Some Cartoons for Saturday Morning #277

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

Today's cartoon selection begins with one of Chuck Jones' great Bugs Bunny cartoons, Wackiki Wabbit (1943). The two castaways who try to eat Bugs in this cartoon, were caricatured to look like and were voiced by Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies writers, Michael Maltese and Tedd Pierce. Many of Chuck's cartoons of this time had great experimentation with background art (due to the work of such artists as John McGrew, Bernyce Polifka and Gene Fleury) and that is certainly true here. The following are some exhibitor's reviews from the Motion Picture Herald. "Wackiki Wabbit: Merrie Melodies Cartoons: A 'Bugs Bunny' short that shows signs of getting him back into his once high place. If they like Bugs, they'll like this one. - W. Varrick Nevins, Ill, Alfred Co-op Theatre, Alfred, N.Y." "Wackiki Wabbit: Merrie Melodies Cartoon— This is one of the best Bugs Bunny cartoons of the season and it went over big here. - Thomas Di Lorenzo, New Paltz Theatre, New Platz, N.Y." The experimental artwork in this film drew both praise and criticism from those working in animation. The Disney layout artist Karl Van Leuven wrote in the cartoonists' union newsletter (in December 1943), "This opus is notable not for its habit-formed story, but for the imaginative experimentation of its layout and background. Particularly noteworthy was the discovery that a flat tone can carry background movement. Novel but not so successful was the use of tapa cloth patterns with overlays of stylized foliage plotches as backgrounds for action on a typical tropical isle. [producer Leon Schlesinger] is pacing the current background breakaway from the cute." Warner Brothers background artist (and future voice of the Road Runner) would remember the reaction the film had from others in the studio. "The picture culminated in a chase where two people ran off into the distance, and the background ... was so flat it came off like, here are two people shrinking into a piece of wallpaper. That created kind of an upset ... a popular outcry - what the hell is going on here? The expression 'artsy-fartsy' got used a great deal that month." 

Next comes the silent Out of the Inkwell cartoon, Koko's Quest (1927). 

Now for our good friend, Farmer Al Falfa in The Tin Can Tourist (1937). 

Up next is Mr. Magoo's film debut, Ragtime Bear (1949). The UPA studio wanted to get away from funny animals and use human characters as their stars. Yet Columbia (their distributor) had little interest in that, feeling they should stick to the funny animals that dominated much of cartoons at this time. Columbia reluctantly accepted Ragtime Bear because it did have a funny animal in it and that the animal was the titular character. Of course, after Mr. Magoo became popular Columbia never argued about a human being the star of the cartoons. Mr. Magoo as a character benefited heavily from the voice talents of Jim Backus. Jerry Hausner (voice of Magoo's nephew Waldo) commented on recording this first cartoon, "We went into the studio with two pages of dialogue. We read all of the speeches that had been written down, then [John] Hubley did something that no other animated cartoon director had ever done in my presence. He said 'Let's do it again and ad-lib around the subject. Throw in any wild thoughts you might have.' We did another version of it. Backus began to go crazy and have a good time … He invented a lot of things and brought to the cartoons a wonderful and fresh approach." About the origins of Magoo's voice, Backus would state, “Magoo’s voice was taken from the character I play in my nightclub act — the man in the club car [the train car where alcohol can be purchased]. You know, the loud-mouth traveling salesman who shows pictures of his family to everybody in the club car, belongs to all the clubs and tells dirty jokes. It was the same with Magoo in the beginning. He was a dirty old man. Half the time you couldn’t understand what he was saying, he just used to mumble.”  Director John Hubley later stated about the early version of Magoo that appeared in this film, "A great deal in the original character, the strength of him, was that he was so damn bull-headed. It wasn't just that he couldn't see very well; even if he had been able to see he still would have made dumb mistakes, cause he was such a bull-headed, opinionated old guy." This cartoon would be reissued to theaters in 1959.

Now it is time for a commercial break. 

Now for Donald Duck in Cured Duck (1945). In this short Donald tries to learn how to control his temper, which may not be that easy. The story was written by Roy Williams who would later be the big Mouseketeer on TV's Mickey Mouse Club (1955-1959). This cartoon would make its TV debut on an episode of the Disneyland TV series entitled Donald's Award (1957). 

Next we join Dimwit the dog in Flying Cups and Saucers (1949). This sci-fi themed Terry Toons cartoon was directed by Connie Rasinski. Terry Toons producer Paul Terry would state about Rasinski, "He came to work when it was Terry, Moser and Coffman. An old friend of mine named Litchfeild, who was a painter, passed away, and his wife sent this kid over to get a job, and I gave him a job. And that's Connie. Connie, who came to work for me as a kid, developed rapidly and he was with me for practically all his life. He was fat and everything he drew was chubby and round and well fed." After appearing with Terry characters like Heckle and Jeckle and Mighty Mouse, Flying Cups and Saucers was the first film in Dimwit's own starring series. 

Now for 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.

Today's cartoon selection ends with The Simpsons in The Bart Simpson Show (1988). This is one of the shorts made for The Tracey Ullman Show before the animated family got their own TV series. It is weird to have Bart call Homer "dad" while Lisa calls him "Homer." It is also fun to see such an early version of Itchy and Scratchy.

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

Hollywood Cartoons: American Animation in its Golden Age by Michael Barrier

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

https://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/remembering-classic-mr-magoo/

https://mediahistoryproject.org/

 

Movie Review: The Christophers

 

Michael's Movie Grade: A-

A fantastic new film from Steven Soderbergh.

In this film a young woman with an artistic gift is hired to complete the paintings of aging painter without him knowing. 

Like many of Soderbergh's best films this is a very intelligent and emotionally complex film, but one that is also completely accessible to a causal movie watcher. A story like this could easily either dip too far into sentimentality or become too cold and emotionally detached. The film falls into neither of these categories. Instead, it feels completely emotionally honest by digging into the complexities of the relationship between the main characters. The relationship between these characters is very antagonistic for much of the runtime, however even underneath this antagonism, there is a certain admiration and fondness that these characters have for each other. Their relationship is often defined by the mixture of these elements. Since the relationship is quite complex, the emotions that come from it are quite complex. Yet it is hard not to find yourself greatly moved by the end of the film. This also allows this to be the type of movie in which you never know what is going to happen next. Even when you think you know what direction it is heading in, the film surprises you. Yet each twist and turn makes perfect sense. Not only this but each twist reveals a new facet to our main characters, making them feel more complex and real. Of course, for such a character driven movie the casting is very important. Luckily Ian McKellen and Michaela Coel are in the main roles. Both of them are simply wonderful. They also have truly great chemistry with each other, making their complex relationship feel all the more real and relatable to us. 

A must see. 

Movie Review: Exit 8

 

Michael's Movie Grade: D-

A boring and repetitive horror movie. 

Have you ever gotten bored watching someone else play a video game? That is the exact feeling that I had as I watched this movie. While I have not played the video game that this film is based on, I got the general gist of how it works by watching this movie. It seems like a fun video game that I could see myself enjoy playing. However, it made for a boring movie. The basic premise involves characters stuck in an endless looping corridor, the most find the anomaly to move on to the "next level," if they do not find the anomaly, they must start over from the beginning. They must reach the "8th level" to exit the corridor. While this is a very clever idea for a video game, for a movie it is simply too repetitive. For the majority of the runtime, you watch what is essentially the same thing over and over. While it is mildly interesting at first, it becomes boring very quickly. The film is only a little over an hour and a half but felt longer than some three-hour movies I have watched. 

The movie tries to add to this by adding some back story about one of the main characters dealing with learning his ex-girlfriend is pregnant. However, this back story is not very well developed, and we never feel any emotional investment. Attempts to make the surreal story a commentary on his moral dilemma and fatherhood in general falls flat because it never really says much of anything. 

The "scares" here are cheap and easy, relying on the most basic of jump scares or weird imagery. Not only is none of this scary, but none of it adds anything to the story or creates any reason for us to feel engaged. Making matters worse is that these "scares" (just like much of this movie) depend on the main characters acting incredibly stupid. 

This is a prime example of how not to make a film adaption of a video game.             

Movie Review: Normal

 

Michael's Movie Grade: A-

A wonderful action-comedy. 

In this film, a man becomes the temporary sheriff for what is seemingly a peaceful small town. However, he soon discovers it has a very dark side underneath. 

Bob Odenkirk once again proves that he is a surprisingly great action star. He an unlikely action hero, yet this is just what makes him stand out so well. Even if he doesn't look or act like your typical action hero, he brings a real charisma to these roles that is perfect for an action movie. So much of this movie owes itself to Odenkirk and he delivers perfectly.

  The town however is just as much a character in this film as the one Odenkirk plays and this movie benefits from a great sense of atmosphere. The early scenes do such a great job at capturing a certain sense of small-town Americana, while also perfectly setting up the feeling of something more sinister lurking beneath. Many movies have done this small town with a dark secret storyline before, but this film does it exceptionally well.    

Still, what most people come to this film for is for its action sequences and quirky humor, both of which are so much fun here. The humor is often hilarious, and the action scenes are as over the top and bloody (and often quite clever and creative) as one could want.  

This film delivers exactly what you might want it to. 

Movie Review: ChaO

 

Michael's Movie Grade: B- 

A charming but flawed anime film.

This movie tells a love story between a human and a mermaid. It is this romance that really holds this movie together. As quirky as this movie gets, this romance remains very sweet and really touching. Not only are both these characters really likable but the relationship between these two characters feels really fleshed out. As we learn more about them (especially with a twist in the last act), the relationship becomes even more emotional. 

I am kind of split when it comes to the look of this film. There is so much imagination in every frame of this movie. The character designs are quite creative and visually pleasing. Yet at the same time the character designs clash with some being much more cartoon-y and over the top than others. Because of this many of these characters simply don't look like the belong in the same movie.  

This movie at many times tries too hard to be quirky. The humor is often simply weird for the reason of being weird. Similarly, the film is much too franticly paced.

The romance of this film is sweet, and often visually pleasing but it is also too quirky for its own good.   

Cowboy Church #264

 Hello my friend and welcome back for another service of Cowboy Church.

 Today's musical selection begins with Roy Rogers and Dale Evans with Jesus Loves the Little Children.  Jesus would state, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me." There is no doubt that Jesus did love the little children and he loves us big children too. If we will humble ourselves and become like little children, the blessings he has for us are immeasurable. 

This is followed by The Chuck Wagon Gang with My Home Sweet Home. This comes from their 1960 gospel album, Perfect Joy.

Afterwards is Tommy Overstreet with Blessed Assurance. This hymn came about when songwriter Fanny Crosby visited composer Phoebe Palmer Knapp. Knapp played a tune for Crosby and asked what came to her mind with that tune. Crosby said, "Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!" She then immediately followed it with more lyrics that would be in the finished song. The song was published in 1873 and first appeared in a monthly magazine for which the editors were Joseph Fairchild Knapp and Phoebe Palmer Knapp (who were husband and wife). When it later appeared in 1887's Gospel Songs, No. 5 by Ira Sankey, this we lead it to greater fame as it would be commonly sung in the revivals of Dwight L. Moody and Sankey. By 1889, the hymn commonly appeared in Methodist hymnals.  

Then comes Hank Williams and his wife Audery Williams with their 1948 recording of I Heard My Mother Praying for Me. This song was credited to being written by Audrey Williams, yet on an episode of the Mothers Best radio show a few years later, Hank Williams introduced the song saying he wrote it. Audrey was very adamant about wanting to record some religious songs with her husband and kept bringing it up to Hank until Hank finally agreed and then convinced his manager Fred Rose. Though Audrey often gets a lot of criticism for her singing voice, the truth is it is not too bad here and there two voice match quite well on this duet at least. This gospel songs the two recorded together were heavily inspired by the husband and wife evangelists that both were very familiar with.

Next is Tammy Wynette with a medley of Amazing Grace, I'll Fly Away, Will the Circle be Unbroken and I Saw the Light. 

Then comes The Sons of the Pioneers with their 1937 recording of Power in the Blood. Though it may be simple doctrine that we have heard since Sunday school, I hope we never forget how much power there truly is in the blood of Jesus. No matter what temptations and struggles we may face in life, Jesus' blood spilled on Calvary's cross has overcome all of it. With man something may be impossible but with God all things are possible. 

Today's musical selection ends with Johnny Cash performing How Great Thou Art on an episode of his TV show that aired on August 30, 1969. Here he is backed up by The Carter Family and The Statler Brothers, who were both staples of his TV show and concerts. 

Now for the 7th episode of The Lone Ranger TV show. 

Now for a message from the reverend Billy Graham. 

Psalm 146

1 Praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord, my soul.

2 I will praise the Lord all my life;

    I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.

3 Do not put your trust in princes,

    in human beings, who cannot save.

4 When their spirit departs, they return to the ground;

    on that very day their plans come to nothing.

5 Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob,

    whose hope is in the Lord their God.

6 He is the Maker of heaven and earth,

    the sea, and everything in them—

    he remains faithful forever.

7 He upholds the cause of the oppressed

    and gives food to the hungry.

The Lord sets prisoners free,

8     the Lord gives sight to the blind,

the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down,

    the Lord loves the righteous.

9 The Lord watches over the foreigner

    and sustains the fatherless and the widow,

    but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.

10 The Lord reigns forever,

    your God, O Zion, for all generations.

Praise the Lord.

Thanks 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 #276

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

Today's cartoon selection begins with Betty Boop's Ker-Choo (1933). Like many cartoons from the Fleischer Studios at this time, this film is filled with one surreal gag after another. Animator Dave Tender remembered about working at the studio, "Dave Fleischer's theory was that every scene should have a gag; nobody should animate a scene without a gag. He would come around, every other day perhaps, and speak to the guys. He'd pick up your scene and flip it, and he'd say, 'Where's the gag in this?' ... If you couldn't think of something in a scene, you would confer with him, and you would come up with something, what they considered a gag. Whether it was a chair moving across the room or an apple in a bowl of fruit animating up and saying something and then going back in the bowl - this was a gag a surprising bit of business."

Now we join our friend Dinky Duck in Foolish Duckling (1952). This Terry Toons cartoon was directed by Mannie Davis.

 Next comes a real classic, Falling Hare (1943). This cartoon features one of the few characters to get the upper hand of Bugs, the gremlin. Despite only appearing in this one short, the character has proven quite popular and has appeared in quite a few Looney Tunes spin offs. The original title for this movie was going to be Bugs Bunny and the Gremlin. However, since Disney was working on an animated feature film about Gremlins (a movie that would never be finished), the studio took the word Gremlin out of the title of this cartoon to appease the Disney studio. The following is a review from The Film Daily, "Literally and figuratively, Bugs Bunny, already a prime favorite among current cartoon characters, gets off to a flying start in the distribution season just started. The buck-toothed, long-eared clown meets up with a gremlin and both find themselves aloft in an airplane, with Bugs or what's left of him being darn glad to get back to earth. There are plenty of laughs throughout. The tough Bunny, if this initial '43-'44 offering of his producer Leon Schlesinger, is any criterion, is in for a further rise in popularity among fans who like humor. Of course, the reel is in Technicolor. It was supervised by Robert Clampett and animated by Roderick Scribner. Warner Foster wrote the story and Carl W. Stalling handled the musical direction." This movie amounts to one of my favorite Bugs Bunny cartoons and it is appropriately in Jerry Beck's book, The 100 Greatest Looney Tunes. 

Now for Donald Duck in Dude Duck (1951). This theatrical cartoon short made its TV debut in an episode of the Disneyland TV show entitled On Vacation (1956). Decades later this cartoon would return to movie theaters alongside the animated feature film DuckTales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp (1990). 

Now it is time for a commercial break. 

Next comes a Looney Tunes cartoon starring Beans the Cat (one of the Boston beans). Though not as well known Beans made his film debut in the same cartoon as Porky, I Haven't Got a Hat (1935). That cartoon was a takeoff on the Our Gang shorts and featured a bunch of little kid characters in a talent show. The studio did not know right away, which character would be the most popular, so they all appeared starred in some Looney Tunes when the studio was looking for a new character to replace Buddy (the rather bland character that had become that series' star). While Porky would become the most popular of these characters, Beans certainly had his fans in the studio as he would star in eight of these cartoons (Porky would even be relegated to a supporting role in some of these). Hollywood Capers (1935) is a good example of one of these Beans cartoons. While it may not be as laugh out loud funny as a Tex Avery or Bob Clampett Looney Tune, this is a charming little film that always puts a smile on my face. As a character Beans certainly has more personality than his predecessor Buddy. In many ways his personality is like the early Mickey Mouse before Mickey got toned down. He is very mischievous and always on a lookout for the next big adventure. Naturally this gets him in a lot of trouble but he always manages to have quite a bit of fun along the way. A quick joke has Beans disguise himself as Oliver Hardy to sneak into the movie studio. Porky would later try to do the same (less successfully) in You Ought to be in Pictures (1940). Look in the background for a poster advertising a fight between “Punchy” Pierce and “Hurricane” Hardaway. This is referring to two of the writers of Warner Brothers cartoons at the time, Tedd Pierce and Bugs Hardaway. Also, Beans is voiced by Tommy Bond here (who played Butch in the Our Gang shorts). 

Next comes the Fleischer Stone Age cartoon, Springtime in the Rockage (1940). Though on this film and most cartoons from the Fleischer Studio, Dave Fleischer is given a director's credit, on all these cartoons, he functioned more as a general supervisor than an actual day to day director. That job often fell to the first animator you see listed on each of these cartoons, here that is Myron Waldman.    

Now for our friend Kiko the Kangaroo in Skunked Again (1936). 

Now to close with a song. 

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

Hollywood Cartoons: American Animation in it's Golden Age by Michael Barrier

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

100 Greatest Looney Tunes edited by Jerry Beck

https://mediahistoryproject.org/