Some Cartoons for Saturday Morning #273

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

Today's cartoon selection begins with the one and only Mighty Mouse in Raiding the Raiders (1945). 

Next is a Max Fleischer Color Classic, The Cobweb Hotel (1936). This series of short films great resembled Disney's Silly Symphonies shorts. Like those films these cartoons mostly feature one-off characters rather than the reoccurring characters of the Fleischer's other series (Popeye, Betty Boop, etc.). Also like the Disney Silly Symphonies there is often a focus on the story in these cartoons rather the humor or characters (however there are a few films from both series that put gags or characters first). The Fleischer Color Classic's though often had a bit of a dark edge to them that I love. That can definitely be felt in this film. 

   

Next comes a wonderful Friz Freleng directed cartoon, D' Fightin' Ones (1961). This short film is a wonderful parody of the Stanley Kramer movie The Defiant Ones (1958). In that movie a white man and a black man who are chained together escape from prison. Despite the white man being a racist and the two having a strong hatred for each other the two must work together to survive. In this cartoon we have instead of a white man and a black man, we have Sylvester the cat and a big dog chained together. This idea in itself its very funny, but the cartoon is still wonderful even for those who don't know what it is parodying.  

Next comes the Aesop's Sound Fables cartoon, The Night Club (1929). In many ways this short film can feel very primitive compared to cartoons that would come out a couple years later. However, the surreal gags and pure creativity more than make up for this. 

Now it is time for a commercial break. 

Now for a Fractured Fairy Tale. 

It is now silent movie time. So enjoy, The Eclipse of the Sun (1918). This film was originally released in 1918, but this version of the film was a 1923 reissue. Both of those years featured a solar eclipse, which explains the reissue. This educational film was the work of Max Fleischer (Popeye, Betty Boop, Superman), who made many educational shorts during the silent era. 
 

Next comes a wonderful Donald Duck cartoon, Modern Inventions (1937). A review in The Film Daily called this picture, "One of the funniest episodes in which Donald Duck has been featured." In a 1938 article from World Film News Richard Ford writes, "Several Disney Cartoons - Donald and Pluto and Modern Inventions have Machiavellian incidents to which many children are frightening. This fear subsequently gives way to sympathy for the victim, so that Donald Duck is liked on a basis of tragedy rather than comedy." In the June 26, 1937 issue of Boxoffice magazine this movie was named "Short of the Week." The following is the review from that issue. "Donald Duck stamps himself as pre-eminent among cartoon comedians by his hilarious antics in his creator's final Technicolor subject for United Artists release. Unquestionably one of the most laugh-provoking subjects to issue from Disney studios since Donald first made his timid entrance as a minor cartoon character over a year ago. In this clever satire on the machine age Donald enters an exhibit where a robot butler immediately moves his hat much to the duck's fury. His irritability increases as he is cradled in an automatic baby carriage and is forcibly fed with a bottle and clothed with a diaper. However, the piece de resistance is Donald's struggles while placed upside down in a barber chair with the mechanical attendant clipping off his tail feathers and blackening his face. The laughs follow in such quick succession that they are practically continuous." Though no director is credited on this short, it was directed by Jack King, who directed many of Donald's finest cartoons. 

Now let us close by singing a song 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 your melodies merry.