Some Cartoons for Saturday Morning #288

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

Today's cartoon selection begins with Krazy Kat in Ritzy Hotel (1932). These Columbia Krazy Kat cartoons bare scant resemblance to George Herriman's Krazy Kat comic strip on which they were supposedly based. If it wasn't for the main character having the same name, you could never tell that there was supposed to be any connection between them. As a fan of the comic strip, I was originally put off by these cartoons. However, over time, I learned to enjoy them for what they are. 

Next is the early Porky Pig cartoon, Plane Dippy (1936). This is the movie in which we learn Porky's full name,  Porky Cornelius Washington Otis Lincoln Abner Aloysius Casper Jefferson Philbert Horatius Narcissus Pig. I'm sure you all will memorize that name. As well as Porky this film also has some other characters that also premiered in the Merrie Melodies cartoon, I Haven't Got A Hat (1935) such as Little Kitty (who plays an important role here). Comic fans may also notice that the character of Professor Blotz looks extremely similar to a character from the Mickey Mouse comic strip, Professor Ecks. Though this movie is directed by Tex Avery, don't except the pure insanity of his later cartoons, as this was still early in his directorial career and he hadn't fully developed his style yet. Still this cartoon has many very funny gags in it, I especially love Porky writing his name. The following is an exhibitor's review from the Motion Picture Herald, "PLANE DIPPY: Looney Tune—This is a very comical cartoon. Above the average.—Paul J. Pope, Avon Theatre, Geneva, Ala., Small Town and Rural Patronage." 

Now for the Terry Toons cartoon, Bird Symphony (1955).

Next comes an early Silly Symphony cartoon, Frolicking Fish (1930).  Like all Disney cartoons of this period this movie benefits from a great cast of animators. Ben Sharpsteen, who would later be supervising director for such Disney feature films as Pinocchio (1940), Fantasia (1940) and Dumbo (1941) animates the opening scene, the octopus dancing with the fish and the fish dropping an anchor on an octopus. Les Clark, who would become one of Walt's famed Nine Old Men and be one of the greatest Mickey Mouse animators of all time, animates the fish riding the seahorse and the octopus punching the bubbles. Dave Hand, who would later be Supervising director on such Disney feature films as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) and Bambi (1942) animated the fish dancing on the anchor chain. Wilfred Jackson, who would later become a fine director of both Disney shorts and features animates the octopus chasing the fish to the sunken ship. Norm Ferguson, a wonderful animator whose gift at character animation would later help define the character of Pluto, animates the trio of fish tap dancing. Jack King, who would later director some wonderful Donald Duck cartoons as well as a few cartoons for Warner Brothers, would animate the lobster dancing and playing the harp. Johnny Cannon animates the fish dancing on the springboard. Tom Palmer, who would later direct cartoons for both Warner Brothers and Van Bueren, animates the majority of the bubble dance and the big fish blowing bubbles. Merle Gilson animates the anchor falling on the octopus. The animation for this film was completed between April 22 and May 10, 1930. It would make its TV debut on an episode of The Mickey Mouse Club that aired on February 24, 1956. 

Now it is time for a commercial break. 

Next up comes the Betty Boop cartoon, Pudgy Picks a Fight (1937). Much like how Mickey's Mouse's cartoons would be overtaken by Mickey's co-stars, the same thing would happen with Betty Boop. Though Betty was unquestionably the star of the earlier Betty Boop shorts, as the series reached its later years, the attention would later shift to her supporting characters. This led to many cartoons, where her dog Pudgy was the main character. Here is an example of that. 

Now for the Terry Toons cartoon, Mrs. Jones' Rest Farm (1949). 

We continue with Popeye in I'm in the Army Now (1936). This short film is a bit of a cheater and features clips from previous Popeye cartoons. The cartoons that clips are used from include Blow Me Down (1934), Shoein' Hosses (1934), Choose Your 'Weppins' (1935) and King of the Mardi Gras (1935). This is one of my favorite cheater cartoons, because the new scenes are just as entertaining as the clips. I especially love Bluto talking about what a big star he was in the movies. This serves as a good reminder for those of us who grew up watching these films on TV that they were originally made for movie theaters. 

Now let us close with a song. 

Thank you 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

Walt Disney's Silly Symphonies: A Companion to the Classic Cartoon Series by Russell Merritt and J.B. Kaufman 

Of Mice and Magic: A History of the American Animated Cartoon by Leonard Maltin

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

https://mediahistoryproject.org/

Movie Review: The Invite

 

Michael's Movie Grade: F

A painfully unpleasant comedy. 

In this film a married couple (Seth Rogen, Olivia Wilde), who are constantly fighting, have their neighbors (Penélope Cruz, Edward Norton) over for dinner. However, the night goes in unexpected directions. 

Olivia Wilde made her directorial debut with the very funny raunchy comedy, Booksmart (2019). With this being another R rated comedy, I was looking forward to a raunchy and funny good time. This was the wrong thing to expect. The last thing this movie provides is a good time. For what is supposed to be a funny comedy, this is a bitter mean-spirited movie. Though comedy can be used to look at serious subjects, this is something that needs with a lot of care and needs to use comedy to make these uncomfortable subjects feel more approachable. That is not true at all here. Much of this movie is simply spent watching married couples bickering. Considering the reviews this movie is getting, I must be in the minority. However, I just don't find watching married people yell at each other and saying nasty things to each other funny. There were comedic ideas here that could have been funny (such as the discussions of the neighbors' lifestyle) but the comedic potential is ruined, when anything that might be funny simply turns back to mean spirited bickering. I felt very uncomfortable listening to these arguments to the point I just wanted to get up and leave the theatre multiple times. I did not enjoy spending a single miserable moment with these characters. This is something that hurt the movie even past its comedic moments. Towards the end the film asks you to take its story more seriously. Yet any emotional moment simply falls flat when you don't care about these characters. There are even times when this movie tries to make a commentary about marriage and relationships. Yet in the end, everything it says is so obvious that a person who has been single their whole loves has even heard it a million times. 

There is simply neither enough laughs nor depth to make it worth sitting through this unpleasant mean-spirited movie.   

Joe E. Brown: He Learned to Clown Through Crying

 Joe E. Brown is probably best remembered today for delivering one of the best punchlines to any comedy. At the end of Billy Wilder's Some Like It Hot (1959), Jack Lemmon's character (who is disguised as a woman) tries to explain to Joe E. Brown's character why they can't get married. Brown has an answer for each of these reasons brushing them off nonchalantly. Eventually Lemmon takes off his wig and states, "I'm a man." Joe E. Brown just brushes this off by saying, "Nobody's perfect." This joke has been loved by movie audiences for decades and has been referenced countless times. The Foghorn Leghorn cartoon, Banty Raids (1963), even pretty much steals this ending when Foghorn (dressed in female clothes) tells a woman hungry rooster, "but I'm a rooster," and the other rooster ""Like, we can't all be perfect!". 

Yet Some Like It Hot was one of the last films from Joe E. Brown's long and successful movie career that started with Crooks Can't Win (1928). Over the years Joe E. Brown was one of the most popular comedic stars of the silver screen. Though occasionally he would appear in a high-profile movie like Warner Brothers' lavish A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935), the majority of his filmography consisted of what were known as "programers." This is to say cheap and quick little productions that were made to fill out space in movie theaters. Yet Brown's charm made these quick little pictures not only box office successes but also still fun watches today. It is sad that Brown rarely gets mentioned among the great movie comedians. His career certainly deserves a revaluation from cinephiles as even his weakest films have something to enjoy about them. 

Here is an article about Joe E. Btown from a 1933 issue of Movie Mirror magazine. If you have any trouble reading the following pages, click on them and use your touch screen to zoom in. If you don't have a touch screen, click here. 

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1892)

 

Few fictional characters have worked their way into culture as thoroughly as Sherlock Holmes. Even someone who has never read a Sherlock Holmes story or seen a movie with the character, can describe him and have used the character's first name in conversation. With this in mind it is fascinating to go back and read some of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's original Sherlock Holmes stories. 

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is a 1892 book, that is a collection of short stories starring the famous detective and his partner Dr. Watson. These stories had appeared in The Strand Magazine in 1891 and 1892. 

Despite the sheer number of Sherlock Holmes stories that have come since, these stories hold up remarkably well. While the mysteries are often quite fun and exciting, it is Holmes and Watson that kept me hooked wanting to read more. These two characters are instantly engaging. Holmes is simply fascinating. While he is no doubt the protagonist, he is a surprisingly complex and flawed one. He has a one-track mind that is not only calculating but often cold. His obsession with logic and reason often overrides his emotions and his consideration for others. This can even lead to him being very cynical and even a little egocentric. Even Watson admits to being repelled by Holmes' ego at times. At the same time Holmes is always standing for what is right and will help anyone who needs help. His friendship with Watson is obviously very dear to him, even if he normally doesn't show much need for companionship. Watson is a simpler character but one who is also very appealing. He is a sweet good-hearted man, who also has a taste for adventure. The interaction between the two is fantastic and I greatly enjoyed reading their conversations. Also making these stories worthwhile is Doyle's writing style. Holmes solves mysteries by paying attention to the smallest details that most of us wouldn't notice. Despite the stories being rather short, Doyle describes everything in great detail, encouraging us to do the same as Holmes. We don't only follow the story we become intrigued by small things that most mystery writers wouldn't even call attention to. This piques our curiosity and makes us look at things the way Holmes would. As for the mysteries they are delightful. Some are even quite suspenseful and intense, while others are just fun lighthearted reading. Whatever the case, the conclusions Holmes comes to are always very intelligent and well-written. 

This book is still a pure delight to read today. 

1984 (1949)

 

George Orwell's classic is still one of the greatest sci-fi novels ever written.

This book takes place in the futuristic year of 1984 (or at least our main character believes that is the year). The government of that time is always watching and controls every aspect of people's lives. Not just content at making the populace obey them, the government wants to control how people think making them also emotionally and mentally submissive. Our main character, Winston, works for the system, rewriting historical records. However quietly he finds himself questioning the system. This comes further out when he falls in love with a younger woman, Julie.    

It is rare to find a book that leaves me feeling emotionally drained after reading. Yet that is just what this book did for me. There were times when it felt emotionally unbearable but at the same time, I couldn't help but want to continue reading.

 Some critics have almost described this as simply a political essay presented as a novel. I can see some truth in this. There are many parts of this book where not much is happening narratively but there are many deep thought-provoking statements being made. At the same time though this description does a great injustice to the actual book. What makes this novel work so well has to do with its story-telling abilities. The world building is brilliant here. We not only get a glimpse into this dark future, but we understand the inner workings down to the smallest details. We don't question to ourselves how such a future could possibly happen because we can see this for ourselves. This is one of the most engrossing and convincing sci-fi worlds in all of fiction. That is feels so believable is what makes this story all the more terrifying. The two main characters of Winston and Julie are completely engrossing. We learn to care about them on a deep personal level. Even their romance is completely believable and fleshed out. If we were not so engrossed in these characters, then the last third of this book would be so emotionally impactful. If this book just simply expressed its political ideology, one would read and understand the themes but would be impacted by them. However, this book's themes about censorship, surveillance, classism and nationalism stick with us in a way they wouldn't in a political essay. They not only stick with us but will work our way into our understanding of various political and social issues. Any time you listen to many political conversations after this, you will find your referring back to this book.

  1984 is probably one of the greatest and most impactful examples of the power of fiction to affect the way, we perceive the world around us. It is still just as powerful and sadly relevant today as ever. 

Cowboy Church #274

 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 Roy Drusky with Farther Along.

Afterwards is The Masters Family with their 1951 recording of I'll Be Going to Heaven Sometime. 

Then comes The Sons of the Pioneers with their 1937 recording of Lord You Made the Cowboy Happy. This song should remind us of how blessed we truly are. It is the things we take for granted each day that are our greatest blessings. Sometimes we need to stop and simply thank God for these blessings. The narrator of this song is not thankful for any big event in his life, but rather for all the little blessing he receives every day.

Afterwards is Johnny Cash with his version of the old Carter family song, Troublesome Waters. This recording comes from John's 1964 album, I Walk the Line. John certainly went through troublesome waters in his life. At one time they simply became too much for him to handle on his own. John spoke about this time stating, "It just felt like I was at the end of my line. I was down there by myself and I got to feelin' that I'd taken so many pills that I'd done it, that I was gonna blow up or something. I hadn't eaten in days, I hadn't slept in days, and my mind wasn't working too good anyway. I couldn't stand myself anymore. I wanted to get away from me. And if that meant dyin', then okay, I'm ready. I just had to get away from myself. I couldn't stand it anymore and I didn't think there was any other way. I took a flashlight with me and I said, I'm goin' to walk and crawl and climb into this cave until the light goes out, and then I'm gonna lie down. So I crawled in there with a flashlight until it burned out and I lay down to die. I was a mile in that cave. At least a mile. But I felt this great comforting presence sayin', 'No you're not dyin'.' I got things for you to do. So I got up, found my way out. Cliffs, ledges, drop-offs. I don't know how I got out, 'cept God got me out." After this experience, he knew that he had to repent from his many sins and rededicate his life to the Lord. (quote from The Man Called Cash by Steve Turner). 

Now for Charlie Rich with Just a Closer Walk with Thee. This old hymn's origin remains a mystery with no one knowing exactly how old it is. However it is believed that this song must date back before the Civil War, because some personal histories have stated that there were “slaves singing as they worked in the fields a song about walking by the Lord’s side.” If this is true it shows the power of God and music as they could sing praise to the Lord even when being oppressed as part of one of the greatest injustices of American history. There is however a song published in 1885 called Closer Walk With Thee which had a very similar chorus. Just a Closer Walk's popularity grew in the 1930's with it being sung at several churches. The arrangement we know today was done by Kenneth Morris in 1940. The following is from Horace Clarence Boyer's book, How Sweet the Sound, “While traveling between Kansas City and Chicago in 1940, songwriter Kenneth Morris got off the train to stretch his legs. While standing on the platform, he overheard a porter singing some of the words to 'Just a Closer Walk with Thee'. Not thinking much about it, Morris boarded the train and went on his way. The words and melody of the song kept repeating in his head and he knew he had to learn the rest of it. At the next stop, Morris got off the train and took the next train back to the previous stop. There he managed to find the porter and Morris persuaded him to sing the song while he copied down the words. Morris soon added to the lyrics and published it in 1940.”  (Quotes from https://dianaleaghmatthews.com/just-a-little-talk-with-jesus/#.Yu_SUPjMK3A)

Today's musical selection ends with Gene Autry with The Bible on the Table and the Flag Upon the Wall. This version of the song comes from an episode of Gene Autry's Melody Ranch radio show that aired March 5, 1949. After Walter Winchell showed his support for Gene's radio show, Gene wrote a note of thanks to Winchell. "I want you to know I appreciate everything you give me. Of course the radio show, I'm doing is not a sophisticated program and probably a lot of the kids in the city won't enjoy it, but the thing I am trying to do more than anything else is to keep the program down to earth, and especially so the kids will like it. I want to concentrate on trying to point out the value of Americanism and what America should mean to everyone these days when there is so much communism and other isms going so strong in this country. I feel we cannot go to strong on preaching this to the people and I think the best way to do this is playing particularly to the kids and teaching them Americanism while they are young." (Quote from Public Cowboy no.1: The Life and Times of Gene Autry by Holly George-Warren)

Now for the 18th episode of the Lone Ranger TV show. 

Now for a sermon from the Reverand Martin Luther King Jr.

Psalm 78

A maskil of Asaph.

1 My people, hear my teaching;

    listen to the words of my mouth.

2 I will open my mouth with a parable;

    I will utter hidden things, things from of old—

3 things we have heard and known,

    things our ancestors have told us.

4 We will not hide them from their descendants;

    we will tell the next generation

the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord,

    his power, and the wonders he has done.

5 He decreed statutes for Jacob

    and established the law in Israel,

which he commanded our ancestors

    to teach their children,

6 so the next generation would know them,

    even the children yet to be born,

    and they in turn would tell their children.

7 Then they would put their trust in God

    and would not forget his deeds

    but would keep his commands.

8 They would not be like their ancestors—

    a stubborn and rebellious generation,

whose hearts were not loyal to God,

    whose spirits were not faithful to him.

9 The men of Ephraim, though armed with bows,

    turned back on the day of battle;

10 they did not keep God’s covenant

    and refused to live by his law.

11 They forgot what he had done,

    the wonders he had shown them.

12 He did miracles in the sight of their ancestors

    in the land of Egypt, in the region of Zoan.

13 He divided the sea and led them through;

    he made the water stand up like a wall.

14 He guided them with the cloud by day

    and with light from the fire all night.

15 He split the rocks in the wilderness

    and gave them water as abundant as the seas;

16 he brought streams out of a rocky crag

    and made water flow down like rivers.

17 But they continued to sin against him,

    rebelling in the wilderness against the Most High.

18 They willfully put God to the test

    by demanding the food they craved.

19 They spoke against God;

    they said, “Can God really

    spread a table in the wilderness?

20 True, he struck the rock,

    and water gushed out,

    streams flowed abundantly,

but can he also give us bread?

    Can he supply meat for his people?”

21 When the Lord heard them, he was furious;

    his fire broke out against Jacob,

    and his wrath rose against Israel,

22 for they did not believe in God

    or trust in his deliverance.

23 Yet he gave a command to the skies above

    and opened the doors of the heavens;

24 he rained down manna for the people to eat,

    he gave them the grain of heaven.

25 Human beings ate the bread of angels;

    he sent them all the food they could eat.

26 He let loose the east wind from the heavens

    and by his power made the south wind blow.

27 He rained meat down on them like dust,

    birds like sand on the seashore.

28 He made them come down inside their camp,

    all around their tents.

29 They ate till they were gorged—

    he had given them what they craved.

30 But before they turned from what they craved,

    even while the food was still in their mouths,

31 God’s anger rose against them;

    he put to death the sturdiest among them,

    cutting down the young men of Israel.

32 In spite of all this, they kept on sinning;

    in spite of his wonders, they did not believe.

33 So he ended their days in futility

    and their years in terror.

34 Whenever God slew them, they would seek him;

    they eagerly turned to him again.

35 They remembered that God was their Rock,

    that God Most High was their Redeemer.

36 But then they would flatter him with their mouths,

    lying to him with their tongues;

37 their hearts were not loyal to him,

    they were not faithful to his covenant.

38 Yet he was merciful;

    he forgave their iniquities

    and did not destroy them.

Time after time he restrained his anger

    and did not stir up his full wrath.

39 He remembered that they were but flesh,

    a passing breeze that does not return.

40 How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness

    and grieved him in the wasteland!

41 Again and again they put God to the test;

    they vexed the Holy One of Israel.

42 They did not remember his power—

    the day he redeemed them from the oppressor,

43 the day he displayed his signs in Egypt,

    his wonders in the region of Zoan.

44 He turned their river into blood;

    they could not drink from their streams.

45 He sent swarms of flies that devoured them,

    and frogs that devastated them.

46 He gave their crops to the grasshopper,

    their produce to the locust.

47 He destroyed their vines with hail

    and their sycamore-figs with sleet.

48 He gave over their cattle to the hail,

    their livestock to bolts of lightning.

49 He unleashed against them his hot anger,

    his wrath, indignation and hostility—

    a band of destroying angels.

50 He prepared a path for his anger;

    he did not spare them from death

    but gave them over to the plague.

51 He struck down all the firstborn of Egypt,

    the firstfruits of manhood in the tents of Ham.

52 But he brought his people out like a flock;

    he led them like sheep through the wilderness.

53 He guided them safely, so they were unafraid;

    but the sea engulfed their enemies.

54 And so he brought them to the border of his holy land,

    to the hill country his right hand had taken.

55 He drove out nations before them

    and allotted their lands to them as an inheritance;

    he settled the tribes of Israel in their homes.

56 But they put God to the test

    and rebelled against the Most High;

    they did not keep his statutes.

57 Like their ancestors they were disloyal and faithless,

    as unreliable as a faulty bow.

58 They angered him with their high places;

    they aroused his jealousy with their idols.

59 When God heard them, he was furious;

    he rejected Israel completely.

60 He abandoned the tabernacle of Shiloh,

    the tent he had set up among humans.

61 He sent the ark of his might into captivity,

    his splendor into the hands of the enemy.

62 He gave his people over to the sword;

    he was furious with his inheritance.

63 Fire consumed their young men,

    and their young women had no wedding songs;

64 their priests were put to the sword,

    and their widows could not weep.

65 Then the Lord awoke as from sleep,

    as a warrior wakes from the stupor of wine.

66 He beat back his enemies;

    he put them to everlasting shame.

67 Then he rejected the tents of Joseph,

    he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim;

68 but he chose the tribe of Judah,

    Mount Zion, which he loved.

69 He built his sanctuary like the heights,

    like the earth that he established forever.

70 He chose David his servant

    and took him from the sheep pens;

71 from tending the sheep he brought him

    to be the shepherd of his people Jacob,

    of Israel his inheritance.

72 And David shepherded them with integrity of heart;

    with skillful hands he led them.

Thank you for joining me. Come back next week for another service of Cowboy Church. Happy trails to you until we meet again. 

Some Cartoons for Saturday Morning #287

Good morning my friends and welcome for a special Fourth of July edition of Saturday Morning Cartoons. 

 In 1997 animation legend Chuck Jones wrote a children's book starring Daffy Duck and Bugs Bunny titled Daffy Duck for President. When Warner Brothers decided to follow the feature film, Looney Tunes Back in Action (2003) with a series of new animated Looney Tunes shorts for movie theaters, one of these shorts was a cartoon based off this book. Daffy Duck for President (2004) never got the theatrical release it should have as Looney Tunes Back in Action proved a disappointment at the box office. However, this is a truly delightful cartoon. It was dedicated to Chuck who had passed away in 2002. 

Now we join our sailor friend Popeye in Patriotic Popeye (1957). This Fourth of July cartoon features Popeye and two nephews. When Popeye's nephews were introduced, he had four of them. This then went down to three and then to two. 

Next comes the silent cartoon short, Bobby Bumps Fourth (1917). The Bobby Bumps films were made by Earl Hurd. Earl Hurd has a very important place in the history of animation. He was in fact the inventor of animation cells. Him and John R. Bray owned a patent on animation cells and any studio that used them had to pay license fees. About the Bobby Bumps cartoons film historian and critic Leonard Maltin would state, "They are among the most mature, most well-conceived cartoons of the silent era - certainly the best work done in the mid- to late teens."

Now for a short film from Stephen Bosustow Productions, Freedom River (1971). This is an intelligent and lovely film that is helped by narration from no less than Orson Welles. The film was directed by Sam Weiss, who would go on to work as a layout artist on such animated TV shows as The Bullwinkle Show, The Dick Tracy Show, Underdog and Rugrats.

Now it is time for a commercial break. 

Now for our favorite pink friend in Yankee Doodle Pink (1978). This is essentially a reissue of the earlier Pinky Doodle (1976) with a few extra scenes. 

In December of 1941 the Secretary of the Treasury, Henry Morganthau contacted Walt Disney about making a short film encouraging Americans to pay their taxes. The story goes that Walt was surprised by this request believing that all American citizens paid their taxes on time. Disney writers Joe Grant and Dick Huemer wrote a story involving Donald Duck as an average tax payer. When an aide was surprised that Disney didn't create a new character to represent the average tax payer, but Walt felt that Donald was a natural choice. He argued that this was the same as when a Hollywood studio would use one of their biggest live action stars to promote the war effort. Donald was the Disney studio's biggest star at the time (as well as a character everyone loved and saw themselves in) and to have him push the war effort was vital to the project. The cartoon was titled The New Spirit (1942) and was a major success. The Treasury Department stated that about sixty million Americans saw this cartoon and a poll showed that 37% of these Americans stated that this positively influenced them when it came to paying taxes. In 1943 the Treasury Department approached Walt about making another one of these shorts. This resulted in The Spirit of '43 (1943).

Let us end with another patriotic Disney short, Ben and Me (1953). 

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.

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

https://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/ducks-and-taxes-the-story-of-the-new-spirit/