Some Cartoons For Saturday Morning #298

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

Today's cartoon selection begins with the Terry Toons short, All About Dogs (1942). This is very much a spot gag cartoon in the vein of the travelogue films Tex Avery made for Warner Brothers.

Now for Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and Yosemite Sam in A Miner Problem (2011). This is one of a series of surprisingly good Looney Tunes webtoons that came out in the early 2010's.

Now we come to a short starring the first star of the Looney Tunes cartoons, Bosko. This movie, Bosko's Holiday (1931), was the first to feature Bosko's name in the title and all the following (with the exception of The Tree's Knee's (1931)), all the Looney Tunes starring Bosko would follow suit. Watching this movie, you will probably feel that it more closely resembles an early Disney cartoon than a later Looney Tune and that was true of all the Warner Brothers cartoons of this era. In his landmark book Of Mice and Magic: A History of the American Animated Cartoon, film historian Leonard Maltin quotes animator Jack Zander, "We were doing something and Hugh Harman [who co-directed the early Warner Brothers cartoons with Rudolf Ising] said 'You remember that scene in the Disney picture where Mickey Mouse did do-and-so?' I said 'You want me to do almost the same thing?' and he said 'No I want you to do exactly the same thing.'" 

Next comes the silent cartoon, Aladdin's Vamp (1927). According to Michael Barrier's landmark book, Hollywood Cartoons: American Animation in its Golden Age, Hugh Harman and Rudolph Ising made this cartoon when the Disney studio closed for vacation in September 1926 (in an office they rented for two weeks). Also working on this film were Disney animators Rollin "Ham" Hamilton and Ub Iwerks. Harman and Ising were unsuccessful in finding a distributor for this film and it never got a full theatrical release. This is the second and last cartoon made for an Arabian Nights series of cartoons that never got off the ground. 

Now it is time for a commercial break.

Now comes an all-time classic, The Dover Boys at Pimento University (1942). This is one of Chuck Jones' most daring (and arguably one of his best) films. The stylized design and animation were unlike most anything being done at this time and look forward to what UPA would become known for in the 1950's. Many have cited Chuck Jones as a very strong influence on UPA and with a cartoon like this who could argue? It is worth noting that the credited animator on this film is Robert Cannon, who would become an important director for UPA (he directed Gerald McBoing-Boing (1950) there). Much of this film's charm came from background artist, Gene Fleury and layout artist John McGrew. These were two very experimental artists, and Chuck gave them plenty of room to experiment. They are a huge part of why Chuck's cartoons for this era really stand out. If you are a fan of Disney's Goofy cartoons, you will probably recognize the narrator, John McLeisch (who narrated most of the Goofy "how to..." shorts). The film's writer Ted Pierce does the voice of Tom. However, the scene stealer of the voice actors is Mel Blanc as he seems to be having a blast voicing the villainous Dan Backslide (coward, bully, cad and thief). Visually Dan Backslide is a caricature of Warner's animator, Ken Harris. This film appropriately appears in Jerry Beck's book, The 100 Greatest Looney Tunes. 

Next up comes a masterpiece of a Silly Symphony, The Flying Mouse (1934). This cartoon perfectly shows how advanced the filmmaking from the Disney staff was by this time. While these cartoons are not stylized in the way later UPA cartoons were, the filmmaker how to use bits of stylization to help tell the story. For instance watch how the color of certain scenes changes to fit the mood. These colors are obviously not used for realism but rather to get us involved in the emotion of the story. Here in 1934, they accomplished a feat similar to the ones UPA was praised for in the 1950's but since the filmmaking does not call attention to itself here, it has easily gone unnoticed by many. However this subtlety shows just how sophisticated these cartoons are. It did not hurt that an excellent group of animators worked on this movie. Mickey Mouse specialist, Fred Moore, animated this more realistic mouse in the scenes in which he interacts with the fairy and looks at his reflection in the pond. Ben Sharpsteen (later the supervising director for such features as Pinocchio (1940) and Bambi (1942)) animates the dramatic scene of the mouse escaping from the cave. Ham Luske (the first animator Walt Disney cast for the feature length Snow White) animates the mouse being spanked, seeing the butterfly and the scene with the bats. In 1939-40, there were plans to release shot for shot remakes of earlier Disney shorts including this one, but most of them were abandoned.

Now for the Mickey Mouse cartoon, Wild Waves (1929). Much of this film borrows from Walt Disney's earlier silent Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoon, All Wet (1927). However, there is a musical number here, that would have of course been impossible in a silent cartoon. This short was before Walt Disney was cemented as the voice for Mickey Mouse and he has another voice here (two in fact as his singing voice and speaking voice are different). Composer Carl Stalling claimed to have done Mickey's voice here. Disney historians J.B. Kaufman and David Gerstein believe that if that was true, he probably provided the speaking voice. 

Now to 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 Mickey Mouse: The Ultimate History by J.B. Kaufman and David Gerstein Walt Disney's Silly Symphonies: A Companion to the Classic Cartoon Series by Russell Merritt and J.B. Kaufman

The 100 Greatest Looney Tunes edited by Jerry Beck

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

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

  

 

Movie Review: The Stunt Driver

 

Michael's Movie Grade: B+

A strong character study. 

This film tells the true story of Ken Carter, a stunt driver (don't call him a daredevil), who plans to jump the St. Lawrence River in a rocket car.

As this film started, I wasn't sure if I was going to like it. The main character seemed like a jerk and someone I would not care to spend time within real life. However, as the movie went on, I saw that he was more complex than was first apparent. I began to see what I originally didn't like about this character was actually partly a front (put on for himself as much as others), due to his insecurities and fear. When I started to see this, I saw a lot of myself in this guy. Then I forgave his flaws because he now came off as a flawed but deeply human character. All of this was perfectly captured Jay Baruchel's performance. Critics are calling this his career best performance, and I can't argue with that. He is truly wonderful here. He perfectly captures the outward confidence as well as the inner insecurity. Despite his massive flaws, we find ourselves very much rooting for this guy. Because of this, though the tone is light for most of the film, when the movie wants to pull on our heartstrings it is very successful in doing so. 

The visual filmmaking here is also excellent. The movie blends this new acted footage with real footage from a documentary seamlessly. Though this is more of a character study than an action film, the stunt scenes are quite exciting. 

  This movie does try to mix in some quirky comedy into the drama. Unfortunately, this is rarely that successful. Most of this comedy simply falls flat. I also felt that the movie sometimes seemed to go on a little long and repeat itself. These however are small flaws for what is a very strong movie. 

An excellent film. 

Movie Review: Daniel and the Fiery Furnace

 

Michael's Movie Grade: C+

A decent biblical drama. 

The book of Daniel has always been one of my favorite biblical books and for a simple reason. It tells great stories. This film takes one of the best stories from that book. It works as well as it does because it sticks very close to the story. There are of course a few scenes added to make this feature length. However, none of these scenes take anything away from nor do they change the story. What we go to the movies for is a good story and that is what is provided here. 

Despite the good story, the visual filmmaking leaves a lot to be desired here. The movie can't seem to still for a second. The camera is either constantly moving, or the film is cutting between characters. These are important tools in cinematic storytelling. However here is there is no rhyme or reason for any of this. Instead of enhancing the story, it distracts from it. The CGI (and I except AI at some points) is truly terrible and takes you out of the film immediately. The acting doesn't always help the film either as many of these actors seem to be acting as if they were on stage instead of in a movie. 

With this movie, a good story almost saves some weak filmmaking.  

Movie Review: Resident Evil

 

Michael's Movie Grade: A-

A superior horror movie. 

Rather than following the characters of the popular video game franchise, this movie places an original character into the world of the video games. Our main character is a medical courier who is hired to deliver a package to Racoon city. However, what seems to be a routine deliver soon turns into something more serious as he comes face to face with killer infected creatures.

This new main character is such a huge reason why this film works so well. He is not some brave or highly skilled hero. In fact, his attempts to use a gun to defend himself hardly ever end well. He is instead just an average guy and for much of the film, he is simply reacting how an average guy would to such creepy circumstances. Through this we get experience the horror as if we were there ourselves. This is perfect for this type of video game movie as it allows us to have a similar experience to playing the game, while still having its own cinematic identity. Helping is that this is simply a great character as well and not just an audience surrogate. He is flawed, often saying or doing the wrong thing (as is especially shown in a side story about his girlfriend being pregnant). However, he often has what he feels are good intentions. Like us he is just a bit of a screwup. All this is captured perfectly by Austin Abrams' wonderful lead performance. He brings a lot of humanity to this character that automatically endears him to us.

The scares here are completely genuine. While much of the horror is extremely gory, the film does not simply equate being gory with being scary. Instead, it uses the gore as a tool. The filmmakers are not lazy but instead very creative in how they use the gore. The result is some truly unsettling imagery that will stay in your mind long after the credits roll. The designs of the various creatures that once were humans is very well done. They look grotesque and disturbing in the best way possible. The scares also work here because some of them are so unexpected. It is rare to see a horror movie truly takes you by surprise these days, but this film does. 

Probably the biggest surprise of this movie however is just how funny it is. There is a lot of humor throughout and most of it is downright hilarious. Some of the humor could have come directly from a slapstick comedy. It is also some of the best executed slapstick in recent mainstream cinema. More humor comes from our main character's dialogue with himself. Much of this is hilarious because it is both well written and perfectly reflects what would be going through any of our heads during all these creepy goings on. 

Despite the amount of humor here, the movie itself never turns into a joke. It also never gets in the way of the scares. The filmmakers know just when to be funny and when to be scary, balancing out the two extremely well. 

This is an extremely pleasant surprise. 

 

Movie Review: Heart of the Beast

 

Michael's Movie Grade: C

An okay survival flick. 

In this film a former solider and a combat dog he befriended, crash and end up stranded in the wild.

This is a very typical survival movie with nothing to make it actually stand out. There is nothing more to the story than these two characters surviving in the wilderness. This leads to what is essentially a bunch of suspense set pieces. Some of these set pieces are very well done, while others revolve around poor CGI. All of them are boosted by beautiful location shooting, a good performance by Brad Pitt and an even better performance by the dog. 

I know it sounds sacrilegious to say that I was not moved by a dog movie. However, I found myself completely unaffected by the scenes that were obvious supposed to pull at my heartstrings. However, I felt no connection to the human character and everything with the dog felt like something I have seen a million times before. 

Despite strong performances, great location shooting and some good set pieces, this movie leaves one cold when it tries to pull on the heartstrings. The result is a film that is technically well made but empty.    

Cowboy Church #287

 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 the Marshall Family with You Never Mentioned Jesus to Me.

After this comes Nickel Creek with The Hand Song, from their 2000 self-titled debut album. The song was co-written by the band's own Sean Watkins (with David Puckett). His sister and bandmate Sara Watkins takes lead vocal. The album was produced by bluegrass great Alison Krauss.

Speaking of Alison Krauss, next comes her with In the Palm of Your Hand.  

Then comes Carrie Underwood and CeCe Winans with Great is Thy Faithfulness. When Thomas Obadiah Chisolm was on a mission trip, he and his good friend William Runyan would write letters together. These letters often included poems that they would write. Chisolm was so moved by one of Runyan's poems that he would write a musical score to accompany it. This became the hymn you hear here. Great is Thy Faithfulness was first published in 1923. 

This is followed by The Sons of the Pioneers with their 1937 recording of Power in the Blood. This is probably my favorite version of this old gospel song, especially with how well it captures the pure joy of the lyrics. This recording was made during the time when Roy Rogers was still a member of The Sons of the Pioneers before beginning his solo career in the movies and his voice can be heard very prominently on this track. 

Today's musical selection ends with Johnny Cash with It Was Jesus. The song was written by John himself and comes from his 1959 gospel album, Hymns By Johnny Cash. This was John's second album for Columbia records.  John would state that his main reason for leaving Sun Records and moving to Columbia is because producer Sam Phillips would not allow him to record a gospel album. This was especially important to John because he never set out to be a country singer or a rock and roll singer, but a gospel singer. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that as soon as he left Sun he would set out to make a gospel record. Hymns By Johnny Cash became his first of many gospel albums and proved to be a success with his fans.

Now for the 28th episode of The Lone Ranger TV series.

Now for a message from the reverend Billy Graham

Psalm 89

A maskil of Ethan the Ezrahite.

1 I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever;

    with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known

    through all generations.

2 I will declare that your love stands firm forever,

    that you have established your faithfulness in heaven itself.

3 You said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one,

    I have sworn to David my servant,

4 ‘I will establish your line forever

    and make your throne firm through all generations.’”

5 The heavens praise your wonders, Lord,

    your faithfulness too, in the assembly of the holy ones.

6 For who in the skies above can compare with the Lord?

    Who is like the Lord among the heavenly beings?

7 In the council of the holy ones God is greatly feared;

    he is more awesome than all who surround him.

8 Who is like you, Lord God Almighty?

    You, Lord, are mighty, and your faithfulness surrounds you.

9 You rule over the surging sea;

    when its waves mount up, you still them.

10 You crushed Rahab like one of the slain;

    with your strong arm you scattered your enemies.

11 The heavens are yours, and yours also the earth;

    you founded the world and all that is in it.

12 You created the north and the south;

    Tabor and Hermon sing for joy at your name.

13 Your arm is endowed with power;

    your hand is strong, your right hand exalted.

14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;

    love and faithfulness go before you.

15 Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you,

    who walk in the light of your presence, Lord.

16 They rejoice in your name all day long;

    they celebrate your righteousness.

17 For you are their glory and strength,

    and by your favor you exalt our horn.

18 Indeed, our shield belongs to the Lord,

    our king to the Holy One of Israel.

19 Once you spoke in a vision,

    to your faithful people you said:

“I have bestowed strength on a warrior;

    I have raised up a young man from among the people.

20 I have found David my servant;

    with my sacred oil I have anointed him.

21 My hand will sustain him;

    surely my arm will strengthen him.

22 The enemy will not get the better of him;

    the wicked will not oppress him.

23 I will crush his foes before him

    and strike down his adversaries.

24 My faithful love will be with him,

    and through my name his horn will be exalted.

25 I will set his hand over the sea,

    his right hand over the rivers.

26 He will call out to me, ‘You are my Father,

    my God, the Rock my Savior.’

27 And I will appoint him to be my firstborn,

    the most exalted of the kings of the earth.

28 I will maintain my love to him forever,

    and my covenant with him will never fail.

29 I will establish his line forever,

    his throne as long as the heavens endure.

30 “If his sons forsake my law

    and do not follow my statutes,

31 if they violate my decrees

    and fail to keep my commands,

32 I will punish their sin with the rod,

    their iniquity with flogging;

33 but I will not take my love from him,

    nor will I ever betray my faithfulness.

34 I will not violate my covenant

    or alter what my lips have uttered.

35 Once for all, I have sworn by my holiness—

    and I will not lie to David—

36 that his line will continue forever

    and his throne endure before me like the sun;

37 it will be established forever like the moon,

    the faithful witness in the sky.”

38 But you have rejected, you have spurned,

    you have been very angry with your anointed one.

39 You have renounced the covenant with your servant

    and have defiled his crown in the dust.

40 You have broken through all his walls

    and reduced his strongholds to ruins.

41 All who pass by have plundered him;

    he has become the scorn of his neighbors.

42 You have exalted the right hand of his foes;

    you have made all his enemies rejoice.

43 Indeed, you have turned back the edge of his sword

    and have not supported him in battle.

44 You have put an end to his splendor

    and cast his throne to the ground.

45 You have cut short the days of his youth;

    you have covered him with a mantle of shame.

46 How long, Lord? Will you hide yourself forever?

    How long will your wrath burn like fire?

47 Remember how fleeting is my life.

    For what futility you have created all humanity!

48 Who can live and not see death,

    or who can escape the power of the grave?

49 Lord, where is your former great love,

    which in your faithfulness you swore to David?

50 Remember, Lord, how your servant has been mocked,

    how I bear in my heart the taunts of all the nations,

51 the taunts with which your enemies, Lord, have mocked,

    with which they have mocked every step of your anointed one.

52 Praise be to the Lord forever!

Amen and Amen.

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 #297

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

Today's cartoon selection starts with a delightful short from the Disney studio, Suzie the Little Blue Coop (1952). This cartoon is a perfect example of what Disney could do better than nearly any other animation studio. It not only humanizes an inanimate object, but it makes us truly emotionally connect with this little blue car. This is a sweet and charming film that never fails to make me smile. This short film would make its TV debut on the Disneyland TV show episode, Adventures in Fantasy (1957), only five years after this film hit theaters.  

We continue 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 comes Gandy Goose in The Frog and the Princess (1944). This short film follows a typical Gandy Goose pattern with its story. Gandy falls asleep and dreams of some elaborate fantasy world. 

Now for another Terry Toons cartoon, Fanny's Wedding Day (1933). This cartoon features a human villain named Oil Can Harry, years before Mighty Mouse fought a feline villain with the same name. Many cartoon fans believe these to be the same character. This human Oil Can Harry did not only appear in this character but in a series of melodrama spoofs. 

Now it is time for a commercial break.

Now for the silent cartoon short, Koko the Knight (1927). 

The Pink Panther began his animated career appearing in the opening credits of Blake Edwards' great live action feature, The Pink Panther (1964). Blake Edwards contacted animation producers Friz Freleng and David DePatie to create an animated Pink Panther for this title sequence. They created many different panthers, but when Blake saw the various drawings, he immediately knew which one he wanted in his film. The title sequence was a smash hit, and the character was spun off into a series of theatrical cartoon shorts (at a time when those were on their way out). Today we will look at the first and possibly best of these cartoons, The Pink Phink (1964). This cartoon set a template for many more shorts to come. The basic storyline involves a formula that would be often used. The Pink Panther wants to turn everything pink much to the annoyance of a little man (who may look a little like Friz). The gags come fast and furious and the design work is lovely. All in all, this cartoon was a delight and the best way to start this series possible.

Now for the Terry Toons cartoon, Jesse and James (1931). 

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

Pink Panther: The Ultimate Guide to the Coolest Cat in Town! by Jerry Beck

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