Some Cartoons For Saturday Morning #60

Hello my friends and happy Saturday morning. Once again that means it is time to watch some more classic cartoons. 

Today's watching starts off with a fun little Pooch the Pup cartoon, The Underdog (1932). Like many cartoons from the early 1930’s, this film centers around a song. The song here is A Great Big Bunch of You. This song was written by Harry Warren and Mort Dixon. This team also wrote the song I Found a Million Dollar Baby (In a Five and Ten Cent Store), which would be the basis of another Walter Lantz cartoon (an Oswald called Five and Dime). A Great Big Bunch of You was a big hit around this time and had been recorded by Guy Lombardo and Cliff Edwards (best remembered today as the voice of Jiminy Cricket)    


This song was also used as the basis for an early Merrie Melodies cartoon called A Great Big Bunch of You (1932). While all these early Merrie Melodies centered around a song, most of them had a basic storyline. This is not the case here, as this film is nothing but a performance of this song. The main character is an unnamed mannequin, who appeared In multiple early Merrie Melodies (including We’re in the Money) and he simply performs this song in a junkyard providing imitations of popular stars of the day. An exhibitors review in The Motion Picture Herald stated "Very good musical cartoon. When it comes to cartoons and music Warner Brothers have the best."

As a bonus here is Cliff Edwards performing the song. 

Next comes a lovely French animated short film, La Joie De Vivre (1934).

Next up comes a fun Terry-Toon staring the comedy team of Gandy Goose and Sourpuss. I admit to having a real fondness for the Terry-Toons of the 1940's. Sure they are not technically the best cartoons of their era but there is a certain charm that I simply love. That charm is found all over this film, Fisherman's Luck (1945). This is a sheer energy and willingness to entertain here. The filmmakers knew these would never be Disney or Warner Brothers cartoons so they just content to make fun little cartoons and they did. This film would later be reissued to theatres in 1954. The same gag that ended this cartoon also ended the Van Beuren Tom and Jerry cartoon, Jolly Fish (1932).

Movie Makers 1949

During the mid-1940's the Mighty Mouse cartoons would occasionally take on an operetta styling. I am not always a fan of this direction but in our next film, Throwing the Bull (1946), it works pretty well. The following is a review in The Showman's Trade Review, "If there is such a thing as caricatured music, this one has it when it delightfully presents the music of 'Carmen' as a background to the antics of Mighty Mouse as he gallantly tosses the bull (several of them), out of the ring, thus winning the glamorously Techincolored, Carmenencita. This Mighty Mouse is quite a guy."

The Film Daily, 1943

Next is a fun Ant and the Aardvark cartoon.

I first became familiar with Russian animation director Ivan Ivanov-Vano from his fairytale films. That is why Black and White (1932) took me by surprise. This is a very dark and political film.

Thank you for joining me come back next week for more animated treasures. Until then peace, love and cartoons.

-Michael J. Ruhland