Some Cartoons for Saturday Morning #222

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

Today's cartoon selection begins with Woody Woodpecker in Woody the Giant Killer (1947). This short film was directed by Dick Lundy. Lundy had previously been a Disney animator working on many of the studio's best short films, he would later move to MGM where he would direct many Barney Bear cartoons. 

Now for a fantastic black and white Daffy Duck cartoon. This cartoon was directed by the one and only Bob Clampett. Clampett directed many of the funniest and wildest Looney Tunes shorts and this film shows him at his best. Fitting with the director's wild and crazy sense of humor, this cartoon features that great early wild and crazy Daffy Duck, who enjoys jumping up and down and shouting "Wooo-Wooo." This cartoon also features a much more sympathetic depiction of Daffy than later cartoons would, and it is extremely effective. Porky Pig has a part as the judge and there was a reason for this. At this time nearly all the Looney Tunes cartoons featured Porky Pig, while the Merrie Melodies did not have to. With this in mind it was common in Looney Tunes of this period for Porky to simply have a small part to meet this quota. So without further ado here is The Henpecked Duck (1941).

Next comes a delightful black and white Silly Symphony, The Busy Beavers (1931). This movie was directed by Burt Gillett, who would go on to direct some of the finest some of the best Mickey Mouse cartoons and in 1934 he would be running the Van Bueren cartoon studio. This short film had a large cast of animators, 16 in fact, who spent 6 weeks working on this movie. Jack Cutting (who would later direct the Silly Symphony, Farmyard Symphony (1938) and co-direct (with Ham Luske) the last Silly Symphony, The Ugly Duckling (1939)) animated the opening long shot of the beavers building a dam. Frenchy De Tremaudan animates the beavers laying the bricks. Dick Lundy (later a director of Woody Woodpecker and Barney Bear cartoons), animates the scene with the wheelbarrow and the beavers cutting down the trees. Johnny Cannon animates the scene with the elk and the beavers at the hoist and sawmill. Tom Palmer (who would later direct some cartoons for Warner Brothers) animates the scene with the cement mixers and the hod carriers. Joe D'Igalo animates the beavers marking the trees and the worm. Rudy Zamora animates the little beaver with the owl. George Lane animates the beavers rowing on the log like a boat. Charles Bryne animates the long shot of the beavers running for cover. Harry Reeves animates the little beaver discovering the leak. Jack King, who would later direct some wonderful Donald Duck cartoons, animates the little beaver holding the leak. Chuck Couch animates the turtle with the little beaver. Hardie Gramatky animates the cloud unzipping. Ben Sharpsteen (who would later be the supervising director on the Disney feature films, Pinnochio (1940), Fantasia (1940) and Dumbo (1941)) animates the little beaver in the midst of the storm and the pond being flooded. Les Clark, one of Walt's nine old men and one of the best Mickey Mouse animators, animates the little beaver cutting down the tree as well as the final scene of the picture. Marvin Woodward animates the long shot of the beavers celebrating. This short film made its TV debut on an episode of The Mickey Mouse Club that aired on December 6, 1955. 

Next comes the Ant and the Aardvark in Scratch a Tiger (1970). This movie came out at a time when theatrical cartoon shorts were fading from theaters. However with short films like these the DePatie-Freleng studio (and a few others) was helping these types of cartoons to continue, at least for a little while. 

Now it is time for a commercial break. 

Now for a silent movie, Watered Stock (1926). This short film features the one and only farmer Alfalfa.

Next is the Talkartoon short film, Grand Uproar (1930).

Next is Popeye's 20th Anniversary (1954). This cartoons title refers to Popeye's anniversary of when he first appeared on movie screens, which was in 1933. However the character himself had been around longer, first appearing in the Thimble Theater newspaper comic strip in 1929. As Popeye is not much for public speaking he brings along some of the movies which made him famous. The movies he brings along are the cartoons, Tops in the Big Top (1945) and Rodeo Romeo (1946).

We end with the next chapter of the Toon Marooned (2001) saga.  

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

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

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