Some Cartoons for Saturday Morning #206

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

Today's cartoon selection begins with a classic early Merrie Melody, The Queen was in the Parlor (1932). This cartoon features the character Goopy Geer. This was one of Rudolph Ising's attempts to come up with a reoccurring character for the Merrie Melodies cartoons (earlier attempts had been Foxy and Piggy). Goopy only appeared in three short films, Goopy Geer (1932), Moonlight for Two (1932), and this movie. He would much later appear in the Tiny Toon Adventures episode, Two-Tone Town (1992). 

Next we join Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy in Moose Hunters (1937). This film was not the first time Mickey had hunted a moose. In The Moose Hunt (1931), Mickey and Pluto had hunted a moose. However these two cartoons are very different despite a similar idea. This movie made its TV debut with the Disneyland TV show episode, The Goofy Success Story (1955). The following is a review from The Film Daily, "Plenty of action and fun stud this highly entertaining short with Mickey cast in the role of a hunter. On stilts and enshrouded with foliage, the renowned rodent is camouflaged as a tree. For his two companions, the Goof and Donald Duck, disguise themselves as an alluring female of the moose family so as to attract the majestic Mr. Moose to the spot marked for the kill. Literally ladening the air with the scent of perfume, the plotters succeed not only one but two romantically inclined gentlemen moose to the woodland clearing, where in keeping with classical male tradition, they fight over the lady fair. But when they discover that that the lovely maiden moose is the mean machination of Donald Duck and the Goof they charge to the attack. Mickey and his allies fortunately escape in a canoe. Young and old will love this top-notch reel."   

Next is the Fleischer Brothers Superman cartoon, Billion Dollar Limited (1942). Paramount (the distributors of the Fleischer cartoons) brought the screen rights to the famous superhero in 1940, and gave it to the Fleischers to make a cartoon series out of. The studio was not quite sure about this venture after all animated cartoons had not yet done anything similar to a pure action film. They tried to dissuade Paramount by asking for four times the usual budget for one of the studio's cartoon shorts ($100,000) thinking Paramount would refuse. Shockingly they accepted and the series began production. Voicing Superman himself was Bud Collyer, who was already the character's voice on radio. The famous lines "Look up in the sky- it's a bird - no, it's a plane - no its superman" made their first appearance in Superman lore with these cartoons. The following are some exhibitor's reviews from the Motion Picture Herald, "Billion Dollar Limited: Okay. Too bad the animation is so jerky, however.  - Palace Theatre, Penacook, N.H." "BILLION DOLLAR LIMITED: Superman Color Cartoons — Poorest of this series so far. Even the kids didn't like this one. Too extreme to get by. The other two we have shown got by pretty well. - S.L. George, Mountain Home Theatre, Mountain Home, Idaho. Small town patronage." "SUPERMAN IN THE BILLION DOLLAR LIMITED: Superman Color Cartoons — We hardly know how to rate these cartoons. Played with a Gene Autry western and the program brought in a lot of kids. Maybe it was the cartoon. - Horn and Morgan Inc., Star Theatres, Hay Springs, Neb. Small Town Patronage." The following is a review from The Motion Picture Daily, "This version of The Great Train Robbery is quite a departure from the original. It involves a billion dollar train shipment. Bandits in an armored car attempt to take over with dynimite, machine guns and other implements of persuasion. Superman speeds to the scene. When the bridge is blown up and train goes toppling over, he dives down, gets a firm grip on it, and brings it back to the tracks. With bullets bouncing off his chest, he then tows it back into the station. The bandits retreat. Apart from the short's obvious value as children's fare, it is so fantastic that adults too should go for it. Running time, 8 mins. Release Jan. 9, 1942."

Now for a Fleischer Brothers Talkartoon, Up to Mars (1930). 

Now for a commercial break.

Now for the Pink Panther in Psst Pink (1971). This is the TV version of the short, which unlike the theatrical version contains a laugh track. I chose this version because I really enjoy the little bumpers this show had between the cartoons and this video includes one of those. 

Motion Picture Exhibitor, 1966

The Exhibitor, 1964

Now for a Terry Toons short starring Little Roquefort and Percy the Cat, Playful Puss (1953). These shorts may never reach the heights of MGM's very similar Tom and Jerry, but they are quite fun in their own right, even if they continue to go overlooked. This movie in particular has some delightful moments and a fun premise. 

Today's cartoon selection ends with Bugs Bunny in Bewitched Bunny (1954). This cartoon marked the first appearance of Witch Hazel in a Looney Tunes cartoon. Rather than being voiced by June Foray (who would take over the voice in the next film, Broomstick Bunny (1956)), here the character is voiced by Bea Benaderet, who would later voice Betty Rubble on The Flintstones. As some of you probably know Disney made a Donald Duck cartoon featuring a witch named Witch Hazel, before this film (that character was voiced by June Foray). Bewitched Bunny would later be used in the feature length compilation film, Bugs Bunny's 3rd Movie: 1001 Rabbit Tales (1982).

Thanks for joining me. Come back next week for another selection of classic cartoons. Until then may all your tunes be looney and your melodies merry. 

Resources Used

https://lantern.mediahist.org/

Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse: The Ultimate History by David Gerstein and J.B. Kaufman

Of Mice and Magic: A History of American Animated Cartoons by Leonard Maltin

 

 

 

Movie Review: Empire of Light

 

Michael’s Movie Grade: B

A very heartfelt film. 

For people like me who practically live at the movie theater sometimes, the highlight of this film is how beautiful its love of movies and movie theaters is. You can see the passion director/writer Sam Mendes has for movies in many scenes and these scenes are truly wonderful. Sometimes this film pays tribute to the cinema through monologues. While I am not always the biggest fan of characters speaking in monologues, these are very well written monologues that make you realize just how much movies mean to us and the true beauty of seeing them in a theater. This is especially true today, where with the many various different ways to watch a film at home, nothing can ever replace the magic of a movie theater. Yet the best of these cinematic tributes are the scenes that involve two of the characters in the projection booth. These scenes differ from the monologues because they don't rely on dialogue but are instead very visual. This is done without much being said, only the light from the projector and two people being very moved what they are seeing, this is the magic of cinema showing the magic of cinema in the way only it can. Yet this film is not just a tribute to movies, it is mostly a romance story. This romance is handled quite well. Both of the characters are very likable and have great chemistry with each other. You truly get to care about these characters and want to see them get together. While neither one is perfect and they can hurt each other, their faults only make us relate to them and root for them more. Much of this is due to the wonderful performances by Olivia Colman and Michael Ward, who add a lot of charm and little nuances to their characters. Yet it is Toby Jones who steals the show as the theater's projectionist. Simply by watching his performance, you can see the passion this character has for what he does. This film also benefits from a wonderful score by Trent Razor (formerly of the rock band Nine Inch Nails), who keeps proving himself as one of today’s finest composers of movie scores. 

The biggest fault of this film is that it simply tries to be and do too much. This movie tries to be a romance and a tribute to the movies, while also being a commentary on racism, sexism, sexual harassment and mental illness. This is simply more than the movie has time to do. Because of this some of these topics are at the forefront of the action and then pushed to the side or forgotten about. This can give the picture an unfocused feel at times. As well as this many of the side characters can simply come off as bland.   

This movie may have its faults but it can also be really beautiful as well. 

Movie Review: Cirkus

 

Michael's Movie Grade: F

A painfully unfunny slapstick comedy from India. 

This film takes a very old and often used comedy idea and does nothing remotely entertaining with it. In this picture two sets of identically twins, not knowing about each other cause lots of "funny" mishaps as people constantly mistake them for one another. We have seen Laurel and Hardy, The Three Stooges and Charlie Chaplin (to name only a few) all do similar films. The main difference is that those films were funny, and this movie is anything but. You think with such a standard comedy idea, Cirkus could at least get a few laughs, even if they are unoriginal but this movie couldn't even do that. I don't think I laughed once watching this and that is about the worst fault a comedy film could have. Rather than relying on clever misunderstandings or silly sight gags, this film's sense of humor seems to be all the actors chewing the scenery and seeing who can overact the most. Those familiar with Indian cinema will know that these actors have all given good (and sometimes great) performances in other films. This makes it even more of a shock how annoying they can all be here. You get the feeling that everyone is working too hard to try and make an unfunny script funny, but all it does is make the comedy even worse. This is especially true of the scenes with the over-the-top slapstick humor scenes, where this comedy is killed on sight by horrible and annoying delivery. The actual jokes here are not much to write home about either. Most of the gags here feel like setup with little payoff or simply observations of how ridiculous this plot is. Again with how much this story has been used before in good comedies, it is amazing that this film could not even have one joke that slightly worked. The movie is further hurt by how bland and boring these characters are. After watching the whole nearly two-and-a-half-hour movie, I am at a loss for what the basic personalities of some of these characters even was. This is especially true of our two main characters, who are bland as all get out. This movie also has a weird storybook style look that does not seem to match anything happening on screen. 

The only thing that kind of works about this film is the song numbers, which are kind of fun. However these are not anywhere enough to make up for how terrible the rest of the picture is. 

Movie Review: Babylon

 

Michael's Movie Grade: B

A real sense of passion and love for the movies, overcomes some major story flaws. 

Those familiar with Damien Chazelle's films or have heard him discuss movies, know that his passion for movies is complete real and genuine. It is this passion that drives Babylon and gives the film its best moments. In fact the ending scene here is an incredibly beautiful tribute to the movies that will even delight those who didn't like the rest of the movie. The story takes place in Hollywood during the end of the silent era and the beginning of the talkie era. As such there are many allusions to real movie history for people who are familiar with films this era to appreciate. Some of these are obvious. For instance Brad Pitt essentially plays John Gilbert, Li Jun Li essentially plays Anna May Wong and the Singin' In the Rain musical number being filmed is from The Hollywood Revue of 1929 (1929). Yet there are also more subtle allusions that will probably require multiple rewatches to get. While these parts of the film may not appeal to those who are not film buffs, they will certainly delight movie geeks. Frankly I found it a lot of fun figuring out what movie personalities these various characters were supposed to be. Yet there is more to recommend this film than just little nods for movie geeks to geek out about. This film has a wonderful cast and every member of this cast (from those who play main characters to those who play smaller roles) are perfect for their roles and shine very brightly. Yet Margot Robbie and Brad Pitt steal the show. This might be the finest performance of Margot Robbie's career and she can be delightfully over the top and funny, while also being excellent in the more serious scenes. Brad Pitt has the job of being the emotional center of the film and he succussed wonderfully at this. This movie also benefits from a really good sense of humor. There are some really good comedic set pieces here and many of them are quite funny. I especially loved the scene with the characters first shooting a scene with sound. Also helping matters is that this is a pure visual treat. While the film may be a bit excessive at times, it is always simply a joy to look at.  

The (jazz) music here is very catchy and a lot of fun, but it can also feel too modern for a movie that takes place in the 1920's and 30's. 

This movie does have some major flaws though. One of them is that the film often falls victim to its own excess. This is especially true of the wild party scenes, which often go overboard with the crazy orgies and bizarre sexual fetishes. It doesn't take long for us to get the point that these scenes are making, and they can become tiresome and unpleasant after a while. Also, towards the last act the film gets too melodramatic, and this often doesn't work and can take you out of the story. There is also too many stories going on here and some don't get the time or development that others do. These are major faults and I can understand why some may not like this film, but for me the things that worked here overcame these faults. 

This may be a very flawed movie, but there is also still a lot to like (or even love) here. 

Rainfall: A Poem by Michael J. Ruhland

 Rain falls on the just and the unjust. 

I could never understand. 

Does that rain bring a curse or 

Shower blessings on a man. 

Is it the rain that causes the river to flow? 

The river that leads us where we go. 

The sun shines bright in the day,

But the moon at night shines the way.

To something profane, something profound

Something as simple as rain on the ground. 

Ultimate Avengers: The Movie (2006)

 

A fun little direct to video animated superhero movie.

When an alien race threatens the Earth, Nick Fury puts together a team of superheroes, including Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Black Widow, Giant-Man, Wasp and Hulk. However before they can save the world they must learn to work together. 

This movie mostly serves as an origin story for the Avengers, and it does a wonderful job at this. Each of these characters is wonderfully set up, each has their own unique and distinctive personality and is given their own time to shine. Though each of them is shown to have their fair share of faults, they are (with one exception) very likable. Because we like these characters, it is easy to root for them and care about what happens. The one exception to this is Giant-Man but compared to how the character can be in the comic books, here he is an angel in comparison. Yet despite all of this Captain America remains the main character of this film as well as the emotional heart. We become truly invested in his story as a man out of his own time and as someone who must lead a group of superheroes that seem impossible to make them work together. As is important for these types of films, what is even more important is that the characters work very well together. Sure, they may spend quite a bit of time bickering but they play off each other very well and the relationships between them grows in a believable and natural way. This film also benefits from some great humor. There were quite a few times when this movie made me really laugh (the introduction of Thor for example). The animation and design work are also excellent here and this film is a joy to look at. The action scenes are also excellent and the climatic fight scene is especially exciting. 

This movie does suffer from much too short of a runtime. This film only runs 72 minutes. With the sheer amount of characters here and the amount of time that needs to be spent with each one, something needs to pushed to the background. In the case of this film, what is pushed to the background is the mission the Avengers are on. Because of this, the villains come off as quite bland and the mission never feels as large scale as it should. Because of this we never truly feel that the world is truly in danger.

This movie may have its faults but it is still a really fun superhero adventure and worth a watch for all Marvel fans. 

Batman Ninja (2018)

 

A truly bizarre but quite entertaining direct to video superhero movie. 

If this film seems very different from your average Batman movie, this should come as no surprise. This movie is mostly not made by the same crew who made these direct to video DC movies. Instead it is made by a crew of anime greats. The film's director is Junpei Mizusaki (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure), the writer is Kazuki Nakashima (Gurren Lagann, the Kamen Rider franchise) and the character designer was Takashi Okazaki (Afro Samurai). As such this movie is more in the style of an action-based anime than the typical DC comics movie. This even goes as far as having giant robot fights. As such this film may not appeal to a lot of average Batman fans but is fun for anime fans and those with a very open mind.

This film begins with Batman fighting Gorilla Grodd in modern day. All the sudden Grodd's time displacement machine transports Batman back to feudal Japan. Soon Batman discovers that not only did he travel back in time, but so did his enemies, such as The Joker, The Penguin, Two-Face, Catwoman, Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn and Grodd himself. Many of these enemies have taken over parts of Japan and it is up to Batman (as well as Robin, Red Robin, Nightwing and Red Hood) to set history right. 

This is not a movie to take too seriously, but if you just take it as silly fun it is quite enjoyable. The animation is wonderful and perfectly captures the silly experimental feel of this story. I love how this movie switches between 2d and 3d animation in a perfectly natural way. Both the 3d animation and the 2d animation look wonderful and perfectly work for each scene they are used in. The action scenes are simply a lot of fun. They move at a fast pace and are true visual treats. Batman is also well handled here, and this film does a good job of conveying who he is without all his technology and money. He has neither to rely on here and in the technology department, his villains are far ahead of him. This makes the film a great look at who Batman really is and what makes him really a hero. The Joker and Harley are also excellent here. This movie mostly plays on the lighter and sillier sides of these characters and they are simply a lot of fun and get some great laughs. However there are also a few times where the darker and creepier side of these characters comes out and those scenes are appropriately disturbing. 

Despite this movie having a bit of a simplistic plot, it can also feel rushed and overcrowded. There are simply too many villains and heroes for a film that runs under an hour and a half. Because of this many of them feel squeezed in here and never get a chance to shine. If you were not already a Batman fan, you know nothing more about some of these characters then their names and whether they are a hero or a villain. There are also too many double crosses and characters lying and deceiving that it simply gets tiresome and repetitive. 

This may not be one of the best of these animated DC movies, but with the right mind set, it is quite a bit of fun. 

Movie Review: I Wanna Dance With Somebody

 

Michael's Movie Grade: B

A quite moving, if flawed, biopic of Whitney Houston. 

What really makes this movie work so well is the wonderfully heartfelt performance by Naomi Ackie. She does a wonderful job of playing Whitney from her 20's to her 40's. At each of these ages, she feels completely natural and believable. This is no easy feat, and it is incredibly how well this young actress pulls it off. She also does a wonderful job of pulling you the emotion of every scene. Many of the emotional scenes here work so well because of her performance. While she messes up and hurts people, the way she plays this role makes the only natural reaction to want to give her a hug. This film in general does a wonderful job of having you deeply care about Whitney, while still showing her human faults. It is painful to watch her hurting and feel like she has no one who truly cares about her. You can see people who truly care about her but at the same time see her trust people who do not have her best interest at heart. This can become hard to watch but it only increases how emotionally effective the film is. 

The most obvious praise for this movie is the music. There is a reason Whitney Houston's music has been so greatly praised and why there are so many fans of her music. It is simply wonderful music and her voice was simply incredible. Luckily the filmmakers realized how incredible her voice was and knew to use Whitney's own voice on the soundtrack. The selection of music used here (ranging from her greatest hits to lesser-known songs by her) is simply wonderful and I am sure many who see this will leave fans of her music, even if they previously haven't really listened to it. Though the soundtrack is Whitney, Naomi Ackie does an incredible job of making you believe you are actually watching her perform the songs. During these scenes you can swear that you are watching an actual Whitney Houston performance. 

This movie has the same major fault that many biopics do. That is that it tries to do more than can be done in one movie. This film tries to cover multiple decades of her life and do so in a way that covers many aspects of her life. Even though this isn't a short movie, this results in a pretty rushed movie. Often times it feels like it can jump from one idea to another with no warning. This often feels abrupt and jarring. The worst cases of this are when after an emotional scene, it quickly switches focus, without giving us time to full take in the emotion of what we just saw. This can take away from scenes that should be even more emotional effective. It can also sometimes give this movie a bit of an unfocused feel. 

This may not be a perfect movie, but everything that works here works very well.   

Video Link: Judy Garland - Merry Christmas (From In the Good Old Summertime (1949))

Cowboy Church #201

 Hello my friends and Merry Christmas. It is time for a special Christmas service of Cowboy Church. 

Today's musical selection begins with Roy Rogers and Dale Evans with the medley of What Child Is This? and Sweet Little Jesus Boy. This medley comes from the duo's 1967 Christmas album, Christmas is Always. 

This is followed by one of my Christmas favorites, Waylon Jennings' version of Away in a Manger. Waylon's voice fits this hymn so perfectly and there is no other version of this song that quite matches the power of this one. Away in a Manger has also been called Luther’s Cradle Hymn. The reason for this is that it was once believed to be written for Martin Luther, who would have sung it to his children. This proved to be false. It was in fact written for a collection that was meant to celebrate Luther's 400th anniversary. Some think that this rumor was started to help sell the song. It is unknow who actually wrote this hymn. 

Gene Autry is not only one of the most prized singers for those of us who love cowboy music, but he is also the artist, who helped popularize three of the most popular Christmas songs, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman and Here Comes Santa Claus (the latter of which, Gene co-wrote). As a special treat this Cowboy Church post includes Gene's version of all three of these songs. 

Next is Emmylou Harris singing Light of the Stable. Emmylou recorded this song in 1975. She would later state "Light of the Stable is one of my favorite tracks we ever cut. It was the jelling of the original recording group, the combination of Brain's [Brain Ahern] production and how incredibly creative those guys were was perfect. There is almost more space on the track then there are notes and I always loved that." The song would become the title track of her 1979 Christmas album, which I personally consider one of my favorite Christmas albums.

Now for Tennessee Ernie Ford singing Joy to the World. I think in many ways when we say that Christmas is a joyous time, we too often don't fully comprehend just how joyous it is. We are not just simply spending time with family or giving and receiving gifts. We are celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The one who would die for our sins and who deeply loves us. even when we feel no one else does. There is no greater joy in the world than to know Jesus Christ and to feel his presence with us. Joy to the world indeed. Let us all rejoice together as we listen to Cousin Ernie sing this classic Christmas hymn and let us pay close attention to the lyrics. 

After this is The Sons of the Pioneers with Christmas on the Plains.

Then comes The Statler Brothers with Who Do You Think. I hope that this Christmas all of you will believe such a thing. 

Now for one of my favorite modern-day singers, Anne Wilson with her song Kentucky Fried Christmas. Even if like me you never lived in Kentucky this is an easy song to relate to as it talks in depth about the Christmas traditions that we hold dear. Still this song acknowledges that Christmas is first and foremost about Jesus Christ.  

Today's musical selection ends with Johnny Cash singing Hark the Herald Angels Sing. 

Rather than just a movie trailer today, since it is Christmas I am sharing a whole movie. Enjoy a delightful Christmas themed western, Trail of Robin Hood (1950) directed by the always wonderful William Whitney and starring the one and only King of the Cowboys, Roy Rogers. 

Now for a Christmas message from the Reverend Billy Graham. 

 Luke 1:26-2:40 

In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. Gabriel appeared to her and said, "Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!"

Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. Don't be frightened, Mary," the angel told her, "for God has decided to bless you! You will become pregnant and have a son, and you are to name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!"

Mary asked the angel, "But how can I have a baby? I am a virgin."

The angel replied, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby born to you will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. What's more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she's already in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God."

Mary responded, "I am the Lord's servant, and I am willing to accept whatever he wants. May everything you have said come true." And then the angel left.

A few days later Mary hurried to the hill country of Judea, to the town where Zechariah lived. She entered the house and greeted Elizabeth. At the sound of Mary's greeting, Elizabeth's child leaped within her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, "You are blessed by God above all other women, and your child is blessed. What an honor this is, that the mother of my Lord should visit me! When you came in and greeted me, my baby jumped for joy the instant I heard your voice! You are blessed, because you believed that the Lord would do what he said."

Mary responded,

"Oh, how I praise the Lord.

How I rejoice in God my Savior!

For he took notice of his lowly servant girl,

And now generation after generation

Will call me blessed.

For he, the Mighty One, is holy,

And he has done great things for me.

His mercy goes on from generation to generation,

To all who fear him.

His mighty arm does tremendous things!

How he scatters the proud and haughty ones!

He has taken princes from their thrones

And exalted the lowly.

He has satisfied the hungry with good things

And sent the rich away with empty hands.

And how he has helped his servant Israel!

He has not forgotten his promise to be merciful.

For he promised our ancestors -- Abraham and his children --

To be merciful to them forever."

Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then went back to her own home.

At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) All returned to their own towns to register for this census. And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David's ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. He took with him Mary, his fiance, who was obviously pregnant by this time.

And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the village inn.

The Shepherds and Angels

That night some shepherds were in the fields outside the village, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord's glory surrounded them. They were terribly frightened, but the angel reassured them. "Don't be afraid!" he said. "I bring you good news of great joy for everyone! The Savior -- yes, the Messiah, the Lord -- has been born tonight in Bethlehem, the city of David! And this is how you will recognize him: You will find a baby lying in a manger, wrapped snugly in strips of cloth!"

Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others -- the armies of heaven -- praising God:

"Glory to God in the highest heaven,

And peace on earth to all whom God favors."

When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, "Come on, let's go to Bethlehem!" Let's see this wonderful thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

They ran to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. Then the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. All who heard the shepherds' story were astonished, but Mary quietly treasured these things in her heart and thought about them often. The shepherds went back to their fields and flocks, glorifying and praising God for what the angels had told them, and because they had seen the child, just as the angel had said.

Eight days later, when the baby was circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel even before he was conceived.

Then it was time for the purification offering, as required by the law of Moses after the birth of a child; so his parents took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. The law of the Lord says, "If a woman's first child is a boy, he must be dedicated to the Lord." So they offered a sacrifice according to what was required in the law of the Lord -- "either a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons."

Now there was a man named Simeon who lived in Jerusalem. He was a righteous man and very devout. He was filled with the Holy Spirit, and he eagerly expected the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord's Messiah. That day the Spirit led him to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required, Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying,

"Lord, now I can die in peace!

As you promised me,

I have seen the Savior

You have given to all people.

He is a light to reveal God to the nations,

And he is the glory of your people Israel!"

Joseph and Mary were amazed at what was being said about Jesus. Then Simeon blessed them, and he said to Mary, "This child will be rejected by many in Israel, and it will be their undoing. But he will be the greatest joy to many others. Thus, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul."

Anna, a prophet, was also there in the Temple. She was the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher, and was very old. She was a widow, for her husband had died when they had been married only seven years. She was now eighty-four years old. She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer. She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she began praising God. She talked about Jesus to everyone who had been waiting for the promised King to come and deliver Jerusalem.

When Jesus' parents had fulfilled all the requirements of the law of the Lord, they returned home to Nazareth in Galilee. There the child grew up healthy and strong. He was filled with wisdom beyond his years, and God placed his special favor upon him.





Thanks for joining me and I hope that all of you have a very merry Christmas and feel the presence of Jesus Christ our Lord with you not only this Christmas but for the rest of your life. God bless you all and Happy trails to you until we meet again. 

Some Cartoons for Saturday Morning #205

 Happy Saturday morning my friends and merry Christmas Eve. I hope you are ready for some classic Christmas cartoons. 

Today's cartoon collection starts with a film that is familiar to pretty much anyone who ever watched DVDs of public domain cartoons, as it has appeared on nearly every set even slightly Christmas related. The cartoon is Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer (1948). Despite being made for the often-forgotten Jam Handy Studio, the name of the director will immediately be familiar to cartoon fans as it is the one and only Max Fleischer (of Popeye and Betty Boop fame). However, the version you are going to see below is not the low-quality version of the movie, you are used to seeing. This is a new restoration from Fabulous Fleischer Cartoons Restored!

Up next comes one of my favorite Happy Harmonies cartoons, Alias St. Nick (1935). The Happy Harmonies series was one of many cartoon series of the 1930's trying to copy the success of Disney's Silly Symphonies. Like the Disney cartoons, this series for the most part featured one off characters. There were a few exceptions where there would be characters who would appear in multiple Happy Harmonies films. This movie introduces one of those characters, Little Cheeser. This is one of those cartoons that I for a long time had a distinct memory of it being on TV in the background one Christmas Eve, when I was small. The first time I saw this movie as an adult, it was a joy to find out just what the name of the cartoon was and what studio it came from. I was also happy to find out that the cartoon was a pure delight. This film looks wonderful as did most of the cartoons Hugh Harman and Rudolph Ising looks wonderful and this gives it a delightful Christmas-y feel that I simply love. I watch this every Christmas time and I hope you enjoy it and maybe it will become a Christmas tradition for you too. 

After this we celebrate Christmas with Pooch the Pup in Merry Dog (1933). This short has everything I love about Walter Lantz cartoons of this era. The jokes are incredibly silly and more often than not just plain strange. In fact, this film is pretty much one bizarre joke after another, and I simply love it. The following is an exhibitors review from the Motion Picture Herald, "MERRY DOG, THE: Pooch the "Pup—Excellent cartoon for anybody's program. "Night Before Christmas" theme with snowstorm and blizzard effects which almost made us forget that it was the hottest day of the summer. (106 and no shade.) Running time. 8 minutes. —Wm. Sayre, Delmar Theatre, Morrill, Neb., Rural and small town patronage."

Up next comes a classic Silly Symphony, The Night Before Christmas (1933). Though the Silly Symphonies were mostly one-off shorts, the occasional sequel could happen (with the Three Little Pigs sequels being the most well-known). The Night Before Christmas is a follow up to the often better remembered Santa's Workshop (1932). Yet as much as I love Santa's Workshop, I love this sequel even more. It could be argued that this film picks up where the previous one left off, as the last one ends with Santa leaving the North Pole for his trip and this cartoon has him visiting houses. Like the last film this is a reissue and there is a bit of a difference towards the end. In the original 1933 version, Little Junior is disappointed to get a chamber pot for Christmas. Here he is happy to get a puppy. In this version we do get a bit of Junior getting a blackface appearance from the chimney soot that would be cut out when the film was shown a Disney TV Christmas special in 1983. For all four years of the original Mickey Mouse Club, this would be the Mousekartoon on the last new episode to be aired before Christmas. The following is a brief article from The Film Daily (dated December 28, 1933), "In conjunction with the showing of Walt Disney's Silly Symphony, 'The Night Before Christmas,' The Radio City Music Hall is exhibiting six original Walt Disney drawings used in the production of this picture. The short, a united Artists release, will be held over a second week." A review of the cartoon in The Film Daily called The Night Before Christmas "... one of Walt Disney's best cartoons." Not everyone was so impressed as evidenced by the following exhibitor's review from The Motion Picture Herald, "NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS, THE: Silly Symphony—These Silly Symphonies arc okay, but not worth difference in rental United Artists asks for them.-P. G. Held, New Strand Theatre, Griswold, Iowa. General patronage." 

Now it is time for a commercial break. 

Next comes Bugs Bunny and the Tasmanian Devil in The Fright Before Christmas (1979). This short was originally created for the TV special Bugs Bunny's Looney Christmas Tales (1979). This was the final of three segments in that special and was directed Friz Freleng. This makes this the first time Taz was directed by someone other than Robert McKimson. The result like the whole special is a delightful Christmas treat and one of the best uses of Taz after the golden age of Looney Tunes. Also appearing here is Bugs' nephew Clyde. Clyde had only appeared in two theatrical shorts, His Hare Raising Tale (1951) and Yankee Doodle Bugs (1954). Both of those were directed by Friz Freleng. 

Now comes another Happy Harmony Christmas cartoon, The Pup's Christmas (1936). The following is a review from the Motion Picture Herald, "particularly appropriate for the current Yuletide season is this excellent little subject in color. When the two puppies grow inquisitive as to what Satna might have brought them, things begin to pop in more ways than one. There is much noise as well as fun when the pups become involved with runaway trains, speeding autos and exploding toy tanks. The sequence in which the tiny canines encounter the big calico hound is especially hilarious." The following are a couple of exhibitor's reviews from The Motion Picture Herald, "Pup's Christmas: Harman-Ising - just about perfect. Excellent animated fun. L.A. Irwin, Palace Theatre, Penacook, N.H. General Patronage." "Pup's Christmas, The: Real good very clever. You'll be pleased to show this to your patrons. - Harland Rankin, Plaza Theatre, Tilbury, Ontario, Can. General Patronage." 

Motion Picture Herald, 1936

Now to end by singing one we all know. 

Thanks for joining me. Come back next week for more animated treasures. Until then may all your tunes be looney and your melodies merry. Merry Christmas my friends. 

Resources Used

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

Of Mice and Magic: A History of American Animated Cartoons by Leonard Maltin.

Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to the Warner Brothers Cartoons by Jerry Beck and Will Friedwald 

https://mediahistoryproject.org/

Sing a Song of Christmas

 The following is a 1927 article from Picture-Play Magazine, where Hollywood movie stars of the time talk about Christmas traditions in the countries they grew up in. If you have any trouble reading the following article click on the pages below and use your touch screen to zoom in.

 

Movie Review: Puss in Boots: The Last Wish

 

Michael's Movie Grade: A-

The most unique film in the Shrek franchise is also one of the best.

This movie has possibly the strongest storyline of the whole franchise. This is heavily due to how it is not afraid to enter darker and more serious territory than the previous films. Much of this film revolves around Puss being on his last life and having to face his own mortality. Though he has spent his whole lives laughing in the face of death, now he feels complete and utter fear. Looking into this side of Puss that we haven't seen before offers a whole new depth and relatability to the character. This is especially effective as Puss goes through a major and completely believable arc. He truly grows up as a character, yet at the same time no matter how much he grows, he still always feels like the same character. This is held together especially well by a wonderful vocal performance from the always great Antonio Banderas. However Puss isn't the only with a character arc. Despite the sheer number of characters in this movie, the majority of them have satisfying and well thought out arcs (this is especially true of Kitty Softpaws and Goldilocks). With this in mind the drama here is more effective than any of the previous films. You truly care about the characters and the film has some shockingly good emotional moments. I also love that this whole movie has a quite different feel from the other films in the franchise and it is amazing that even six movies in, a franchise can still feel fresh and try out new things. 

Yet none of this is to say that the humor is in any way lacking. Humor plays a major role in why the franchise is so beloved and this movie fully meets its predecessors in that area. This is a very funny movie. The opening scenes are especially hilarious and even if the previous deaths joke was shown in the trailer, it is even funnier here. Puss' wonderful self-congratulatory song also put a huge smile on my face. This picture combines wonderful slapstick with some of the great satire we have come to except from these films. However this movie can also have a really dark sense of humor as well. There is a surprisingly high death count here and most of these deaths are played for laughs. This might have seemed off-putting, if it wasn't so darn funny. Big Jack Horner is a villain with no redeeming qualities, and it is obvious that the filmmakers had a wonderful time writing for such a character as some truly hilarious comedy comes from his pure evilness. His interactions with a Jimminy Cricket type character are especially hilarious. And the interactions are made even funnier by Kevin McCann providing a very funny Jimmy Stewart impression as the cricket. 

The animation here is also wonderful. This movie goes for a real storybook feel that pays off wonderful. The action scenes in here look like they could have come right out of a storybook and it was simply a joy to look at. As well as this it adds to the fairytale type feel and makes the film even more effective. 

This is a truly wonderful movie and can hold its own among the best films of the franchise. 

Video Link: The Three Stooges-I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas

Video Link: TCM Remembers 2022

Movie Review: The Whale

 

Michael's Movie Grade: B+

A difficult watch but a very rewarding one. 

This movie has a fairly simple but very beautiful basic storyline. A morbidly obese man has isolated himself from the rest of the world after the tragic death of his boyfriend. Believing he is about to die, he decides to try to reconnect with his 17-year-old daughter, who he hasn't seen since she was 8. Despite the simplicity of this basic storyline the way it is presented is anything but simplistic. This is a wonderful character study that takes a deep dive into just who this character is. It takes a look at how trapped and helpless he often feels even within his own house. The visual filmmaking and how often times our main character can take up the majority of the screen creates a truly claustrophobic and uneasy feeling that reflects both the character's mental and physical state. The character is also surprisingly complex and has many elements to his personality that seem like they should be contradictory but actually just make the character feel more real and relatable. Yet despite these complexities the character always comes off as very lovable, sympathetic and someone who you just want to hug. This is helped by Brendon Fraiser giving what is perhaps the performance of his career. Those who know him for The Mummy films, will be amazed at how incredible he can give such a dramatic and heartbreaking performance. He exudes equal amounts of charm and vulnerability in every scene. Often times this feeling of vulnerability can make the film very hard to watch because of the sheer amount of painful emotions it will cause you to feel. The main heart of this film is held in the scenes between him and his daughter. His daughter is not the most likable person and often is very cruel to everyone around her. Yet he views her as an incredible and beautiful person, even if that is something that even we as the audience can't see. These scenes are often heartbreakingly beautiful and moving. Again, these scenes can become truly hard to watch as we see the daughters' cruelty play out, but this only makes the emotional core of the movie even stronger. This all leads up to a truly beautiful ending that I won't dare spoil here. Yet while this is not a comedy, there are a few good little comedic moments that keep this movie from becoming, one long dirge. This film is also helped by wonderful direction by Darren Aronofsky. Though this is more down to Earth than many of his other films, he handles this more realistic story wonderfully and shows why he is such a great filmmaker. 

Unfortunately, this movie has many scenes involving a missionary, who sets out to save our main character. These scenes often feel like they should be in a completely different movie and that the film would be better if you cut many of these scenes out. These scenes often feel like they are simply there for Darren Aronofsky and writer Samuel D. Hunter (who also wrote the play this film was based on) to express their feelings on religion (which they don't seem to have much respect for). Unfortunately, these feelings are often conveyed through heavy handed dialogue that can feel more like something out of a book on philosophy than an actual conversation people might have. These conversations also add nothing to the storyline or the emotional core of the story. This is a huge fault for the movie, but when so much of the film is so beautiful, it is easy to forgive even this major fault.

While not a perfect film, this is a truly beautiful one. 

Michael's Christmas Movie Guide: The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)

 

A wonderful adaption of Charles Dickens' immortal Christmas story. 

Despite having the Muppets play major roles in this film, this is not a parody of A Christmas Carol but rather a full-on adaptation. There are many splices of Muppet humor throughout the film, but the focus always remains on the actual focus. Plenty of people even believe this to be one of the most faithful film adaptions of the book. This was not always going to be the case. In fact instead of having original puppets to play the roles of the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come, it was originally planned to have the classic Muppet characters, Miss Piggy, Scooter and Gonzo to play the roles. Fans of this movie can be glad that this was changed, especially since Gonzo has his best movie role in this film. He not only is the story's narrator but he plays Charles Dickens narrating his own story to his good friend Rizzo the rat. This is a perfect role for the kindhearted, whimsical and hilarious Muppet.

As an adaption of A Christmas Carol, this is top notch. Though my favorite movie version of this story the 1951 Masterpiece, this is still in my top few film versions. This movie perfectly captures the heart of the story. Michael Caine is wonderful as Scrooge. He captures all the little nuances of the character and makes the character always sympathetic, while still perfectly conveying all the darker parts of the character. The romantic scenes with Belle are probably better done here than almost any other adaption and these scenes really have the ability to pull on your heartstrings. Scrooge's character arc always feels completely believable, and we can feel the change growing in the character. This is of course the most important aspect of any adaptation of this story. Because if this doesn't work then the whole story feels pointless. This movie also does not leave out the darker aspects of the story. While it is not scary in the way a horror movie is, there is an uneasy feeling to the scenes with The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. Though this is lightened up by a truly funny exchange between Gonzo (sorry I mean Charles Dickens) and Rizzo about the creepiness, it is still very effective. There is also a decent jump scare with the first appearance of the Marleys (here played by Statler & Waldorf). The Muppets are also perfectly cast in roles that suit their personalities and do not distract from the drama of the story. Kermit is perfect as Bob Cratchit, exuding all the warmth we except from the character. Miss Piggy is hilarious as Mrs. Cratchit, while also handling the dramatic scenes very well. Fozzie is perfectly cast as Fezziwig (sorry Fozzie-wig (I love that pun)). However the standout here is Kermit's nephew Robin as Tiny Tim. Never has this little guy enjoyed a better movie role and this film reminds us why he is more than just a cute kid character. 

The typical Muppet elements also work wonderfully. The humor is really funny. The exchanges between Gonzo and Rizzo are hilarious and they truly steal the show. There are also some truly delightful slapstick gags here that always put a smile on my face. There is also a wonderful number of corny puns and plays on words, that are simply delightful in their silliness. The songs (written by Paul Williams (who also wrote the songs for The Muppet Movie (1979))), are also simply wonderful. Many of them are truly beautiful and they stay in your mind well after the film is over. As well as these truly beautiful songs there are also some silly fun songs that are simply a delight. Out of all the Muppet movies this one probably has the second-best songs (after The Muppet Movie). 

What makes this movie all the more impressive is that this is the first Muppet movie made after creator and voice of Kermit, Jim Henson passed away. The loss was greatly felt by everyone involved and Kermit's speech about coming and going can be viewed as a tribute to the wonderful man. Yet this tragedy does not show itself in the quality of the movie. Jim Henson's son, Brian Henson, directed this movie and simply did a wonderful job. He would follow this with another delightful movie adaption of a book featuring the Muppets with Muppet Treasure Island (1996), as well as some episodes of the TV series Muppets Tonight. Steve Whitmore took over as the voice of Kermit and would continue to play the character until 2016. Whitmore would admit to being incredibly nervous before recording the song numbers. However he didn't need to be as he sounds simply wonderful. 

Movie Review: Avatar: The Way of Water

 

Michael's Movie Grade: F

Complete and utter boredom. 

Yes many of the visuals in this movie look beautiful, but that is nowhere near enough to hold a film that runs more than 3 hours. This is especially true when there is nothing else good about this movie (with the exception of Simon Franglen's musical score). The main problem with this film is that the characters are incredibly boring. Our protagonists have little in the way of personality. They only have a couple of personality traits and those come off as simply bland and cliché. Though there are times when this movie tries to get into stronger emotional territory than the first film, these moments fall flat because it is hard to care about these characters. You never get to care for them because they never feel real. The villains however are even worse. They are so over the top that they feel like they belong in a parody rather than something you are supposed to take even semi-seriously. The storyline is just as horrible. It is simply a mess of clichés. The majority of this story will simply make you think of similar scenes from a thousand different movies, only those films did it much better. It also hurts that this movie has a very simple story that it stretched to over three hours, when the story could have easily been told in half that time. A great amount of the scenes in this movie feel like padding. The middle section of this film seems to be nothing but padding. This part of the film simply seems to drag on forever. This is a really long movie, but it actually still feels much longer than it actually is. It is stated multiple times that the way of water has no end and in hindsight this seems like a warning about what you are about to endure. To makes matters worse, there is a lot of really forced and awkward dialogue that does not sound at all like how people actually talk. This film also has messages about environmentalism and prejudice. Unfortunately, these messages are conveyed in the most awkward way possible. It is conveyed through over the top and silly actions from the villains and from dialogue that could not be more obvious. There is also the fact that this movie's messages are incredibly simplistic and there is nothing here you haven't heard a million times before. There is no new depth or anything thought-provoking said here. 

This is simply a terrible movie that even makes the vastly overrated original look halfway decent in comparison. 

Cowboy Church #200

 Hello my friends and welcome back to another service of Cowboy Church. 

Today's musical selection begins with Roy Rogers and Dale Evans with A Christmas Prayer. This recording comes from Roy and Dale's 1967 Christmas album, Christmas is Always. 

This is followed by Gene Autry with An Old Fashioned Tree. This recording comes from an episode of Gene Autry's Melody Ranch radio show, that aired on December 5, 1948.

Afterwards comes Tennessee Ernie Ford with his 1971 recording of Hark the Herald Angels Sing. This hymn was written by Charles Wesley. Wesley stated that what he hoped to achieve through his hymns was to teach sound doctorine to the poor an illiterate, who may not be able to read the Bible for themselves. His brother John Wesley, who was a famous theologian and one of the founders of Methodism, stated that Charles' hymnal was the best book on Theology there was out there. Charles wrote the words to this hymn as he heard the church bells ringing on his way to church on Christmas Day. He intended this to be a poem that would be read in Church on Christmas Day. This poem first appeared in print in 1739 in Hymns and Sacred Poems. In 1753 George Whitefield, put these words to the music we know today. Whitefield also added the term “newborn king.” 

Next comes Merle Haggard with Santa Claus and Popcorn. This song comes Merle's 1973 Christmas album, Hag's Christmas. It is important to remember that no matter how we celebrate this Christmas to remember that the reason that we celebrate is because of Jesus Christ and that Jesus loving us is something that we must never forget. It may be the simplicist piece of theology, but it is something that must be instilled and us and something that we never forgot on our Christian walk. 

Now for the Sons of the Pioneers with their 1937 recording of Power in the Blood. 

Then comes The Petersens with O Holy Night. This hymn was written in 1847. The lyricist for the song was Placide Cappeau. Cappeau was a poet who rarely wrote about Christian subjects, however the local priest asked him to write a poem for Christmas mass. He didn't know what to write so he looked at the story of Jesus' birth in the book of Luke and tried to place himself there. He then asked his friend Adolphe Charles Adams (who had composed over 80 operas) to write some music. This hymn would gain controversy in France, when the church learned of its writers. Cappeau had left the church and joined the socialist party. Adams was not Christian, but rather Jewish. The idea that neither of the writers of a Christian hymn were in fact Christian, upset many church leaders. These church leaders denounced the song and deemed it not fit to sing in a church. Yet despite this the hymn was one of the most popular Christmas songs in France at the time. 

Then comes The Sons of the San Joaquin with It Came Upon a Midnight Clear. The song was written by Edmund H. Sears. This hymn first appeared in Boston's Christian Register, on December 29, 1849 (yes after Christmas). That version has a verse that does not appear in this version, "But with the woes of sin and strife the world has suffered long; Beneath the angel-strain have rolled Two thousand years of wrong; And man, at war with man, hears not the love-song, which they bring: O hush the noise, ye men of strife, and hear the angels sing!" This verse reflects the state if America at the time this song was written. The Civil War was approaching, and Sears found himself concerned with the division in our country. Unlike many Christmas songs, It Came Upon a Midnight Clear is not a song about peace on Earth but rather a plea for it. With the division and anger that is so prevalent today, this is a perfect Christmas song for our time. This song has been put to different tunes over the years and the two most prevalent are Carol (by Richard Storis Willis in 1850) and Noel (by Sir Arthur Sullivan in 1878). Carol is the preferred version of this song in the U.S. and is the one Willie performs here. The tune had been used for other lyrics dating back to when it was written in 1850, and was first used to accompany, It Came Upon a Midnight Clear in 1878.

Today's musical selection ends with Johnny Cash singing God is Not Dead. This recording comes from John's 1968 gospel album The Holy Land. This album was inspired by a trip John and his wife, country singer June Carter Cash, took to Israel and as well as music also including some recordings of John narrating what sees while in The Holy Land. If you ever get the chance to go to Israel, it will become very clear to you that God is definitely not dead, as you can fully feel his presence with you while you are there. This song was written by John himself and fully reflects the sentiments of any Christian who visits Israel.  

Today's movie trailer is for a fun and silly little B-western, Gold Raiders (1951). This film stars George O'Brien and The Three Stooges. Today George O' Brien is probably best remembered for his role in F.W. Murnau's Sunrise (1927). However he had a very prolific career in Westerns. He rose to prominence in John Ford's landmark silent western, The Iron Horse (1924). He went on to star in a large number of B-westerns in the 1930's as well as having supporting roles in A-Westerns including the John Ford and John Wayne masterpieces Fort Apache (1948) and She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949). Naturally, I don't need to tell you who The Three Stooges are. This is the second and last feature film that features Shemp as a member of The Stooges. The other feature films with The Three Stooges had either Curly or Joe DeRita in the role of the third stooge. The movie was directed by Edward Bernds, who was a regular director of The Stooges short films if this era. The film was written by Elwood Ullman (a regular writer for The Stooges) and William Lively (who wrote a good number of B-westerns). 

Next is the C.S. Lewis short story, The Man Born Blind.

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 1 John 5:14

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Ephesians 6:18

You will pray to him, and he will hear you, and you will fulfill your vows. Job 22:27

They must turn from evil and do good; they must seek peace and pursue it. 1 Peter 3:11

Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation. Isaiah 12:2

 Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. Hebrews 12:14

May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 5:23

 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Romans 12:12

Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools. Ecclesiastes 7:9

Thanks for joining me. Come back next week for another service of Cowboy Church. Happy trails to you until we meet again. 

Some Cartoons For Saturday Morning #204

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

Today's cartoon selection begins with one of the greatest Christmas cartoons of all time, Santa's Workshop (1932). This movie marks the fourth Silly Symphony in color and as is true of many of Disney's early color films, the filmmakers never took color for granted. I would dare to say that few filmmakers have ever used color as effectively as the Disney studio did at this time. All these decades later and this cartoon still looks incredible. Many of you may know that Walt Disney himself voiced Mickey in many cartoons. In this movie we get to hear him voice another character in a similar falsetto voice, this is one of Santa's elves and I am sure many of you will quickly recognize the voice. The other elves were voiced by J. Delos Jewkes and Pinto Colvig (the voice of Goofy). Walter Geiger voiced Santa. A working title for this film was Santa's Toy Shop. It premiered at the Roxy in New York on December 16, 1932 playing alongside the feature film, Man Against Woman. It played with this movie from the 16th to the 23rd. It would continue to play at the theatre from the 24th to January 1st, 1933 this time playing alongside the feature. Rare for a short cartoon at this time, Santa's Workshop was revived in big name movie theatres in 1933. This film went through production relatively fast beginning in September 1932 and hitting movie theatres by December of the same year. This cartoon would later receive a sequel, The Night Before Christmas (1933). In 1936 an idea for another Silly Symphony cartoon centering around Santa and his helpers at the north pole was proposed. In this cartoon a little boy would have been shrunk to the size of a toy and given a chance to see Santa's workshop. One title for this would have been The North Pole. This idea never came to be. The following is an Exhibitors Review from the Motion Picture Herald. "Santa's Workshop: This is the greatest one-reeler we have ever had the pleasure of screening in our theatre and did the kids flock in! It is filmed in glorious color and there is only one word that can describe it - beautiful. Just as the name suggests, it shows Santa's workshop where all of the toys are made and just the type of short for this season. We played this three days and many patrons young and old, saw it two or three times. Many thanks to Walt Disney and United Artists for this great short. Running time, eight minutes - J.J. Medford, Orpheum Theatre, Oxford, N.C. General Patronage." The following are some Exhibitors Reviews from the Motion Picture Herald. "Santa's Workshop: Silly Symphony - An excellent all color short you will do well to book. They just rave over it. Running time, seven minutes - Wm. A. Crute, Victoria Theatre, Vancouver, B.C. Neighborhood Patronage." "Santa's Workshop: Silly Symphony - Excellent and drew considerable business. - B.R. Johnson, Orpheum Theatre, Kerrobert, Canada, Rural Patronage." "Santa's Workshop: Silly Symphonies - These cartoons are good but an exhibitor can feed his public up on them by booking too many. Once a week is plenty. Running time, eight minutes. - Edmund M. Burke, Fort Plain Theatre, Fort Plain, N.Y. General Patronage."

Next is Daffy Duck in Boston Quackie (1957). This film is a parody of the character Boston Blackie. That character first appeared in a 1914 book by Jack Boyle, followed by many other books featuring the characters. In only a few years the character was appearing in silent films. In the 1940's Chester Morris played the character in a series of 14 B-movies. In 1944 Morris also played the character in a radio series. In 1951, Kent Taylor played the character in a TV series called Boston Blackie that ran for 58 episodes. 

Now for some black and white Terry-Toons fun with Home Town Olympics (1936). 

Possibly the best of the Fleischer Brothers' Color Classics cartoons and a must watch for me every Christmas season is Christmas Comes But Once a Year (1936). As well as a really catchy title song and some fun gags, this cartoon has a warm Christmas-y feel. Unlike some of the studio's other attempts at sentimentality, this film never feels forced in this respect. Instead the sentimentality feels genuine and earned. Though most of the Color Classics featured one off characters, this short stars Grampy from the Betty Boop cartoons. Grampy was one of the best things about the later Betty Boop films and he definitely gets to shine here. The title song in this short movie would later be reused in the Popeye cartoon, Let's Celebrake (1938) with the lyrics changed to be about New Years instead. Some of Grampy's household toy ideas would later be used in the Casper cartoon, True Boo (1952). 

Motion Picture Herald, 1936

Now it is time for a commercial break. 

Now for a delightful early Looney Tunes cartoon, The Booze Hangs High (1930). This short film predates such characters as Porky Pig, Daffy Duck and Bugs Bunny. Instead the star of the movie is Bosko, who was the first starring character for the Looney Tunes cartoons. While this movie may not feel much like the Looney Tunes cartoons that were yet to come, it is still a fun little film. The Booze Hangs High was only the 4th Looney Tunes cartoon. 

If the Columbia cartoon, Up N' Atom (1947), feels like a Looney Tunes cartoon, there is a reason for this. The cartoon was directed by Bob Clampett, who directed some legendary cartoons for Warner Brothers, and directed by Sid Marcus, who would later write the first Tasmanian Devil cartoon for Warner Brothers. Notice that the cat in this film looks a lot like Sylvester. 

Today's cartoon selection ends with the TV special, A Garfield Christmas Special (1987).

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 

https://mediahistoryproject.org/