Some Cartoons For Saturday Morning #90

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

Today's selection starts off with the Blame it on the Samba segment for the feature length Disney movie, Melody Time (1948). I have a soft spot for Melody Time and Disney's other package features of the 1940's. These were a series of Disney feature films that instead of playing as a feature length story, the way Snow White (1939) or Pinocchio (1940) had done, were a collection of brand new animated shorts put together to create one feature length movie. While these movies were rarely the masterpieces that the earlier animated Disney features were, they have a lot to enjoy especially for cartoon fans like you and me. The Disney studio had by this time already made two features involving Donald Duck and South American countries (Saludos Amigos (1942) and The Three Caballeros (1944)) as part of the U.S.A.'s good neighbor policy. A third movie was planned (the working title being Carnival), but abandoned. The idea for Blame it on the Samba originated as part of that abandoned feature and would luckily for us come to reality in Melody Time. This cartoon shows its origins not only through its South American theme but also through the use of characters created for the previous South American features such as the Aracuan bird and José Carioca. Blame it on the Samba remains one of the highlights of Melody Time and is a pure delight for cartoon fans everywhere. 

The following is a short article from The Film Daily (dated May 24, 1948).

"Marking the first time that film from a modern Walt Disney production will be presented on television, selections from the producer's new feature 'Melody Time' will be included in next Friday's juvenile, 'Small Fry Club' broadcast over the DuMont network.

"In addition to excerpts from the film, nine year old starlet Launa Patten, who plays a leading role in the picture, will appear in person over the telecast which will originate from WABD here.

"'Melody Time' opens at the Astor Theatre, Thursday."
 

Screenland, 1948

Next Gandy Goose and Sourpuss find themselves Somewhere in Egypt (1943).

Today's cartoon selection continues with one of my favorite cartoons, Tex Avery made for Warner Brothers, Hamateur Night (1939). This is the anything for a laugh, no gag is too silly Tex Avery that we know from his MGM cartoons. Nearly every gag in this film works and the cartoon just gets funnier as it goes along. Simply put this is a near perfect cartoon and it cracks me up each time I watch it. A review in Boxoffice Magazine called this "Fun for everybody."  

Now let us all go a little Jazz Mad (1931) with our good friend Farmer Alfalfa.

The Film Daily, 1930

 

To end today's cartoon selection on a cliff hanger, up last is the first cartoon of Hanna-Barber's Ruff and Reddy TV series (the studio's first TV series). What happens to our heroes next? Come back to this blog next week to find out. 

The following is a brief article from Broadcasting (dated December 16, 1957).

"Effective last Saturday, coincidental with the premiere of it's Ruff and Reddy Show cartoon program, NBC-TV is presenting a new lineup of its Saturday morning shows. Scheduled as follows: Howdy Doody (10-10:30am); Ruff and Reddy (10:30-11am); Fury (11-11:30am); Andy's Gang (11:30-noon); My True Story (Noon-12:30pm), and Detective's Dairy (12:30-1pm)." 

The following is a short article from Motion Picture Daily (dated November 29, 1957).

"NBC-TV has purchased a new cartoon program from Screen Gems, 'Ruff and Reddy' about the adventures of a cat and dog in outer space. Each episode will be four minutes and each half hour installment will consist of two episodes of 'Ruff and Reddy' and two first run cartoons from the Columbia Pictures library. The show scheduled for Saturday mornings will start sometime in December."  

Thanks for joining me come back next week for more animated treasures. Until then may all your tunes be looney and your melodies merry.


-Michael J. Ruhland