made to touch [sic] out the public reaction to color in an animated short feature. After the first showing in Hollywood, in conjunction with MGM's 'Strange Interlude,' Disney had decided that he hit upon one of his most popular moves. Sid Grauman also was highly enthusiastic about 'Flowers and Trees.' The same thing happened at the Roxy. And now the second Silly, 'King Neptune' will have its premiere at the opening of 'Mr. Robinson Crusoe,' Douglas Fairbanks new feature, at the Rivoli next Wednesday."
Now for the Pink Panther in Forty Pink Winks (1975).
Next is the silent Fleischer Brothers cartoon Koko on the Run (1925).
Today's cartoon selection ends with The Simpsons in Bart's Hiccups (1988). This was one of the shorts made for The Tracey Ullman Show before the animated family got their own TV show.
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
Of Mice and Magic: A History of the American Animated Cartoon by Leonard Maltin
Walt Disney's Silly Symphonies: A Companion to the Classic Cartoon Series by Russell Merritt and J.B. Kaufman.
Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse: The Ultimate History by J.B. Kaufman and David Gerstein
Another wonderful movie from this beloved anime franchise.
Though this movie is a continuation of the popular anime TV series, it truly feels like something that belongs on the big screen. This movie truly feels larger than life in every way. The visuals here are simply incredible. It has a larger than life and incredibly atmospheric look that sucks you in immediately. As the film starts, we truly feel like we have been transported to this dark fantasy world. The setting is not the only part of the movie that feels larger than life. The action scenes are truly incredible. I can honestly not remember when the last time I watched an anime film with this great of action scenes was. Not only are this action scenes well-choregraphed and exciting but they truly feel like these heroes are facing threats that they have never faced before. They are nearing the biggest battle of their lives, and these action scenes must reflect this. No victory here feels easily earned and many of the fights push us out of the assurance that our heroes will be okay. This is all perfectly captured here, bring a brand new and incredibly effective intensity to every action scene. Yet this movie is not just one big action-packed spectacle. It has some truly emotional moments. I will not give any of these away but some of them are truly heart-wrenching.
If I have one complaint, it is that the non-conclusive cliff-hanger ending would feel more appropriate in a TV episode than a feature film. However, with how great this movie is up until that point, it is hard to fault this movie too much for that.
An excellent movie that even non-anime fans, might really like.
