Movies With Michael : Some Cartoons For Saturday Morning #86

Saturday, August 29, 2020

Some Cartoons For Saturday Morning #86

Hello my friends and happy Saturday morning, once again it is time for another selection of classic cartoons.

First up is a classic World War 2 themed Merrie Melodies cartoon, The Fifth-Column Mouse (1943). This film differs from most of the World War Two propaganda cartoons of this era as there is no sign of Nazis, Hitler or Japanese soldiers. The cartoon is more of an allegory, albeit not a subtle one. While the political overtones may go over a modern kid's head (if the child is not familiar with World War 2 history) there is no doubt that movie audiences knew exactly what this cartoon was referring to upon its release. The music in this film is delightful and I especially love the rendition of Blues in the Night .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRvw4rVqYMM&feature=emb_title

Next comes another Merrie Melodies cartoon from 1943, Fin N' Catty (1943). Though this is not one of the better known Warner Brothers cartoons, it is one I have always had a special fondness for since I first saw it as a kid. The storyline is a simple cartoon story we are all familiar with a cat tries to eat a fish with little luck. Yet director Chuck Jones and writer Michael Maltase (the same team who brought us the Coyote and Roadrunner cartoons as the "Duck Season, Rabbit Season trilogy) find a nice twist on this formula often playing on fact that cats hate water. The ending gag and the opening narration definitely make this cartoon stand out for me. One exhibitors review (from the Motion Picture Herald) shows the writer confusing this with another Warner Brothers cartoon. This is that review: "FIN-N-CATTY: Merrie Melodies Cartoons—Good cartoon with the 'Jerry Colona Worm.'—Ralph Raspa, State Theatre, Rivesville, W. Va." The "Jerry Colona Worm" appears in only two cartoons, The Wacky Worm (1941) and Greetings Bait (1943). The cat's design here is similar to the one used in later Warner Brothers cartoons (directed by Robert McKimson) It's Hummer Time (1950), A Fractured Leghorn (1950) and Early to Bet (1951). The design is also very similar to a differently colored cat Chuck Jones used in The Aristo-Cat (1943).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6q_7HXN09A&feature=emb_title

Next comes a cartoon who's title explains the basic story, Cat Meets Mouse (1942). If any of you have ever seen a cartoon before, you know the basic storyline from reading that title. If the opening gag of this Terry-Toon seems completely tasteless today, it must be remembered that in 1942, nobody working on this cartoon knew the true horrors of a concentration camp. This may not be on the level of say Tom and Jerry but it is a delightful cartoon in its own right. A 1942 issue of the Motion Picture Herald lets us know that this cartoon played with the feature To The Shores of Tripoli (1942) at the Roxy the "week of April 4th" and the "week of April 11th." A review in The Motion Picture Herald describes this cartoon by stating "Paul Terry's appealing characters, the cat and the mouse, are engaged in a naval conflict in this reel." The review later states, "It should bring laughs."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPnN_CuCsLE&feature=emb_title

Now for a Garfield Quickie.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bom4p5RVEIk&feature=emb_title

What are Saturday Morning cartoons without cereal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jS75SaHgBoQ&feature=emb_title

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXKD5vFZhRA&feature=emb_title

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3htwq9kV-Q&feature=emb_title

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qa2KLjAheac&feature=emb_title

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOVk4r91Wy4&feature=emb_title

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4X5283RATRU&feature=emb_title

Hanna-Barbera's Abbott and Costello TV cartoon from 1967 is of special interest to Abbott and Costello fans because Bud Abbott does his own voice. Unfortunately Lou Costello had passed by this time and the part was taken over by Stan Irwin.