I personally love the Walter Lantz Oswald cartoons of the late 1920's and early 30's. Though in 1935 the Lantz studio would cutesy up this great character and make him loses much of his charm, the Lantz Oswalds before that are delightful affairs, that I am always in the mood to watch. I know these films don't have the best reputation because of unfavorable comparisons to the Walt Disney Oswalds. However this has never stopped me from loving though. However I will admit I was very familiar with these cartoons before I ever saw a Disney Oswald. Here is a highly enjoyable example of these early Lantz Oswald films, Permanent Wave (1929). Notice how the villain is Peg Leg Pete, Mickey Mouse's main nemesis. Peg Leg Pete dated back to an Alice Comedy called Alice Solves the Puzzle (1925) and had appeared in some of Walt Disney's Oswald cartoons. The character was carried over when Universal continued making Oswalds without Walt Disney, yet Walt would the character himself for his self-produced cartoons. This makes him one of the rare characters to appear in cartoons from two major cartoon studios at the same time.
When I first saw one of the Columbia Krazy Kat cartoons, I was immediately disappointed in how little they resembled George Herriman's comic strip (which I have been a huge fan of for most of my life). However the more of these films I watched the more I began to appreciate them for what they were. They were fast paced, funny and very creative cartoons. Next is a typically fun example of the series, A Happy Family (1935). A reviewer in The Motion Picture Herald however wasn't impressed calling the film "poor in idea and execution." Another review called the cartoon simply “fair.” An exhibitors review for Krazy Kat cartoons as a whole stated, "I believe the children would try and mob me if I discontinue these." As someone who enjoys old rubber house cartoony animation of the 1930’s, I find this film to be a lot of fun.
I have mentioned many times on this blog that I consider the Goofy cartoons Jack Kinney directed for Disney to be among some of the funniest cartoons ever made. Here is another great example, Goofy Gymnastics (1949).
With all the Looney Tunes cartoons that were made from 1931 to 1969 it should come as no surprise that two should share the same name. Such is the case with an early Bosko cartoon and a later Bugs Bunny cartoon, both called Dumb Patrol (1931, 1964). With a title referencing the Howard Hawks World War One movie it should be no surprise that both these films take place during the great war. Here are both of these cartoons.
The following few pages from a 1931 article from the Motion Picture Herald discuss Junior Matinees including a Krazy Kat Klub. If you have trouble reading click on the following pages and use your touch screen to zoom in.
Thanks again for joining me come back next week for more animated treasures. Until then peace, love and cartoons.
-Michael J. Ruhland
"Injun Trouble" ALSO was used twice, one for a 1939 Porky and Daffy cartoon (which got remade into 1945's "Wagon Heels", the ones with that silly "I know somethin' I won't tell" singing guy, and the giant :Injun Joe"), and for the last Jack L.Warner-era WB cartoon, the 1969 one with Cool Cat..:)
ReplyDeleteThe Oswald and Krazy Kat cartoons especially show off the weirdness that was the hallmark of early animation. Rowing a fish with a boat tied to its tail, or Pegleg Pete using a dipstick or pulling off his head so Oswald can look down inside to see how hungry he is, are perfect examples of the unreality that makes these early cartoons so funny. As the years passed the strangeness was gradually reigned in until today's animation could just as well be done by human actors animated characters.
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