Since I know many of you like me, love both silent movies and TCM, here is a list of silent films playing on TCM this February. Since 31 Days of Oscar begins on February 9th, all these films are early in the month and there is only one Silent Sunday Night.
Thursday February 1st
Metropolis (1926) Director: Fritz Lang. Starring Brigitte Helm and Gustav Fröhlich. 9:30 pm Pacific. 12:30am Eastern.
Saturday, February 3rd
Within Our Gates (1920) Director: Oscar Micheaux. Starring Evelyn Preer and Floy Clements. 5am Pacific. 8am Eastern.
Sunday, February 4th
Body and Soul (1925) Director: Oscar Micheaux. Starring Paul Robeson and Marshall Rodgers. 10:30pm Pacific. 1:30am Eastern.
Tuesday, February 6th
Modern Times (1936) Director: Charlie Chaplin. Starring Charlie Chaplin and Paulette Goddard. 9pm Pacific. 12am Eastern,
Safety Last (1923) Director: Fred Newmeyer. Starring Harold Lloyd and Mildred Davis. 10:45pm Pacific. 1:45am Eastern.
This film has a great premise. The film centers around characters who are aboard a space shuttle with people who want to kill them. It gets to the point where they don’t know who they can trust. The suspense in this premise alone make this movie sound irresistible to fans of suspense films. While it may not fully live up to the potential of this premise, the movie stills has a lot to like about it. Many scenes are very well staged. The visual filmmaking in these scenes does a wonderful job of heightening the suspense. Some of these scenes truly make you sit on the edge of your seat. The visual filmmaking also allows for some truly beautiful shots. The film also benefits from some great twists that truly keep us guessing.
When it comes to the characters, this film gives us the bare minimum it needs to work. We like these characters and don’t want to see anything bad about them. However on the other hand we never feel like we truly know who these characters are.
Despite only being an hour and a half, this film can drag at times. This is essentially true towards the middle section of the film which seems like it goes on much too long. The movie also suffers from some awkward dialogue and moments where the characters make dumb nonsensical things simply because the story says they need to.
While it’s flaws may keep this from being a great movie, there is still plenty to enjoy about this film.
This film is exactly what a fantasy movie should be. That is that it truly makes you believe the fantasy. This world is so well thought out that it always seems perfectly real to us. There are times when it feels magical, times when it feels dark and threatening and many times when it feels like a lot of both. Throughout all of this, the whole movie is dripping with pure wonderful imagination that never lets up. Though the story has similarities to other animated movies, it has its own unique feel that is simply wonderful. The creativity often drips over into the incredible visuals. This is simply a beautiful looking movie. The art work and animation is on par with Studio Ghibli and that is no small feat. That is also why this movie needs to be seen on the bigger screen. This is a real cinematic experience and a small screen could not have the same effect. Yet just as visually incredible this film is, it also is very emotional. The relationship between our main character (a young boy) and his father figure is genuinely touching. This makes us care about these characters and what happens in this story. It also makes the fantasy feel even more real to us. This also leads to some very touching moments. The film also benefits from a truly creepy villain and a large amount of suspense.
This film tries so hard to be smart and sexy that it ends up as neither. This is the worst kind of movie there is, it is a dumb movie that thinks it is smart. This can be seen first and foremost in the dialogue. This is dialogue that tries much too hard to sound literary but instead only comes off as pretentious. There is hardly a line of dialogue that sounds like anything someone would actually say. The dialogue between the characters is awful and the narration is even worse. All of this immediately takes you out of the movie and makes it hard to take anything seriously. This is not to say there is anything to take seriously about this film. The whole storyline revolves around supposed sexual tension between a girl and her older English teacher. However, none of this sexual tension can be felt by the audience. There is none of this kind of chemistry between the characters or the actors. Much of it is also treated in such an over the top and unbelievable manner that we are not able to buy it for a second. To hear the main girl talking with her best friend about their sexual desires for their teachers is either unintentionally funny or just plain gross. As a guy, I may not know how teenage girls talk to each other about having crushes, but I can guarantee you it sounds nothing like this. Some scenes try to be fully erotic and sexually charged but come off as much more awkward and embarrassing than actually sexy. Some of these "sexy" moments made me feel embarrassed to be in the theater watching this movie (even if the theater was empty). The movie also tries to take a very dark twist towards the end, but it simply doesn't work. It simply comes out of nowhere and does not fit anything that happened earlier in the film. It also is nowhere near as thought-provoking as the filmmakers think it is. Actually, this flaw is part of a major problem for most of the runtime. All the main characters are simply bad people. By adding these major flaws, the filmmakers feel like they are making some sort of complex character study. However, there is nothing interesting about these characters and no real point the film is making. Because of this, the whole movie feels mean-spirited as we are simply watching terrible people be terrible people.
All in all, this is just a deeply unpleasant and pointless film.
Hello my friends and welcome back to another service of Cowboy Church.
Today’s musical selection begins with the King of the Cowboys and The Queen of the West, Roy Rogers and Dale Evans with Jesus in the Morning. This song reminds us that we are not only to leave a small part of the day with Jesus as our focus but all day long as well as every day. We should wake up each morning with Jesus on our mind and go to bed each night the same way. While few of us will succeed with this every day, we will find that each day we do it will be an enriching day that will makes us grow as a person.
This is followed by Hank Locklin with Are the Seeds Still in the Barn.
Afterwards is Cowboy Copas with The Silver That Nailed You to the Cross. No matter what treasures this world has to offer, not one of these treasures can come close to comparing with what Jesus has to offer us.
Then comes The Carter Family with Death is Only a Dream. This hymn was written and by Reverend C.W Ray. It was first published in Living Songs For The Sunday School in 1892. Reverend Edward Clayborn recorded the song in 1927. However, it was this 1939 recording by The Carter Family, that really brought the song to public attention. This hymn was a favorite of country music legend Hank Williams.
Up next is Johnny Cash singing All of God's Children Ain't Free. This song is from the 1965 album, Orange Blossom Special. In his Johnny Cash biography, The Man Called Cash, Steve Turner calls this "Cash's most folk-inspired album." This is no coincidence as John's heart was drifting heavily towards the current folk scene at this time. He had performed at the Newport Folk Festival was spending much time with Bob Dylan, was recording songs by current folk songwriters such as Peter La Farge, and was addressing politics and social commentary in his music in a way he did much less often in the 1950's. This album contained three songs written by Bob as well as some more traditional folk music. This song (written by John himself) was a protest song of the type that was popular in the folk work at this time.
Next comes Kris Kristofferson and Larry Gatlin with Help Me. In 1971 Connie Smith had invited Kris Kristofferson to the Evangel Temple. Jimmie Snow (the pastor of the church) had asked Larry Gatlin, who was a member of this church and currently worker as a janitor, to come up and sing a song he wrote. That song was Help Me and it had a major effect on Kris. Kris would later say, "It was what I guess you call a religious experience. I've never had one before or since. To this day I don't know why I did it. I think Jimmy sensed I didn't know what I was doing because he asked me if I was ready to be saved and I told him I didn't know. He put his hand on my shoulder and asked me to get down on my knees. There were a number of us kneeling and I don't remember what he was saying. It was something about freedom from guilt. All I can remember is that I broke into tears. I was weeping and when it was over I felt like I had been purged. I was carrying a lot of guilt at that time. I felt I had disappointed my family, my friends, my ancestors and everybody that knew me. So I wrote that song [Why Me Lord]." Because of the effect this song had on Kris, Kris recorded the song as a duet with Larry Gatlin on his 1972 album, Jesus Was a Capricorn. Kris later talked about this saying, "I did it because I loved the song and was so grateful for the effect it had on me. To further demonstrate my gratitude, I put it on the B-side of my single Why Me instead of one of my own, giving Larry mechanical royalties on the biggest single I ever had. Payback!" The source for these quotes is The Man Called Cash by Steve Turner.
Next is Barbara Mandrell with I Will Glory in the Cross. This version of the song comes from her 1982 gospel album, He Set My Life To Music.
Today's musical selection ends with The Sons of the Pioneers with their 1937 recording of Leaning on the Everlasting Arms. This hymn began with a man named Anthony Showalter. As a fan of gospel music and an elder in a Presbyterian church, he held many "singing schools" at various churches in the south. One day he received two letters from former students who were struggling after their wives had passed. To respond to these letters, Showalter consulted scripture. He came across Deuteronomy 33:27, "The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms." After reading this verse lyrics for a song chorus went through his head and he wrote down, "“Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms; Leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms.” After using this in the letters to his former students he sent this chorus to his friend hymnist, Elisha Hoffman. In the letter he also wrote, “Here is the chorus for a good hymn from Deuteronomy 33:27, but I can’t come up with the verses.” Hoffman then wrote the rest of the lyrics to which Showalter put to music. The hymn was published in 1887
Now for a message from S.M. Lockridge.
Now for an episode of Gene Autry’s TV show.
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Ephesians 4:29
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness. Galatians 5:22
Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 1 Peter 4:8
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:32
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. Psalms 23:6
Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:21
For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 2 Peter 1:5-7
Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:15-16
And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:8
Thanks for joining me. Come back next week for another service of Cowboy Church. Happy trails to you until we meet again.
Hello my friends and Saturday morning. Once again it is time for some classic cartoons.
Today’s cartoon selection begins with Felix the Cat in Neptune Nonsense (1936). This is the second of three short films the Van Beuren Studio made starring Felix the Cat.
Next is the Screen Song cartoon, Rudy Vallee Melodies (1932). This short film features our good friend Betty Boop.
Now for The Pink Panther in Sprinkle Me Pink (1978).
I love of the cartoons of Chuck Jones from any period but there is something special about his films from 1942 and 1943. At this time, he was fully getting away from his slower paced cuter output of the late 1930's but had not yet gotten to the style of films he would make in the 1950's that everybody is familiar with today. So, what we get from output during these two years are cartoons that experiment with what you can do in an animated short. It doesn't hurt that he worked with such experimental artists as layout man John McGrew. Chuck gave McGrew plenty of freedom and what John accomplished in these cartoons is nothing short of amazing. This is especially shown in The Case of the Missing Hare (1942), where experimentation is seen in every moment. Just watch the abstract backgrounds that show a mixture of two colors at a time, but the colors change when there is a strong action in the foreground. This is something someone may not notice on their first watch, but it is something they can feel. A review in The Film Daily stated, "Here is another hilarious, the Leon Schlesinger creation that keeps growing in comic strength with every new release." I think anyone watching this cartoon today will recognize that the antagonist is not Elmer Fudd, but one reviewer from The Exhibitor didn't as in his review he stated "...this has Elmer, as a magician..." A review from the same magazine less than a month later stated, "Elmer isn't in this." The latter is right. A review in Variety called this "One of the better Bugs Bunny subjects."
Now it is time for a commercial break.
We now join Herman and Katnip in One Funny Knight (1957). The credited writer for this cartoon is Jack Mercer, who was also the voice of Popeye and Felix the cat (in Felix's 1950's TV cartoons).
Up next is a classic Disney film, The Pelican and the Snipe (1944). This cartoon was planned around the time the Disney was asked to create a series of films about South America for the U.S.'s Good Neighbor Policy. Writer Bill Cotterell took a strong interest in this story after returning from the studio's trip to South America. As story work went underway for this film, quite a bit had changed. The cartoon's story had begun to deal more directly with the war, the characters' names were changed (from Percy and Sidney to Monte and Video) and the location changed from Chile to Uruguay. The story was fully formed in February 1942 and soon production went underway (under the working title Down Uruguay Way). Ham Luske was assigned to direct. Luske was near completing another South American themed short, Pedro, which would be released as part of the feature film, Saludos Amigos (1943). A top-notch team of animators was also assigned to work on this film. Ham Luske animated much of the film's opening sequence, the plane buzzing the pelican, the second rescue and the plane dropping the bombs. Ollie Johnson animated the snipe nailing the blanket down, the pelican admiring the plane, the pelican pulling the snipe into the air, the snipe's dream sequence, the sequence involving the pelican waking up and the bomb and the snipe rescue through the film's end. Ward Kimball animates the pelican exercising, pelican going into the water and the pelican ordering the snipe to leave. For some unknown reason the film was shelved for nearly a year. It resumed production in February 1943. It was completed in late 1943 and released in January 1944.
Next comes a silent Aesop's Film Fables cartoon, The Jolly Rounders (1923).
Let us close by singing one we all know.
Thanks for joining me. Come back next week for another selection of animated treasures. Until then may all your tunes be looney and melodies merry.
This is the first segment of the third episode of The All-New Super Friends Hour, unlike most other Super Friends formats, this one had hour long episodes that were made up of various shorter cartoons. The first segment would be an adventure staring two members (or three in some cases as Batman and Robin would often team with another Super Friend) of the Super Friends. The second would be a morality play staring the Wonder Twins. The third would be a typical half hour Super Friends adventure. The fourth and last segment would feature one of the main Super Friends teaming up with a special DC Comics guest star.
In this cartoon, Superman, Batman and Robin team try to protect an inventor who is being terrorized by a swamp monster.
This is a wonderfully fun cartoon. This is pretty much a Scooby-Doo cartoon but with Superman, Batman and Robin instead of the Mystery Inc. games. There is a creepy setting, a mystery, a monster and even an unmasking. However, it is like a very good episode of Scooby-Doo. The monster has a wonderful and memorable design. It looks creepy but in a way that doesn't take away from corny fun. The background artwork is wonderful. It is reminiscent of Scooby-Doo in all the best ways. It gives such a wonderful sense of atmosphere that I love. The mystery is well thought out and a lot of fun as well. Also, these DC superheroes fit this type of story perfectly.
Perhaps as a fan of both Super Friends and Scooby-Doo, I am a bit biased, but I absolutely loved this cartoon.
This movie is a very straight forward military action flick in the vein of Top Gun. Throughout the film it is obvious that the filmmakers understand exactly what makes these movies so popular. The action scenes here are excellent and not even some poor CGI, can take away from the excitement. These action scenes are well staged, paced and simply very exciting. The main character goes through the type of arc you might expect but it is handled very well here. This is because while he may not be a complex character, he is always a likable one that is very easy to root for. The same can be said for his teammates, who are all very likable. Because we care about these characters the emotional moments here are surprisingly quite effective. I did not expect the emotional moments in this film to work anywhere near as well as they do. The romance here is also very well handled as we actually care about the relationship between these two characters and there is a real chemistry between them. Like a lot of Bollywood films, there are some musical numbers here and they are a lot of fun.
This film (like too many Bollywood movies) does suffer from overlength and there are too many times it can drag a little. There is also some very clumsily dialogue in this movie at times. The movie also has a villain that is so over the top that it is hard to take any scene with him in it seriously.
Despite its flaws this is a well-made film with a lot for Bollywood fans to enjoy.
In this movie Yogi and Boo-Boo wake up after hibernation and find a basket outside their cave. They open it and find three little bears. The little bears are always hungry, and Yogi and Boo-Boo do the best they can to keep them fed. Meanwhile Ranger Smith learns that the park is going overbudget, and they will have to close. Because of this he has to tell the bears that they all have to go to the zoo. Yogi is not happy about this, and he plans a big escape for him and the four other bears. They escape but everywhere they go, the ranger is on their trail.
There is quite a bit to enjoy about this movie. Yogi and Boo-Boo are just as likable here as they ever were. Even Ranger Smith is very likable here. He is the antagonist, but he is not the villain. Though he is trying to stop Yogi and the other bears, he still does not hate them and has times where he feels sorry for them. He is simply a guy doing his job. This is why I have always liked this character and this film captures this perfectly. He The story is a very charming one. It fits the characters perfectly. It also feels like a classic Yogi Bear story but still perfectly fits the longer length. This movie never really drags and remains charming for the whole runtime. The 93 minute (or two hours with commercials) goes by incredibly quickly. Since the movie is inspired by the classic shorter length cartoons, the more episodic storyline fits perfectly and all the little fun adventures are very enjoyable. The film also benefits from some very handsome background art and some fun cameos from other Hanna-Barbera.
The comedy in this film is the type that will make you smile but rarely laugh out loud. While there is no problem with comedy that is charming rather than hilarious, it is easy to miss the real laughs that the classic Yogi cartoons have. Still there are no jokes here that ever fall flat and it is hard not to appreciate that.
The biggest flaw of this movie is that the little bear cubs don't really add anything. You could do this story just as well with just Yogi and Boo-Boo and the film wouldn't be missing anything. Another problem is that the little girl bear cub feels like the filmmakers trying too hard to be cute. She is never as cute as the filmmakers think she is. The songs in this film are also quite forgettable. The ending is incredibly rushed and forced.
This film is part of Hanna-Barbera Superstars 10, a series of 10 made for TV movies starring Hanna-Barbera characters. The supervising director was Ray Patterson and the writer was Neal Barbera (the son of Joseph Barbera), both of whom also made Yogi & the Invasion of the Space Bears (1988), another one of the Hanna-Barbera Superstars 10 movies.
Marie Dressler is one of the great actresses of the golden age of Hollywood. She was an actress who was equally at home in a slapstick comedy and in a serious drama. Many of her best films tended to be a mixture of comedy and drama, which showed just how great her range was. She was also the type of actress, who automatically made every film she was in better. She even makes some otherwise forgettable movies, worth watching.
Her is a 1931 article from Motion Picture Magazine about this great actress. If you have any trouble reading the following pages, click on them and use your touch screen to zoom in.
A very offbeat but quite enjoyable direct to video Tom and Jerry movie.
This movie is pretty much Tom and Jerry meet Wacky Races. In this film, Tom and Jerry are kicked out of the house, when the wreck it in one of their infamous chases. When they learn that the car racing reality show, The Fabulous Super Race has a fancy new house as its prize both enter in the race. In this race they compete against Gorthan, Destroyer of Light (a demon lord from another world), TV action star Steed Dirkly, a soccer mom and a seemingly sweet old grandma.
There is a lot to enjoy here. The supporting characters may be pure stereotypes but in this Wacky Races type of framework, this actually works. None of these characters are meant to be taken sympathetically and exist simply for the sake of humor. While not every gag with them works, there are a lot of gags that do. The gags involving the demon lord and the granny definitely made me chuckle as did the quicksand scene with the soccer mom. Their one-dimensional personalities were the joke for the most part this worked. The idea of Tom and Jerry competing in a race is delightful and the characters worked perfectly within this story. The typical Tom and Jerry slapstick is also very good here. Also with how the other characters all underestimate the cat and mouse, it is easy to find them sympathetic compared to the other characters.
As much as I enjoyed this movie, I did admit it tended to drag a bit in the middle. This is when the supporting characters were given much of the screen time. These characters are funnier as side characters and in their own individual scenes. However when they become the focus, they become less funny. Luckily the beginning and ending sections have Tom and Jerry as the main characters and are simply a lot of fun. I also have to say that the satire of Hollywood was not as sharp or clever as it should have been.
This film was directed and written by Bill Kopp (who also voiced Tom). Kopp also directed and wrote the previous direct to video Tom and Jerry movie, Tom and Jerry: Blast Off to Mars (2005). He also has worked on such animated TV shows as Taz-Mania, House of Mouse, Danny Phantom, Wabbit and Amphibia. He co-directed and co-wrote the Bugs Bunny cartoon, Hare and Loathing in Las Vegas (2004) and worked as an animator on some of The Simpsons shorts for The Tracey Ullman Show.
This is far from a perfect movie but it is still a delight for Tom and Jerry fans.
Hello my friends and welcome back for another service of Cowboy Church.
Today's musical selection begins with Roy Rogers with There'll Be Peace in the Valley. The hymn was written by Thomas A. Dorsey who later explained the origins of this song, “Peace in the Valley,” “It was just before Hitler sent his war chariots into Western Europe in the late 1930s. I was on a train going through southern Indiana and saw horses, cows and sheep all grazing together in this little valley. Everything seemed so peaceful. It made me question, “What’s the matter with mankind? Why can’t men live in peace?” Out of those thoughts came “Peace in the Valley.” This version of the song comes from Roy and his wife Dale Evans' 1973 gospel album, In the Sweet By and By.
This is followed by Willie Watson and Tim Blake Nelson with When a Cowboy Trades His Spurs for Wings. This song was written for the movie, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018) and was written by David Rawlings and Gillian Welch.
Afterwards is Pete Seegar with Study War No More (Down by the Riverside).
Then comes Cowboy Copas with his 1953 recording of He Stands by His Window.
Now for The Carter Family with their 1941 recording of Leaning on the Everlasting Arms. This hymn began with a man named Anthony Showalter. As a fan of gospel music and an elder in a Presbyterian church, he held many "singing schools" at various churches in the south. One day he received two letters from former students who were struggling after their wives had passed. To respond to these letters, Showalter consulted scripture. He came across Deuteronomy 33:27, "The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms." After reading this verse lyrics for a song chorus went through his head and he wrote down, "“Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms; Leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms.” After using this in the letters to his former students he sent this chorus to his friend hymnist, Elisha Hoffman. In the letter he also wrote, “Here is the chorus for a good hymn from Deuteronomy 33:27, but I can’t come up with the verses.” Hoffman then wrote the rest of the lyrics to which Showalter put to music. The hymn was published in 1887.
Afterwards is George Jones with I Know a Man Who Can. With humans, there are a lot of things that are impossible. However, with God everything is possible. Anytime life feels like it is too much for us, God is greater than whatever troubles we face.
Now for Skeeter Davis with Its Different Now. This recording comes from Skeeter's 1967 gospel album, Hand in Hand With Jesus.
Today's musical selection ends with The Sons of the Pioneers with their 1951 recording of The Wonderous Word.
Now for a one of Dr. Martian Luther King Jr.'s most famous sermons.
Now for an episode of Roy Rogers' radio show.
Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering. Colossians 3:12
But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Luke 6:35
A man who is kind benefits himself, but a cruel man hurts himself. Proverbs 11:17
And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. Colossians 3:14
But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them. Luke 6:27-31
Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. 1 Peter 3:9
Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 1 Peter 4:8
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Ephesians 4:2
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. 1 John 4:8
Thanks for joining me. Come back next week for another service of Cowboy Church. Happy trails to you until we meet again.
Hello my friends and happy Saturday Morning. Once again it is time for some classic cartoons.
For the most part characters that originally appeared in Disney's animated feature films did not appear in the studio's short films. There were however exceptions to this. One of the most interesting of these exceptions was The Winged Scrouge (1943), which features the Seven Dwarfs. This is not your typical Disney short. During the time when the studio was making a series of South American films (some of them celebrating South American culture and some made for South American audiences) as part of the US's Good Neighbor Policy, The Office of the Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs (or the CIAA) commissioned the studio to make a series of films about health and safety. This is the marked the first of these films and the only one to use already established characters. Originally going to be titled The Mosquito and Malaria. Because of the nature of this film, it was made with the CIAA working closely with the Disney story team. The CIAA in fact sent specialists to work with the Disney story crew. Working with them on this film were Dr. Edward C. Ernest, acting director of the Pan American Sanitary Bureau and Assistant U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. E.R. Coffey. The studio came up with a format of the first part of the film being played completely seriously and essentially a lecture. The second part would introduce the dwarfs and bring some slapstick comedy into the film. However with this second part Walt warned, "The only reason to bring in the dwarfs is to add a little interest; when you get into gags and impossible things, you're not accomplishing the job you are supposed to do - show in a simple way how to get rid of the mosquitoes. If you make it look like a tremendous job, they'll say, hell, I'll take the mosquitoes." Even with this not being your typical Disney short, it had a great cast of animators, which even included two of Walt's future Nine Old Men, Milt Kahl and Frank Thomas. John McManus animates much of the first more serious part of the film. Milt Kahl animates the introduction of the dwarfs, Doc and Sneezy in a boat, Happy spraying oil, Dopey with a dipper and an oil can, Bashful and the birds applying the green color, Sleepy digging the ditches, Grumpy chopping the stump, dwarfs with the deer and the cart, Doc with the wheelbarrow and Grumpy with the Woodpecker. Frank Thomas animates the sequence with Dopey and the mosquitos. Harvey Tombs animates Happy with the rain barrel, the dwarfs hanging the screens, Sleepy with the birds and the dwarfs snoring.
Next comes one of the Fleischer Studio's stone age cartoons, Wedding Belts (1940).
Now for perhaps my favorite of the classic Betty Boop cartoons, Snow White (1933). This cartoon is chock full of imagination and there is never one moment that isn't a lot of fun. There is a pure energy in this film that simply never lets up. This cartoon is simply everything I love about the cartoons from the Fleischer Studio at this time and is perhaps the best example of why the early 1930's Betty Boop cartoons are held in such high regard by animation fans. What makes this cartoon all the more impressive is that it has often been said that it was animated almost entirely by Doc Crandall. The main song number is performed by jazz legend Cab Calloway, who also provided vocals for the Betty Boop cartoons, Minnie the Moocher (1932) and The Old Man of the Mountain (1933). This film arrived at the number 19 spot in Jerry Beck's book, The 50 Greatest Cartoons.
Next up is Heckle and Jeckle in Hair Cut Ups (1952). Paul Terry has said that the Heckle and Jeckle films were the best cartoons he produced, and I personally agree with him.
Now it is time for a commercial break.
Now for a silent Aesop's Film Fables cartoon, The Traveling Salesman (1923). This short includes our good friend Farmer Alfalfa.
Moving Picture World, 1925
Next up is Tex Avery's next to last black and white cartoon, The Haunted Mouse (1941). By this time Tex had moved from working on the black and white Looney Tunes to the color Merrie Melodies. He had not made a black and white cartoon since Porky's Garden (1937). After this film, he would make one more black and white short, Porky's Preview (1941). This movie was the first Looney Tune to not feature any reoccurring characters. Before this Looney Tunes always featured a star character, at first Bosko, then Buddy, then Beans and then Porky. This star character would appear in every cartoon for the series, while the Merrie Melodies would include cartoons without any of the main characters. This movie also features the first writing credit for Michael Maltese who would go on to write Chuck Jones' best cartoons.
Now to close with a song.
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.
An excellent and very intelligent old-fashioned movie.
This film has the type of premise that I find irresistible. This film is about a meeting between C.S. Lewis and Sigmund Freud. These two were of course great intellectual minds of their times. However, C.S. Lewis was a Christian and Frued was an atheist, which made their outlooks on the world completely different from each other. As someone who has an interest in theological discussions the idea of these two intellectual giants discussing whether or not there is a God, is just an idea that immediately appeals to me. Helping this movie is that this is a very dialogue-based film, and the dialogue is very intelligent, and week written. The dialogue is enhanced by incredible performances from both Anothony Hopkins and Matthew Goode, who make us feel like we are actually watching these two real-life figures. This film doesn't do what so many other films would do today. Many modern movies would play down the intelligence of one figure in order to make a point. However, both of them are shown as incredible intelligent. As well as just being a debate this film is also a character study for both characters and what lead them to believe what they believe. In studying who both these characters are the movie is not afraid to dig into these characters' flaws. This is especially shown when the movie turns its intentions towards the relationship between Frued and his daughter. It is fascinating to see how someone who is a genius at helping others and analyzes their problems can make such a mess of his own life. This movie also creates a strong emotional involvement, when it comes to Lewis' PTSD from fighting in WW1. This leads to an especially emotional scene and an incredible intelligent conversation later on. Also, while this is a very dialogue heavy film, it never feels like a filmed stage play thanks to well used flashbacks and a wonderful, staged ending.
I do think though this movie could have been even better though. The theological discussions never go as deep as I would like them to. While stated in very well worded dialogue some of the arguments from both sides tend to be quite basic and don't say much we haven't heard before. There are a few times when the arguments become deeper and more intelligent but then the subject is changed (often due to subplots) before it fully delves into these arguments. This is simply a missed opportunity, but it does not stop this from being a very well-made film.
This is a very intelligently made and written movie. I only wished it had delved a little deeper into the theological discussions.
In this movie, Yogi is a tour guide leading a group of Hanna-Barbera cartoon animals (Boo-Boo, Snagglepuss, Huckleberry Hound, Quick Draw McGraw, Augie Doggie, Doggie Daddy) on a tour that includes going to see the legendary airplane, the Spruce Goose. However, they soon find themselves trapped in the airplane. On their attempt to find a way out, they end up traveling the world with Yogi as the pilot. The gang decides to use the Spruce Goose to help various animals that are in trouble. On one of their adventures, they run into the villainous Dread Baron and his dog Mumbly. They pretend to be reformed but they are really after the Spruce Goose for themselves.
There is a lot to enjoy about this movie for Hanna-Barbera fans. Like many cartoon fans, I simply get a warm feeling when watching these movies that include many of the Hanna-Barbera characters. It gives me the feeling of visiting old friends. It also helps that these characters play off each other very well. I very much enjoy the little exchanges between Huckleberry Hound and Quick Draw McGraw. This made me wish that these characters got to play off each other more often. I also love the little touch of Augie Doggie's hero being El Kabong and that he never catches on that he is really Quick Draw McGraw. This perfectly capture that beneath his genius Augie Doggie is still a little kid. The environments that they visit are a lot of fun and there are some great atmospheric backgrounds in these scenes. The Dread Baron and Mumbly are wonderfully fun villains. There is always something that is so enjoyable about villains that simply enjoy being villains. These characters are especially a lot of fun in over the top and gleeful villainy. It doesn't hurt that they get the best comedic moments in the film. Most of the humor here is not as laugh out loud funny as the original cartoons with these characters, but it is charming. This is more the type of humor that will make you smile or chuckle rather than laugh out loud. While this may keep it from reaching the comedic heights of the best adventures of these characters, the very silly sense of humor is still a quite a bit of fun for Hanna-Barbera fans. The storyline (which is somewhat similar to an episode of the TV show, Yogi's Gang) may be simple but it is also quite charming.
The main problem with this film is that the episodic nature can make it feel a little overlong at times. The whole artic segment adds little to the main story and can feel a bit like padding.
The movie's supervising director is Ray Patterson. Patterson was a former Disney animator having worked on the Disney feature films, Fantasia (1940) and Dumbo (1941). He first worked with William Hanna and Joseph Barbera on the Tom and Jerry theatrical shorts. In the 1960's he would once again work for Bill and Joe at the Hanna-Barbera studio. He would stay at Hanna-Barbera for many years and become a director for many of the studio's movies and TV shows. The film's writer was Dennis Marks. This was the first of three feature films he would write that starred Hanna-Barbera cartoon characters. The other two would be Jetsons: The Movie (1990) and Tom and Jerry: The Movie (1992). Unlike this movie, both those films would be released theatrically.
This is the type of movie that contains moments of real joy but at the same time is not afraid to make you feel complete and utter discomfort. Much of this film can be very hard to watch but if you push through the uncomfortable times, they in fact make this movie all the more rewarding and beautiful. This is a romance movie at its heart, but it is not in any way your traditional one. A single mother goes to a high school reunion and finds herself being followed home by a strange man. She soon learns that this man has dementia and can't remember why he followed her. She begins to start an unlikely friendship with this man, when his family hires her to watch after him. The two then fall in love. Like any great romance movie, this film works because we care deeply about these characters. Both of them are far from perfect people, but underneath their flaws, they have truly beautiful hearts. Over the course of the movie, these characters grow to feel completely real to us, and we feel ever single emotion along with them. Even when they clearly make the wrong choices, it doesn't even slightly affect how much we care about them. In many ways these characters are two tormented souls and the happiness they find in each other is one that we are able to feel as well. Yet there is even more to this film than this romance. Our main character was sexually abused as a child and her mother did not believe her at all. This helps lead to her being an overprotective mother, falling into alcoholism and her having a complicated relationship with her sister (who knew about this). Before we know about all this, we see her going through an elaborate closing and locking of her door every time she gets home. This is wonderful visual filmmaking that tells us so much about this character without a word of dialogue. This part of the story leads to the most uncomfortable and emotional scenes in the film. Yet it makes this film feel all the more real and human. It can also provide a very intelligent and thoughtful look at an incredibly uncomfortable subject matter.
This is the final segment of the second episode of The All-New Super Friends Hour, unlike most other Super Friends formats, this one had hour long episodes that were made up of various shorter cartoons. The first segment would be an adventure staring two members (or three in some cases as Batman and Robin would often team with another Super Friend) of the Super Friends. The second would be a morality play staring the Wonder Twins. The third would be a typical half hour Super Friends adventure. The fourth and last segment would feature one of the main Super Friends teaming up with a special DC Comics guest star.
In this cartoon, a space scuttle accidentally destroys a space stations power systems when a landing is botched. Wonder Woman teams up with Hawkman and Hawkgirl to stop it.
This is a very fun cartoon. There may not be a supervillain here but the cartoon is still fun of superhero fun. The basic premise allows for some wonderful action scenes and a good sense of suspense. This suspense is enhanced because of how limited time the heroes have to save the day. The cartoon also takes wonderful advantage of all three heroes' abilities and technology with none of them feeling wasted. The outer space setting allows for some wonderful background art.
March of the Wooden Soldiers: The Amazing Story of Laurel & Hardy's Babes in Toyland by Randy Skretvedt
I have just got around to reading Randy Skretvedt's newest book about Laurel and Hardy, which is entitled March of the Wooden Soldiers: The Amazing Story of Laurel & Hardy's Babes in Toyland. As a huge Laurel and Hardy fan and someone who has loved Randy Skrevedt's previous books on the boys and their films, this book is even better than I could have hoped. This is simply a must read for anyone who loves Laurel and Hardy. This book delves into the making of one of the comedy duo's best feature length films, Babes in Toyland (AKA March of the Wooden Soldiers) (1934). The sheer depth and detail this book goes into is simply incredible. As many movie fans know, Hal Roach originally wrote a story treatment for this film that Stan refused to do. Hal Roach remained bitter about this for much of his life and felt disappointed with the finished film. This story has left many of us, wondering what Hal Roach's original story was like. Thanks to this book though we are finally able to read Hal's original story. Though this original story is not very good, it is fascinating to read for any real movie buff. Also, indispensable is that this book is that the back of it includes mini biographies of the cast and crew. Frankly I could spend a long time just studying this part. The various pictures in this book are also worth the cost. There are not only screenshots from the movie, but there are also many rare images, such as drawings sent to Stan and Babe (what everyone called Oliver Hardy in real life) from the Disney studio, images from old movie magazines and various collectables based off the film. As well as all this the book also gives us, a brief summary of Stan and Babe's careers, a look at the original stage play and other film versions of the musical. This is more than just a fun read; this is essential reading and even the most avid Laurel and Hardy buffs will learn something reading this book.
Laurel and Hardy: Year One
I know this Blu-ray set has been out for a while now, but I am still in awe for how incredible it is. This is the type of Blu-ray that us Laurel and Hardy fans have been waiting for much too long. This set sets its focus on the silent short films that Stan and Babe made during their first year as a team (1927). These films have never looked this great before. In fact, they look amazing here. I guarantee if you are a Laurel and Hardy fan and don't own this set, that you have never seen these films looking this great before. Not only this but you get a wonderful selection of incredible bonus features. This includes as a close of a reconstruction of the famous lost film, Hats Off (1927), commentaries by Randy Skretvedt for each film, a look at shooting locations and much more. What also makes this set so important is that so many of us Laurel and Hardy fans can finally own many of their great silent films. The selection of films on this set includes all the films they made together in 1927 in their entirety (not including the lost film Hats Off) as well as two pre- 1927 short films they both appeared in before teaming, The Lucky Dog (1921) and 25 Minutes from Hollywood (1926). Not only are there some great films here, but it is also fascinating to watch how much the duo evolved in such a short period of time. To say this is essential watching for a Laurel and Hardy fan is an understatement.
This movie is basically Shakespear's Much Ado About Nothing reimagined as a modern-day romantic comedy. Despite this and an R rated sense of humor, this is still in many ways your typical rom-com. This is not to say that it isn't still an enjoyable film. The main couple is very likable. As I have said many times on this blog the most important thing in any romance movie is that we care about the main couple getting together. That is luckily one of the strongest strengths of this movie. The characters are very likable, even when they are at odds with each other. Not only this but Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell have fantastic chemistry. Even in the scenes in which they are fighting, you believe that these two do truly love each other. The whole cast is actually wonderful in this movie. Each player brings a real charm to this film that make even the most basic characters easy to like. While the humor is not as raunchy as I expected it to be, it is actually funnier than I expected. There are some truly funny moments in this film that actually made me really laugh. One scene with the female lead trying to steal a cookie from the male lead made me laugh out loud. This is also a very pleasant looking movie that truly takes advantage of its Australian setting.
The main problem with this movie is simply that everything is so similar to films that we have already seen that it makes it hard for this to stand out. Because of this, despite being entertaining, you may forget that this movie existed not long after watching it. There is also the problem that despite the humor being quite funny at times, there are also times when there is too long of a gap between the real laughs. The film can also drag during its middle section, as we are waiting for what we all know is going to happen to actually happen.
This is not what anyone would call great cinema but it makes for a very nice and enjoyable trip to the movies.
This is the third segment of the second episode of The All-New Super Friends Hour, unlike most other Super Friends formats, this one had hour long episodes that were made up of various shorter cartoons. The first segment would be an adventure staring two members (or three in some cases as Batman and Robin would often team with another Super Friend) of the Super Friends. The second would be a morality play staring the Wonder Twins. The third would be a typical half hour Super Friends adventure. The fourth and last segment would feature one of the main Super Friends teaming up with a special DC Comics guest star.
In this cartoon the evil space alien Viking, Mongor shrinks and traps Mid-City (where the Wonder Twins are) inside of a bottle. The Super Friends must save the day. They follow him to his home planet, which is a frozen tundra to stop him.
This is a really fun cartoon. The storyline is delightful over the top in all the best ways. This is pure corny superhero fun at its best. I love the design of the villain, which is a perfect combination of an alien and a Viking. He also feels like a real threat to our heroes and his over-the-top villainy is simply a lot of fun to watch. When we see him from the shrunken Wonder Twins point of view, he looks especially menacing. The look of his home planet is perfect. The incredible background work is wonderfully atmospheric. Not only does it capture the look of a dark frozen waste land, but there are many little touches (such as all the moons behind the characters and all the icy hills) that simply make it feel more real to us. The action scenes are a lot of fun and often very clever.
This is the second segment of the second episode of The All-New Super Friends Hour, unlike most other Super Friends formats, this one had hour long episodes that were made up of various shorter cartoons. The first segment would be an adventure staring two members (or three in some cases as Batman and Robin would often team with another Super Friend) of the Super Friends. The second would be a morality play staring the Wonder Twins. The third would be a typical half hour Super Friends adventure. The fourth and last segment would feature one of the main Super Friends teaming up with a special DC Comics guest star.
In this episode a teen girl hitchhikes with a stranger. However, the stranger proves to be a very immoral person. Luckily the Wonder Twins rescue her from him.
This is another lame Wonder Twins segment that focuses more on teaching kids a moral than actually being entertaining. The dialogue itself comes as overly didactic and is again more concerned with getting a message across rather than anything else. Even the action with the Wonder Twins is not very interesting.
Hello, my friends and welcome back for another service of Cowboy Church.
Today's musical selection starts with The Sons of the Pioneers with their 1937 recording of Lead Me Gently Home Father. This recording shows the group at their absolute best with truly incredible and beautiful harmonies.
This is followed by Tennessee Ernie Ford and The Jordanaires with On the Jericho Road. For each of us there will be tough times in our lives (though some will have tougher times than others). However, it is lucky for us that none of us have to walk through any hard time by ourselves. Jesus is there beside us comforting us through every tough time we may ever have. He will be our true friend through all of it. This recording comes from an album Cousin Ernie and The Jordanaires made together in 1964 called Great Gospel Songs. The song itself was written in 1928 by Don and Marguerete McCrossman.
Now we join Roy Rogers and Dale Evans with a wonderful version of the classic hymn, How Great Thou Art. In the book, Happy Trails: Our Life Story, Roy tells of a story that had to do with this song. "I'll tell you about one time we nearly got into a real war with the promoters: at the World Championship Rodeo at Madison Square Garden in 1952. During the first rehearsal I started to practice 'How Great Thou Art,' a religious song I wanted to make the centerpiece of our musical act. There's a line in that song that goes, 'Then sings my soul my Savior God to Thee...' Someone in the front office heard the rehearsal and came to me that night to tell me I wasn't allowed to mention Christ at the rodeo. 'It might work for the kids in Houston, Texas' he told me, 'But this is New York. You can't preach to kids here.' I told him I wasn't preaching but that the Savior was a part of the song and I fully intended to sing that song in New York or anywhere else we performed. They suggested that I could change the words of the song, so it didn't mention Him. I'm not one for grandstand plays but I told those fellas that if I couldn't sing 'How Great thou Art' just how it was written, Dale and I would pack up and leave town. The song stayed in the show. That year we did forty-three performances over twenty-six days and broke all Madison Square Garden attendance records."
Then comes Buck Owens and Susan Raye with a duet of a song Buck wrote, When You Get To Heaven (I'll Be There). This comes from a 1973 album, the two made together called, The Good Old Days (Are Here Again).
This is followed by Johnny Cash singing No Earthly Good. In the notes for the Unearthed box set, John wrote, "That's a song I wrote for phony pious Christians 'You're so heavenly minded you're no earthly good.' People who are always talking about Heaven and how close we are to being there give Christianity a bad name. And it should have a good name because it's a wonderful thing. Wonderful and I don't like it, it makes me very angry, when charlatans abuse and misuse the Gospel of Jesus Christ, It's outrageous and totally uncalled for."
That is followed by Dottie West with His Eye is on the Sparrow. This hymn was written by Civilla D. Martin (lyrics) and Charles H. Gabriel (music) in 1905. This recording of the song comes from Dottie's 1967 gospel album, Dottie West Sings Sacred Ballads.
Then is The Statler Brothers with The Old Rugged Cross. This hymn dates back to 1913 and was written by evangelist, George Bennard. Actually the first verse was written in 1912. It was written while Bennard was a part of a series of revival meetings in Albion, Michigan. He was worried about the complete disregard for the gospel around him and wrote this verse as a repose. Of writing it Bennard said, "I seemed to have a vision ... I saw the Christ and the cross inseparable." The song wouldn't be completed for several months, when he was leading meetings at a local church in Pokagan, Michigan. He played it for Rev. Leroy (the sponsoring pastor) and his wife, Ruby Bostwick, both of whom found themselves moved to tears. It was then incorporated into a service at that church on June 7, 1913. The song has the same effect today as it must have back then.
Today's musical selection ends with one of the greatest harmonica players to ever exist, Charlie McCoy, with his rendition of Precious Memories.
Now for a sermon from the great Martin Luther King Jr.
Now for an episode of Roy Rogers' radio show.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8
Actually, godliness is a great source of profit when it is combined with being happy with what you already have. 1 Timothy 6:6
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Matthew 5:4
And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. 1 Corinthians 10:13
Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. 1 John 3:18
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15
To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice. Proverbs 21:3
Thanks for joining me. Come back next week for another service of Cowboy Church. Happy trails to you until we meet again.
Hello my friends and happy Saturday morning. Once again it is time for some classic cartoons.
Today's cartoon selection begins with Felix the Cat in The Goose That Laid the Golden Egg (1936). This short film is one of three that the Van Beuren studio made with the character. This is the first of the three films, and it also marks the cartoon cat's first appearance in color. One of the main reasons that Van Bueren cartoons are not as well remembered today, is because they lacked the big star characters of Warner Brothers, MGM or Disney. In a search for a big star character, the studio would purchase already established characters. Two properties the studio would purchase were the Toonerville Trolly comic strip and the silent-era cartoon character Felix the cat. Both these properties would appear only in cartoons released in 1936, the last year of the Van Bueren Studio.
Next comes one of Bob Clampett's great color Merrie Melodies, A Corny Concerto (1943). This is an unusual film as it is written by but not directed by Frank Tashlin. Tashlin had been working at the Disney studio after having been a director at Warner Brothers. After coming back to Warners, he found himself briefly in the writing department before returning to the director's chair (taking over Norm McCabe's unit). Appropriately this cartoon is a Disney parody. A Corny Concerto is a parody of Fantasia (1940). However, while this cartoon certainly has its fun with Fantasia there is definitely more than a little respect for Disney's ambitious feature. This cartoon while not as elaborate as a Disney feature, the look of this cartoon is definitely more elaborate than the average Merrie Melodies short. Even as a fan of Fantasia I have to state that the satire is dead on here. Probably the best bit of satire is Elmer Fudd serving in the Deems Taylor role, as he captures the part visually, but is still Elmer Fudd and hilariously lacking the sophistication of Taylor. This cartoon also has one of the few times Bugs Bunny and Porky Pig share the screen in the golden age of Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies and even though neither speaks, they work off each other very well. This short is included in in Jerry Beck's book 100 Greatest Looney Tunes.
Up next is a classic silent Out of the Inkwell film, Koko's Kane (1927).
Next comes a later Heckle and Jeckle cartoon, Mint Men (1960). While the animation in this film is much more limited than the earlier Heckle and Jeckle cartoons, this film still has some good gags in it and still quite a bit of fun. By the time this film was released the theatrically released Terrytoons, were pretty much visually indistinguishable from the TV cartoons of the era.
Now it is time for a commercial break.
Now for a true Disney classic, Mickey's Circus (1936). Though this cartoon features major stars like Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck, Walt Disney himself had a fondness for a supporting character in this cartoon. That character was the littlest of the seals. Walt loved this character and because of that he suggested gags for the seal and even wished to revive him in later cartoons. The character would appear in only one more film and that would be over a decade later. That cartoon was Mickey and the Seal (1948). Mickey and the Seal would also give the character a name, Salty. The following is from a review from the Film Daily, "There are serval barrelsful of laughs in this Technicolor Mickey Mouse cartoon from Walt Disney's workshop. The very ridiculousness of the antics of Donald Duck, Mickey and the trained seals bring laughs whether one wants to laugh or not." The following is an exhibitor's review from the Motion Picture Herald. "MICKEY'S CIRCUS: Mickey Mouse— Average Mickey Mouse, not as good as several previous ones but still good. - John A. Mulligan, Broadway Theatre, Schuylerville, N.Y. General Patronage."
Up next is the Famous Studios Superman cartoon, The Underground World (1943).
To finish today's cartoon selection, let us sing one we all know. So, enjoy the Famous Studios Screen Songs cartoon, Sing or Swim (1948).
Thanks for joining me. Come back next week for another selection of animated treasures. Until then may all your tunes be looney and melodies merry.
Resources Used
Of Mice and Magic: A History of the American Animated Cartoon by Leonard Maltin
100 Greatest Looney Tunes edited by Jerry Beck
Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse: The Ultimate History by David Gerstein and J.B. Kaufman
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