Some Cartoons for Saturday Morning #269

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

Today's cartoon selection begins with a real classic, Gold Diggers of '49 (1935). This short film was directed by the one and only Tex Avery. It was the first film, he directed for Warner Brothers and much of his famous style is already here. This cartoon does not feel like the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies shorts that came before it. Instead, this cartoon has a faster pace and wackier sense of humor. While there is no doubt that Tex would have timed some of these gags even faster later in his career, you can clearly see the inklings of what would become his signature style. This is also the first black and white Looney Tune to feature Porky Pig (though the character had appeared in a color Merrie Melody beforehand). This is important as Porky would soon become the main star of the black and white Looney Tunes series. Yet in this film he is a supporting character. The real star is Beans the Cat. Both of these characters had made their debut in the color Merrie Melodies short, I Haven't Got a Hat (1935). Beans would remain the star of the Looney Tunes series for short while until Porky took over the series. 

Next is the Talkartoon cartoon, Accordion Joe (1930).

Now for the Terry Toons cartoon, The Tale of a Dog (1959). This film came out after Paul Terry had sold Terry Toons to CBS. CBS as well as having the rights to the cartoons also retained the entire Terrytoons staff. As well as airing the old films on TV, CBS was interested in keeping the theatrical cartoons from the studio going and did so with Gene Deitch as the new artistic supervisor. Gene Deitch had worked with UPA, a studio that specialized in flatter more artistic stylized design work and this look can be seen in almost every Terry Toon made during this period. Cartoon fans today know Gene Deitch best for some truly underwhelming Tom and Jerry shorts in the 1960's. This is not fair though as this was just a small part of his career and elsewhere, he made some great films.

Now for an earlier cartoon from the Terry Toons studio when Paul Terry was still the studio head, A Day in June (1944). 

Now it is time for a commercial break.

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. 

Now for the New 3 Stooges cartoon, Stooges in the Woods (1965). 

Next comes Oswald the Lucky Rabbit in The Prison Panic (1930). This is one of the Oswald films produced by Walter Lantz when Walt Disney discovered he didn't have the rights to the character he created, which led to Disney creating Mickey Mouse. These Lantz Oswalds were actually my introduction to the character, and I guess I will always have a soft spot for them. 

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

The 50 Greatest Cartoons edited by Jerry Beck

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

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

https://mediahistoryproject.org/

Movie Review: I Can Only Imagine 2

 

Michael's Movie Grade: B+

An excellent biopic of the Christian rock band MercyMe. 

Despite the prevalence of both musical biopics and sequels in modern cinema, a sequel to a musical biopic is rare. That is what makes I Can Only Imagine 2 work so well. It tells the story of what happens after where most musical biopics stop and about how everything doesn't necessary work out perfectly after your dreams come truly. With this theme the sequel takes a more serious and sometimes even melancholy tone. All the while though in true Christian movie fashion, this film tells how God is by your side through the tough parts of life and that even in your darkest days you can find hope. That the story is not afraid to go to darker and more serious places makes this message all the more effective. One may accuse this story of sermonizing at times, but the sermons fit the story and the characters. They are also quite well written (especially when dealing with the story behind the classic hymn, It is Well).

This movie also benefits greatly from an excellent cast. John Michael Finley is still great as the band's lead singer Bart. Trace Adkins is again fantastic as the band's manager. Sammy Dell is an excellent addition as Bart's teenage son holding his own with the rest of the great cast. However it is Milo Ventimiglia as the band's opening act, Tim Timmons who truly steals the show. He is simply wonderful here bringing a real heart to the film as well as some of the movie's most effective comedic moments. (On a sidenote it is strange how we actually hear more Tim Timmons music than MercyMe music in this film).

My main complaint with this movie however is that the focus is so much on Bart, his teenage son and Tim that we don't really get to know or spend time with any of the other characters. These characters are mostly just kind of there without us really having any connection to them. The sole exception is the band's manager yet that is more because of Trace Adkins' performance and a few pretty funny lines he is given than any actual character development. 

Despite these flaws though this is a very emotionally effective biopic. 

  

   

Movie Trailer: Toy Story 5

 

Movie Trailer: Pressure

 

Movie Review: EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert

 

Michael's Movie Grade: A+

A real treat for Elvis fans. 

This movie begins with a clip of Elvis stating that his story had never been told from his point of view. This film however is completely from Elvis' point of view. It consists of interview clips, concert footage and behind the scenes clips. Every second is full of pure bliss for Elvis fans. The musical performances are simply wonderful. The song selection itself is fantastic ranging from many of Elvis' biggest hits to covers of the likes of The Beatles, Bob Dylan and Three Dog Night to gospel standards. Not only this but the performances show Elvis at his best. His voice sounds truly wonderful and his stage presence is incredible making him just as much a joy to watch as he is to listen to. Putting this film in IMAX helps give us the feeling of being at a rock concert. The interview footage mostly features Elvis talking about what goes through his mind as he puts on a show giving us a greater emotional connection to the performances and the work that goes into being such a master showman. I can picture someone who has previously not been an Elvis fan become a fan after watching this film, which is the ultimate achievement for a movie like this.  

Yet it is not just the quality of the induvial parts but also the rarity of them that makes this special. Many of these clips are not familiar to even the most dedicated Elvis fans. This alone makes this an essential watch for any fan who feels they have seen all there is to see of Elvis. That the new footage is so good is just a bonus. 

One can complain about how safe this movie plays it, not ever really delving into Elvis' flaws. However, when a movie is this much of a joy to watch that is hardly a problem. 

I don't know if this will go down in film history along such great rock and roll movies as A Hard Day's Night (1964), The Last Waltz (1978) or Stop Making Sense (1984) but I wouldn't be surprised if it does. 

Classic Short Film: Sundown Ltd. (1924)

 

Movie Review: Wuthering Heights

 

Note: Very Minor Spoilers

Michael's Movie Grade: D+

                                       This adaptation is more Emerald Fennell than Emily Brontë.

Emerald Fennell is definitely a director with her own style. Her movies (of which this is her third) offer maximalist filmmaking and very frank sexuality. This has worked quite well for her previous films, but it hardly fits Emily Brontë's beloved romance novel. Here the source material and the director's style seemed very much at odds with each other. I am no prude (Pedro Almodóvar is one of my favorite filmmakers) but there is simply no reason for Wuthering Heights to be filled with sex scenes. The problem is not that these sex scenes are so excessive or completely frank but rather that they add nothing to this story. Sometimes these sexual scenes even go against what the movie should be about. At one point this movie seems less about two people deeply in love who can't be together and instead two people who simply can't keep their pants on when they are near each other.  Cathy and Heathcliff seem more like they are simply trying to have sex behind Cathy's husband's back then being profoundly in love. Worse is what is done to the character of Isbella. This almost seems like a filmmaker's attempt to explore a very kinky fetish than something that belongs in an adaptation of a literary classic. Joseph and Zillah become just a couple of very horny young people. Again, this kind of overt sexuality may have worked in Fennell's previous films but there is simply no need for it in this type of a story.  

 This movie started off fairly strong during the scenes with the main characters as kids. I actually found myself fairly engaged in these more straightforward and non-sexual scenes. Even the first few scenes with them as adults worked quite well. Then Joseph and Zillah have very kinky sex in a horse stable, and it is all downhill from there. The film becomes completely about sex after that often-substituting character development and depth for smut. In an era where no amount of onscreen sexuality can truly be shocking anymore this smut felt distracting and took away from time which could have been better used developing various characters and story points. 

I will admit Margot Robbie is excellent in the lead role. Despite being an unfortunate case of whitewashing (which somehow can still be happening today) Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff has great chemistry with her. 

This movie could be worse, but I would recommend simply rewatching the 1939 film adaptation of this classic novel instead.