Some Cartoons For Saturday Morning #81

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

Today’s selection begins with another classic pairing of Mickey, Donald and Goofy with Tugboat Mickey (1940). This cartoon very closely follows the structure built from previous films from the series. The trio are placed in a setting and have a similar goal, but have their own separate adventures on the way to “achieving” that goal. This movie has a great twist ending that always provides a good laugh. This was not the first time the trio had teamed up aboard a ship as they had previously done so in Boat Builders (1938) and The Whalers (1938). There is not a weak link in this “trilogy.” The following is an exhibitors' review from the Motion Picture Herald, "TUGBOAT MICKEY: Walt Disney Cartoons—We stayed away from the Disneys for over a year but think we made a mistake. People bring their kids to see "Mickey."—Harland Rankin, Plaza Theatre, Til- bury, and Alexander Theatre, Wallaceburg, Ontario, Canada. General Patronage." The following is another, "TUGBOAT MICKEY: Walt Disney Cartoons—Al- though not quite up to other Disneys in cleverness, this one certainly has fast action. It is certainly a good cartoon, but other Disneys are better. Running time eight minutes. - W. Varick Nevins, III, Alfred Co-op Theatre, Alfred, N.Y. Small college town and rural patronage."

The Talking Magpies (1946) is often cited as one the first Heckle and Jeckle cartoon. However the characters in this film are similar to Heckle and Jeckle but are not them. Instead of a pair of identical male friends, we have a bickering husband and wife. Still this are magpies pulling the same kind of tricks Heckle and Jeckle would later pull on their adversaries on the already long time Terry Toons character, Farmer Alfalfa. What I love about this cartoon and the Heckle and Jeckle films to follow is that the main goal of the characters is simply to create slapstick anarchy. This in many ways makes these movies the Terry Toons equivalent to the early Daffy Duck or Woody Woodpecker cartoons.

In the 1960's The Three Stooges received their own TV cartoon series called The New Three Stooges (1965). These were not just cartoons featuring the characters of the Stooges. Moe, Larry and Curley Joe voiced themselves and introduced the cartoons in live action segments. Curley Joe felt that the show was hurt by the fact that the live action segments would be repeated, even when the cartoon was knew. He felt this would lead people to see an opening they recognized and change the channel thinking it was a repeat.


 

There were many themes that were repeated through the run of the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons (probably the most famous being one character chasing another). One of these themes that was used quite a bit in the 1930's and 40's was the idea of books coming to life. A top notch example of this theme is in the Frank Tashlin directed short, Have You Got Any Castles? (1938). This film featured one book related pun after another, creating the sense of pure energy that was so prevalent in all the best Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies. This short features quite a few delights for movie fans as most of these books had been turned into films by this time and so the literary characters are often caricatures of the stars in those movie versions. The title song in this cartoon was a hit just a year earlier when performed by Tom Dorsey. The song was written by Johnny Mercer and Richard Whiting (the team that wrote Too Marvelous For Words). The following is an exhibitors review from The Motion Picture Herald, " HAVE YOU GOT ANY CASTLES: Merrie Melodies —A swell little cartoon in color. Another smash hit, very clever and it impressed me as it did the older people. Kiddish enough for the kiddies. Yet to under- stand it. it would get a real laugh from the older folks. Running time, seven minutes.—Pearce Park- hurst, State Theatre, Torrington, Conn. General pat- ronage." The following is another, "HAVE YOU GOT ANY CASTLES: Merrie Melodies - To sit down and watch these cartoons is like watching something in line of a miracle. You can't beat them. This is a knockout. Running Time: eight minutes. - George Khattar, Casino Theatre, Whitney Pier, Sydney, Nova Scottia, Canada, General Patronage." This cartoon was reissued to theatres in 1947.

 





Today's selection ends as the Terry Bears catch Duck Fever (1955)






Join me next week for another selection of animated treasures. Until then may all your Tunes be Looney and your Melodies Merrie.

Motion Picture Herald, 1941

-Michael J. Ruhland