Some Cartoons for Saturday Morning #189

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

Today's cartoon selection begins with a delightful Donald Duck cartoon, Wide Open Spaces (1947). This short film is pretty much a one man (or one duck) show for Donald. Another character appears briefly but we never see his face. This movie was directed by Jack King who had been Donald's regular director. This cartoon is towards the end of his time working in animation as he would retire the next year in 1948. This short would later be used as part of the TV special Donald Takes a Holiday (1986). It was also used as part of the feature length compilation film, Donald Duck Goes West (1965). Donald Duck Goes West received a theatrical release overseas, but not in the U.S. 

Next is the 4th Hoot Kloot film, A Self-Winding Sidewinder (1973). This short marks the second appearance of Kloot's nemesis, Crazywolf, whose silly voice is provided by Larry Man. Larry Man is most famous for voicing Yukon Cornelius in the classic TV movie, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964). He also appeared in some live action movies including Bullitt (1968) and The Sting (1973).

As many of you know The Pink Panther began his career in the animated opening credits sequence of Blake Edwards' wonderful live action movie, The Pink Panther (1964). Friz Freleng and David DePatie had recently formed their animation studio, DePatie-Freleng. This studio was mostly making TV commercials, when they got a call from Blake Edwards. Blake showed David the script for The Pink Panther and told him though he was making a live action movie, he felt it should have a cartoon Pink Panther, somewhere in it. David and Friz then told their artists to create a design for a Pink Panther. David DePatie remembered taking "about 75 to 100 different panther poses..." to Blake. Blake picked one and said that that was the character. Later Blake Edwards would tell them he wanted an animated opening credits cartoon sequence that could up to five or six minutes (about the same length as a typical theatrical cartoon short). David and Friz then set to making a storyboard with writer John Dunn (Friz's favorite writer) and animator Art Leonardi. When they showed Blake the storyboard he loved it. Though Friz and David explained that the sequence would not be cheap, Blake and producers The Mirisch Brothers agreed to the cost. The DePatie-Freleng studio took about two months to complete this sequence and it was worth it. As David DePatie would later remember, "At the conclusion of the main title the crowd went bananas." No wonder this character would in less than a year be spun off into his own cartoon series.  

Now for the second to last Willie Whopper cartoon, The Good Scout (1934). Look for a cameo from the first Looney Tunes star Bosko in this film. Hugh Harman and Rudolph Ising (Bosko's creators) would soon be taking over the MGM cartoon studio and make a few Bosko cartoons there. 
 

Now it is time for a commercial break. 

Next up comes an early black and white Silly Symphony, Mother Goose Melodies (1931). Like many other early Silly Symphonies, this film doesn't feature much in the way of plot and spends most of it time with characters dancing and reacting to the music. Yet this is an important film in the series as it is the first one to have lyrics sung by the characters. The songs here are rather simple affairs with little of the complexities that would appear in later Disney music (JB Kaufman and Russell Merritt's indispensable book on the Silly Symphonies credits these songs to "Bert Lewis and/or Frank Churchill). The opening scenes beginning the parade (animated by Ben Sharpsteen) would later be reused in a special short for the 1932 Academy Awards titled Parade of the Award Nominees. This film would be remade as the color Silly Symphony, Old King Cole (1933). The following is a review from The Film Daily, "Walt Disney and his assistants have turned out a synchronized cartoon comedy that will be hard to beat. It has all the Mother Goose rhymes worked into one story and the transportation from one to another is accomplished by turning the pages of a huge story book. Drawings on the pages come to life and preform real laugh-making antics. Gags are new and plentiful. This one will make audiences laugh plenty." The following is a review from the Motion Picture Herald, "Walt Disney has done a most unusual piece of work in this "Silly Symphony" number. There is indicated a great step forward technically, in animation and synchronization, in addition to excellent subject material, clever animated ideas, and rapidity of action. There is almost the illusion of real life in some of the figures, the animation is so fine. Many well known Mother Goose stories are included with the stories neatly running together. Old King Cole is featured and little Jack Horner is featured as well. The youngsters will devour this and ask for more and the elderly children will enjoy it hugely by all means do not miss it. It is great." Walt Disney voices Little Jack Horner himself. 

Now for a classic Tex Avery directed short for Warner Brothers, Porky's Preview (1941). I love how composer Carl Stalling joins in the fun by doing amateur sounding versions of songs he often liked to use in his scores for Looney Tunes cartoons.

Now for some Dudley Do Right.

We close with the first pairing of Daffy Duck and Speedy Gonzales, It's Nice to Have a Mouse Around the House (1965). The two would be paired together in 25 more cartoons.

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

Resources Used

https://mediahistoryproject.org/

https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/The_Disney_Wiki

Walt Disney's Silly Symphonies: A Companion to the Classic Cartoon Series by Russell Merritt and J.B. Kaufman 

Pink Panther: The Ultimate Guide to the Coolest Cat in Town by Jerry Beck