Hello my friends and welcome back for another selection of classic cartoons.
Today's cartoon selection begins with a classic Mickey Mouse movie, Traffic Troubles (1931). David Hand would later remember animating a scene of this film involving a blown-out tire, "I did my very best with it ... and got it on the Moviola with Walt and he squinted and squirmed and grunted, and said no, it didn't have enough exaggeration in it. I said O.K. and back I went to my desk ... I made it more exaggerated, and ... he turned it down. I thought, 'What does this crazy man want?' I said to myself, 'I'm going to show that fellow a trick or two.' So I went back to my desk to redo this scene ... and I said, I'm going to make this thing so extreme, so outlandish, so crazy that he'll say, 'Well Dave I didn't mean to exaggerate it that much.' ... I brought the new test in very self-righteously and put it on for Walt and said, 'All right Walt, I did this thing over again I hope it's okay.,' while slyly watching for him to explode - fly off the handle. He put his foot on the pedal, and he started the loop around and around and around, looking at it and looking at it. Then he stopped the loop and looked up at me with a big smile and said, 'There! You've got it! Why didn't you do it that way in the first place?'"
Though Fire Bugs (1930) may just seem like another Fleischer Brothers cartoon from the early 1930's, it actually has some historical significance. It is the first film from the studio to credit animators.
Now for the most powerful superhero of them all, Mighty Mouse in Beauty on the Beach (1950).
Though when most animation fans think of Tex Avery, they think of his films for MGM, I have always had a huge fondness for his work at Warner Brothers as well. What I love about his films for Warner Brothers is that he takes very conventional storylines and adds his wacky sense of humor. One of my favorite of his films for Warner Brothers is Porky’s Preview (1941). This cartoon takes a cute premise of Porky Pig (still a child in this film) making a cartoon movie show for his little barnyard friends and turns it into a wonderful self-parody of cartoons themselves. I love how even musical director Carl Stalling gets in on the joke by giving us kiddie versions of songs he often used in the Looney Tunes cartoons.
Now it is time for a commercial break.
Now for a silent movie, Phable of a Busted Romance (1916).
Next comes one of the best of the later day Popeye cartoons, Spree Luch (1957). This movie marked the last appearances of Bluto and Wimpy in a theatrically released Popeye cartoon. This is also a rare appearance for Wimpy in a Famous Studios Popeye film. During the Famous Studios era, the character Wimpy was hardly ever used, despite having been used often in the Fleischer Studios era. He was not the only character to suffer this fate as both Swee'Pea and Poopdeck Pappy also had many less appearances during this period. There would only be one more theatrical Popeye short film made after this one, Spooky Swabs (1957).
Now for the Blue Racer short film, Blue Aces Wild (1973). This movie features an appearance of Crazy Legs Crane, before the character got his own series of cartoons.
Today's cartoon selection ends with UPA's Gumshoe Magoo (1958). Like many Mr. Magoo cartoons, the highlight here is Jim Backus' wonderful voice acting as Magoo.
Exhibitor, 1967
Thanks for joining me. Come back next for another selection of classic cartoons. Until then may all your tunes be looney and your melodies merry.
Resources Used
Hollywood Cartoons: American Animation in it's Golden Age by Michael Barrier
Of Mice and Magic: A History of the American Animated Cartoon by Leonard Maltin
Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to the Warner Brothers Cartoons by Jerry Beck and Will Friedwald
https://lantern.mediahist.org/
https://popeye.fandom.com/wiki/Popeye_the_Sailorpedia
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