Today's cartoon selection begins with Bugs Bunny and Wile E. Coyote in Compressed Hare (1961). This movie marked the fourth time Bugs and Wile E. would be pitted against each other. Unlike in the Roadrunner cartoons, in these films, Wile E. talks quite a bit. There would be only one more theatrical cartoon pairing the two characters, Hare-Breadth Hurry (1963). However in Hare-Breadth Hurry, Wile E. would not speak.
Next comes Popeye the Sailor in It's the Natural Thing to Do (1939). This movie has an incredibly clever plot. Popeye, Bluto and Olive get a letter from their "fans" asking them to cut and the rough stuff. With this the trio tries hard to get along but soon find themselves unable to break the monopoly of not fighting. The title song was a hit song at this time and had been used in the Bing Crosby feature film, Double or Nothing (1937). Strangely enough a review in The Showmen's Trade Review stated, "Caught during a full house, this cartoon didn't elicit much laughter from the audience. Nevertheless, it should suffice." The same issue gave advice on how theatre owners could advertise this film, "Tie-up with store selling the Popeye labeled merchandise. Use a compo-board cutout of the cartoon character in the lobby. In a newspaper contest on 'the natural thing to do,' you might list some etiquette rules, true and false, offering prizes to those who label them correctly."
Now for Mickey Mouse in Mickey's Mellerdramer (1933). This is a film full of wonderful animation and artwork. Watching this cartoon makes one realize was Disney was so revered at this time period. This is just a very handsome cartoon and when you look at who worked on this movie, it becomes very obvious why. This movie features an all star cast of animators. Paul Fennell animated the hat gag towards the start of the cartoon. Ham Luske animated the hen sitting down towards the start and the hen applauding. Les Clark, one of Walt's Nine Old Men and still hailed as one of the finest Mickey animators of all time, animates Minnie in her dressing room. Frenchy de Trémaudan, a truly wonderful animator whose work appears on many of the best Disney shorts from this period, animates Clarabella Cow in her dressing room. Chuck Couch animates the firecracker gag. Eddie Donelly animates Horace Horsecollar in his dressing room, Horace making the galloping sound and Horace coming on stage and bowing. Bill Roberts, who would later be a sequence director on such Disney feature films as Pinocchio (1940), Dumbo (1941), Bambi (1942) and The Three Caballeros (1944), and Johnny Cannon share the animation duties of the audience reacting to what is happening on stage. Gerry Geronimi, who would later be one of the directors of such Disney feature films as Cinderella (1950), Alice in Wonderland (1951), Peter Pan (1953), Lady and the Tramp (1955) and 101 Dalmatians (1961), animates Horace whipping Mickey and Horace getting hit by the vegetables. Tom Palmer, who would direct some cartoons for Warner Brothers and Van Beuren, animates Goofy and his card. Fred Moore, another master Mickey Mouse animator and legendary Disney feature animator known for his work with the Dwarfs in Snow White (1937), Lampwick in Pinocchio and the mermaids in Peter Pan animates Clarabella on the ice, Horace and the dogs and Mickey letting the curtain down. Ben Sharpsteen, later supervising director for Pinocchio and Dumbo (1941), animates Horace against the wind, Mickey and the cat falling onto the stage and the cat on Clarabella's head. Roy Williams, later the big mooseketeer on TV's The Mickey Mouse Club, animates Mickey making the thunder effect. Harry Reeves animates Mickey and the cat in the tuba, the tuba player blowing them out of his horn and Goofy with the lightning. Ed Love, later a member of Tex Avery's unit at MGM, animates the dogs annoying the musicians and chasing our heroes. The fade out gag is animated by both Tom Palmer and Gerry Geronimi. The idea of Mickey and friends putting on a stage play of Uncle Tom's Cabin and some of the gags used here had been used in the Mickey Mouse comic strip in 1932, the year before this cartoon was released. Though the blackface gags may make this cartoon a product of its time, there is still a lot to enjoy in this movie.
Up next is Andy Panda in Under the Spreading Blacksmith Shop (1942). This movie marks the last appearance of Andy's father in a theatrical cartoon short.
Now it is time for a commercial break.
Next comes Betty Boop in Judge for a Day (1935). This movie has everything I love about Betty Boop cartoons from the 1930's as it is equal parts cute and sadistic. The following is an exhibitor's review from The Motion Picture Herald, "Judge For A Day: Betty Boop Cartoons - Just a fair one reeler, not much to laugh at. Running time one reel. -Rudolf Duba, Royal Theatre, Kimball, S.D. Small Town Patronage." I disagree very much with that assessment.
Motion Picture Daily, 1938
Now we join our old friend Scrappy in The Black Sheep (1933).
In the 1970's the DePatie-Freleng studios was keeping the ear theatrical cartoon shorts going after most cartoon studios have abandoned these types of films. One of the series of short films they made during this time was The Blue Racer staring a fast-moving snake. Here is one of those movies, Blue Racer Blues (1972).
Today's cartoon selection ends with The Simpsons in on of their shorts for The Tracy Ullman Show, The Bart Simpson Show (1988). This short marks the first appearance of Itchy and Scratchy.
Thanks for joining me come back next week for another selection of animated treasures. Until then may all your tunes be looney and your melodies merry.
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