Some Cartoons for Saturday Morning #256

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

Today's cartoon selection begins with a real Christmas classic, the Disney Silly Symphony cartoon, 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 all Disney films of this era, this cartoon features an incredible cast of animators. A crew lead by Ben Sharpsteen (who would later be supervising director for the Disney feature films, Pinocchio (1940), Fantasia (1940) and Dumbo (1941)) that included Ugo D'Orsi, Ed Smith, Leonard Sebring, Joe D'Igalo, Tom McKimson (brother of Looney Tunes director Robert McKimson), Archie Robin and Roy Williams (the big Mossekateer on The Mickey Mouse Club) animated the tree being decorated, various of the toys and the opening scenes with the children. Louie Schimdt animated Santa and his Reindeer outside the house and the children running out of the bedroom. Ham Luske animated Santa going down the chimney and coming out of the fireplace. Bob Wickersham animates the toy band. Ed Love, who would later work on Tex Avery's MGM cartoons and many of Hanna-Barbera's TV cartoons, animates a long shot of the toys at the base of the tree. Dick Huemer, best known for his work at the Fleischer studio, Santa at the toy piano. Les Clark, one of Walt's Nine Old Men and one of the best Mickey Mouse animators of all time, animated Junior and his present.  George Drake animates the doll with the xylophone. Hardie Gramatky animates the children around the Christmas tree. 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." 

Next comes the Fleischer Brothers' Stone Age cartoon, Granite Hotel (1940). 

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Now for a silent Aesop's Film Fables cartoon, Day by Day in Every Way (1923). This short film features our good friend, Farmer Alfalfa. Paul Terry, who gave us this cartoon, would later take this character with him when he created his Terry Toons studio. 

My favorite Casper the Friendly Ghost cartoon is True Boo (1952). This film puts a lot of delightful Christmas spirit in with its traditional Casper story. The gags where Casper uses everyday objects to make toys, heavily borrows from the Max Fleischer Color Classic, Christmas Comes But Once a Year (1936).

Broadcasting, 1962

Now it is time for a commercial break. 

Next comes a wonderful World War 2 era, Daffy Duck cartoon, Daffy the Commando (1943). The ending of this short film is a classic gag. However, this whole film is a lot of fun. The "is that you Mert" line is taken from the Fibber McGee and Molly radio show. If you are interested in checking out old radio shows, I highly recommend that comedy series, it is a delight. 

Now for a truly lovely British animated short film, The Candlemaker (1957). This film is very simple but also quite touching and heartfelt. The design work here is simply wonderful to look at and complements this tender story perfectly. 

Today's cartoon selection ends with a Christmas TV special, that I think definitely deserves more attention than it often gets, A Garfield Christmas Special (1987). I simply love this special.

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. 

Resources Used

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

https://mediahistoryproject.org/