Hello my friends and happy Saturday morning. Once again it is time for some classic cartoons.
Today's cartoon selection begins with Sylvester and Speedy Gonzales in The Road to Andalay (1964). This movie marks the second Warner Brothers cartoon short produced by the DePatie-Freleng studio after the old Warner Brothers cartoon studio shut down. The first of these films, Pancho's Hideaway (1964) had also starred Speedy Gonzales, who would become one of the most prolific Looney Tunes characters of this era. Here he faces against his old adversary Sylvester, but with his very next cartoon he would meet a new antagonist, Daffy Duck. After this movie Speedy and Sylvester would not work together in many more theatrical cartoons. The next year's The Wild Chase (1965) would be the last theatrical short film in which these two would work against each other. After that Speedy would spend the rest of his time in short films working against Daffy.
Now to turn to a much earlier Warner Brothers cartoon, Bosko's Fox Hunt (1931). Before Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck or even Porky Pig, Bosko had been the first major star of the Looney Tunes. The director of this movie was Hugh Harman, who had earlier been an animator on Walt Disney's Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoons. One of these Oswald cartoons was The Fox Chase (1928) and this film reuses a few gags from that movie. Both cartoons also have Rollin "Ham" Hamilton as one of the animators. This movie features a storyline that would become a staple of Looney Tunes and that is a hunter being outwitted by his prey.
Up next is Dudley Do Right in Snidely's Vic Whiplash Gym.
Next comes a very early Silly Symphony. El Terrible Toreador (1929). In fact it is the second one. Unlike the first Symphony which was almost entirely animated by Ub Iwerks, this film has a bigger variety of animators. Ub did still animate on this film and not shockingly his portion (the bullfight) of the cartoon is a highlight. The other animators on this film would go on to become very important to Disney history. Burt Gillett (Don Jose and Carmen meeting) would later direct the most popular Silly Symphony, The Three Little Pigs (1933). Wilfred Jackson (Carmen dancing) would later direct some of the best Silly Symphonies and would be a co-director on such Disney features as Cinderella (1950), Alice in Wonderland (1951), Peter Pan (1953) and Lady and the Tramp (1955). Les Clark (close-ups of Don Jose) would become one of Walt's Nine Old Men as well as one of the most important Mickey Mouse animators. Jack King (Escamillo challenges Don Jose) would become one of the best Donald Duck directors. Ben Sharpsteen (introduction to the bullfight) would later be the supervising director for such Disney features as Pinocchio (1940), Fantasia (1940) and Dumbo (1941). Though Walt Disney directed this film himself, Ub did supervise much of the animation. This cartoon is an early example of human characters in Disney animation. As such the human animation looks crude compared to later examples. On the other hand the animation of the funny animal bull (something that greater resembled what Walt and his animators had done in the earlier Mickey Mouse and Oswald cartoons) is much more sophisticated. At this point in Disney history very gruesome gross out gags were still part of the cartoons, and this cartoon ends with a very gruesome gag.
Now for a commercial break.
Though many people associate Popeye cartoons with simply following the same formula again and again, there are quite a good number of these shorts that don't follow the formula in the slightest. A good example is Shuteye Popeye (1952).
Now we join our good friend Scrappy in Scrappy's Art Gallery (1933). The following is an exhibitors review from The Motion Picture Herald, "SCRAPPY'S ART GALLERY: Scrappy Cartoons— Don't miss playing this Scrappy. - Harland Rankin, Plaza Theatre, Tilbury, Ontario, Canada. General patronage." Despite being forgotten by many today, Scrappy was a heavy merchandised character back in the 1930's. The following is from a 1936 issue of The Film Daily, "Zell Products Corp., New York, has launched a 'thrift plan' drive to promote the sales of its Scrappy Banks, which are decorated with the likeness of Scrappy, the popular animated cartoon character. Every purchaser of this fast-selling savings toy becomes entitled to a membership in the new 'Scrappy Thrift Club' upon signing a pledge to save regularly. All purchasers receive this card in addition a four-color identification number. The thrift plan is finding favor by its appeal to parents, with its saving incentive, and its corresponding reaction on children. This promotion has already shown strong effects on the toy banks' sales. Scrappy banks are manufactured under a license granted by Columbia Pictures Corp., producers of Scrappy animated cartoon films. An extensive advertising campaign, including window and counter displays, will back the 'Scrappy Thrift Club' plan."
We close with with a true Mickey Mouse classic, Thru the Mirror (1936). Well before the Disney Studios feature length adaption of Alice in Wonderland (1951), this short film adapts Lewis Carrol's Alice Through the Looking Glass. It is a very loose adaption, but it captures the spirit better than most feature length versions of Carrol's Alice books do. I have always loved Disney cartoons that or not afraid to be silly. This is one of the perfect examples of that. One of the highlights is a sequence with Mickey do a Fred Astaire type dance which was animated by Dick Lundy, who specialized in dancing animation. Dick Lundy would later direct some great cartoons for Walter Lantz and MGM. Elements of this movie would play a major role in the video game Epic Mickey.
Thanks for joining me. Come back next week for more animated treasures. Until then may all your tunes be looney and your melodies merry.
Resources Used
Walt Disney's Silly Symphonies: A Companion to the Classic Cartoon Series by Russell Merritt and J.B. Kaufman
Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to the Warner Brothers Cartoons by Jerry Beck and Will Friedwald
Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse: The Ultimate History by J.B. Kaufman and David Gerstein
https://mediahistoryproject.org/
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