Silent Films on TCM for July 2024

 

Hello my friends. I know many of you, like me are fans of both TCM and silent movies. As such here is a list of silent films that will air on TCM this July.

Sunday, July 7th

The Flag: A Story Inspired by the Tradition of Betsy Ross (1927) Director: Arthur Maude. Starring Johnny Walker and Alice Calhoun. 9:45pm Pacific. 12:45am Eastern. 

A Sailor-Made Man (1921) Director: Fred Newmeyer. Starring Harold Lloyd and Mildred Davis. 10:05pm Pacific. 1:05am Eastern.

Sunday, July 14th

Tell it to the Marines (1927) Director: George Hill. Starring Lon Chaney and William Haines. 9pm Pacific. 12am Eastern. 

Sunday, July 21st

West Point (1928) Director: Edward Sedgwick. Starring William Haines and Joan Crawford. 9:15pm Pacific. 12:15am Eastern. 

Sunday, July 28th

Across to Singapore (1928) Director: William Nigh. Starring Ramon Novarro and Joan Crawford. 9:30pm Pacific. 12:30am Eastern.  

Cowboy Church #183

 Hello my friends and welcome back for another service of Cowboy Church. 

Today's musical selection begins with 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."

This is followed by Frank Luther with his 1932 recording of Grandmother's Bible. 

Next comes one of the most popular country gospel songs performed by the man who wrote it. The song is I Saw the Light and the singer and songwriter was Hank Williams. Hank wrote this song as he was heading home from a dance in Fort Deposit, Alabama. His mother was driving him home and told her son "Hank, wake up, we're nearly home. I just saw the light" (she was referring to the light near Dannelly Field Airport). Hank wrote the song on the rest of the way home. The song melody-wise strongly resembles Albert E. Brumley's He Set Me Free, but I Saw the Light has certainly taken on a life of its own apart from the earlier song, heavily through the powerful and inspiring lyrics that do what Hank did best as a songwriter, convey something powerful and moving in a way that seems so simple and unpretentious. Hank recorded this song on his first MGM recording session (April 21, 1947). However, even though he was the first to record this song, his version was not the first released. Producer Fred Rose gave it to two other singers (Clyde Grubbs and Roy Acuff), both of whom had their versions released before Hank. 

Afterwards is Anne Wilson with Milestones. This song comes from her most recent album, 2024's Rebel. 

Then is George Jones with Just a Little Talk With Jesus. This hymn was written by Rev. Cleavant Derricks, a pastor of a small African American church in Alabama. During the great depression, his church was desperately in need of new hymnals. He had written hymns but none of them had been published. He contacted the publisher Stamps-Baxter in hope of giving them some of his songs in exchange for hymnals. They had little interest in most of the hymns, but they really liked Just a Little Talk with Jesus. For writing this beloved gospel song Derricks received 50 hymnals. 

Next is The Prairie Ramblers with their 1936 recording of How Beautiful Heaven Must Be. 

Afterwards is 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.

Today's musical selection ends with Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash with Godshine. This comes from their 1973 album, Johnny Cash And His Woman.

Now for a message from the Reverend Billy Graham.

Next comes an episode of the Red Ryder radio show. 

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9

The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe. Proverbs 29:25

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. Isaiah 53:5

Behold, I will bring to it health and healing, and I will heal them and reveal to them abundance of prosperity and security. Jeremiah 33:6

But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them. 1 John 2:11

But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7

Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner, for you were foreigners in Egypt. Exodus 22:21

These also are sayings of the wise: To show partiality in judging is not good. Proverbs 24:23

Thanks for joining me. Come back next week for another service of Cowboy Church. Happy trails to you until we meet again. 

Some Cartoons for Saturday Morning #283

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

Today's cartoon selection begins with your favorite superhero Mighty Mouse in A Cold Romance (1949). Like many of the Mighty Mouse cartoons of this time period this short film parodies old movie serials. 

Next comes a classic UPA cartoon, Wonder Gloves (1951). This movie was directed by Robert "Bobe" Cannon, one of my favorite UPA directors. He had previously been an animator for both Chuck Jones and Bob Clampett's units at Warner Brothers and even Tex Avery at MGM. He even worked on the Disney feature film, Melody Time (1948). As a director he made some of the best UPA shorts including one of the studio's most famous films, Gerald McBoing-Boing (1950).

Now for an early Porky Pig short, Boom Boom (1936). This movie is very similar to an earlier Looney Tunes cartoon, Bosko the Doughboy (1931), which in turn is quite similar to Disney's Oswald cartoon, Great Guns (1927). The film is directed by Jack King, who after his stint at Warner Brothers would direct some of the best Donald Duck cartoons at Disney. Porky here is not yet voiced by Mel Blanc but instead by Joe Dougherty. Joe was the original voice for Porky and unlike Mel he really stuttered. Unfortunately, his stuttering caused real problems with the filmmakers because of how much time it took, and he would later be replaced in the part by Mel Blanc. However, Porky is not the main star of this movie. Our hero is instead Beans the cat. Beans first appeared in the same cartoon as Porky, Friz Freleng's I Haven't Got a Hat (1935). Jack King clearly preferred Beans over Porky and gave Beans the main role in most of his cartoons around this time period. Sometimes Porky just had a cameo and sometimes didn't appear at all. This is the first time Porky received a decent size role in a Jack King cartoon. Later when Porky's popularity clearly eclipsed that of Beans, Jack King would make cartoons starring Porky. Beans here is voiced by Tommy Bond, who many of you may know for playing Butch in the Our Gang films. 

Next is the Van Bueren cartoon, The Farmette (1932). 

Now it is time for a commercial break. 

Next is one of the all time great Disney cartoon shorts, Clock Cleaners (1937). The original plan for this movie was quite different from the finished film. In the original outline, Mickey, Donald and Goofy had their own clock repair business where they advertised that they could clean any clock for only one dollar. When Pete hears of this he makes them an offer, they accept only to find out that the clock Pete was talking about was at the top of a tower. This movie does away with all that exposition and instead starts with our heroes atop the tower cleaning the clock. In many ways this short is a thrill comedy of the type that was popular in the silent era (most famously with Harold Lloyd's feature length Safety Last (1923)). This influence is especially felt during the scenes in which Goofy walks dazed after being hit. That scene is heavily animated by Wolfgang Reitherman. Reitherman was one of Walt Disney's Nine Old Men and excelled at fast paced action scenes (something that can be seen to full advantage with the Monstro the Whale scenes in Pinocchio (1940), as well as the fight with the rat in Lady and the Tramp (1955)). He would later become a director of animated feature films including The Jungle Book (1967), The Aristocats (1970), Robin Hood (1973), and The Rescuers (1977). The following is an Exhibitor's review from the Motion Picture Herald, "CLOCK CLEANERS, THE: Mickey Mouse—Excel- lent. One of the best series of shorts on the market. If you advertise your shorts heavy and take pride in showing them, by all means book in this series." This movie received the number 27 spot in Jerry Beck's book, The 50 Greatest Cartoons. 

Next comes the Terry Toons short, Foxed by a Fox (1955). 

Now it is time for a classic silent film. So let us join Felix the Cat in Felix Out of Luck (1924). 

Let us all close by singing a song we all know. 

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

50 Greatest Cartoons Edited by Jerry Beck

Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse: The Ultimate History by J.B. Kaufman and David Gerstein

Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to the Warner Brothers Cartoons by Jerry Beck and Will Friedwald

                                                          https://lantern.mediahist.org/

Batman Forever (1995)

 

After the very dark and violent Batman Returns (1992) caused many to complain about how not kid friendly the film was, Warner Brothers demanded that their next Batman film be a much more lighthearted and family friendly take on the character. This led to quite a few major changes. One was that Tim Burton would no longer be the director (though he would receive a producer credit), but instead Joel Schumacher would take his place. Another was that Michael Keaton would step down as Batman, due to not agreeing with the direction the series was going in. Another was that Robin (who Tim Burton always refused to use) would finally emerge on Batman's sidekick in these films.

Though Joel Schumacher took the reins from Tim Burton, he refused to do it unless Burton gave him his blessing. Schumacher would later state, "I would never do it unless it was OK with Tim. He’s always been a gentleman to me. Tim and I had lunch and he said, 'Fine. I’m finished Joel, so fine.' That having been done, it was a very exciting prospect. I grew up on Batman comics. I was going to get to make a Batman movie." About using Val Kilmer as Batman/ Bruce Wayne Schumacher would state, "I was with my friends watching Tombstone. It’s a terrific movie, and Val gave a really scene-stealing performance. When they were all kind of walking down the street together. I said to one of my friends, 'God, he’d make a great Batman, wouldn’t he?' thinking that could never transpire."

Jim Carrey was picked to play The Riddler after the role was offered to Robin Williams, who seemed disinterested. Schumacher felt that Jim Carrey would be perfect for the role. In a 1995 interview Jim Carrey would state, "I tried not to do a Frank Gorshin [who played the character in the 60's TV show], because he was so strong in it...He was The Riddler. I didn't try to outdo him or anything like that. I approached this like me. What I would do, where I would go. I just did The Riddler like when Elvis went to Vegas."

The other villain Two-Face would be played by Tommy Lee Jones (Mel Gibson was one actor considered before him). Having previously been in films like Coal Miner's Daughter (1980) and The Fugitive (1993), Jones was a high-profile actor. When approached with the role he had no idea who Two-Face was. However, his young son was a Batman fan and knew this character. Because of this Jones' son talked him into doing this role. However, Harvey Dent (Two-Face's real name) had been previously played by Billy Dee Williams in Batman(1989). Unfortunately, Williams took this small role with the understanding that he would be the main villain of a later movie in the series. Only two actors would return from the Burton films Michael Gough as Alfred and Pat Hingle as Commissioner Gordon. 

To introduce Robin, Schumacher and writers Lee Batchler, Janet Scott Batchler, Akiva Goldsman made his origin very similar to the comic book character's first story in 1940. However, they wanted the character to be older and more of a young adult than a smaller kid. For this role such young actors as Ewan McGregor, Jude Law, Alan Cumming, Matt Damon, and Leonardo DiCaprio (none of whom were yet the big stars they would become) were considered. However, the role ended up going to Chris O'Donnell. At this time O'Donnell was best known for acting alongside Al Pacino in Scent of a Woman (1992). About being offered the role Donnell stated in a 1995 interview, "I was definitely worried. In the TV series Robin was definitely geeky. But when I read the script and realized what they were doing with the part, I didn't have any hesitation." This version of Robin had a bit more of a rebellious tough guy edge to him.

In this movie, former district attorney Harvey Dent blames Batman for the accident that scared his face. Now going by the name Two-Face the new villain seeks revenge upon Batman. Meanwhile when Bruce Wayne rejects an invention by Edward Nygma, Nygma now going by The Riddler seeks revenge on Wayne. Circus acrobat Dick Grayson joins in Batman's fight after Two-Face kills his family. In doing so Dick becomes Batman's sidekick Robin the Boy Wonder.

Joel Schumacher's Barman movies are often said to simply be campy and silly, while taking away all the seriousness that Tim Burton's Batman films had. While his next Batman movie, Batman and Robin (1997) would be sheer campiness and silliness, Batman Forever has some very serious scenes. This is especially true as this film tells us Robin's origin story. Robin's origin story is actually the highlight of this movie. It is done so well, and we deeply feel the tragedy of his family's death. We also deeply feel his need to get revenge on Two-Face. This is truly the heart of the movie and gives us a strong emotional connection. However, it is not the only reason we have an emotional connection to this film. This movie explores the duality of our main hero being both Batman and Bruce Wayne in a way that the Burton movies hadn't. This is not only shown in how both Batman and Bruce have their own villain. It is also shown in the romance and how impossible it is for Batman to also have a normal love life. In fact, the character's emotional arc completely revolves around him trying to deal with living two separate lives. The movie also does a great job of connecting both Batman and Robin's emotional arcs. As Dick loses his parents in a way very similar to how Bruce lost his parents, Bruce has to give his young ward guidance, so that Dick doesn't end up too much like him. Meanwhile after seeing Dick's parents die, Bruce finds himself reliving his parents' death in an incredibly painful way. All this makes for a great exploration of these characters. 

The action scenes may not be the best of the franchise but are still a lot of fun with some great visuals.  Some of the visuals may be a little dated but never embarrassingly so. 

As much as this movie does right, it really suffers from a major flaw. This flaw is called Two-Face. This version of Two-Face is so incredibly over the top, that he comes off too much as a villain you would expect to see in a slapstick comedy rather than a superhero movie. As such it is hard to take him seriously as a villain. While there is no problem with having a supervillain with a comedic and over the top side, he needs to come off as a real threat. He simply doesn't here. Part of that is also due to that Two-Face simply does not seem very smart here. Not only this but Tommy Lee Jones (usually a great actor) hams it up to an extent that simply becomes embarrassing to watch. The scenes where he is fully hamming it up with Jim Carrey as The Riddler are simply embarrassing to watch.

Speaking of Jim Carrey as The Riddler, he honestly works better than Two-Face. While some of the over-the-top humor with this character falls completely flat (a lot of the humor in this movie falls flat though), Jim Carrey is able to bring enough menace to the character to make him feel like a real threat underneath all the all the silliness. 

However, looking at the villains of this film, it is interesting to note that this where this movie greatly differs from Tim Burton's movies. Tim Burton's films often seemed more interested in exploring the villain's stories that Batman's personal drama. This film takes the exact opposite approach. The dramatic focus is on Batman and Robin. The villains are just pure villains here and we never really feel like we know who they are as people. Yet we get a deeper delve into who are heroes are than we ever got in the Burton movies. 

Though Bruce's love interest (played by Nicole Kidman) does allow for some good drama, as a character she is very underdeveloped. 

Watching this movie be sure to keep a lookout for Drew Barrymore as one of Two-Face's two girlfriends. 

Joel Schumacher would say " It was not expected to be the success it was. Nobody really wanted another Batman movie. I had to go all over the world and try to sell it to distributors. That was new. I’d never had to do anything like that. For the merchandising, not a lot of people signed on. The ones that did, Hasbro and Walmart and a lot of the people who did hold their nose and jump, cleaned up" Despite any hesitations on anyone's part this movie was a major box office success. The film grossed $52.8 million at the Box Office on its open weekend alone. With this it smashed the world record for the highest grossing opening weekend surpassing Jurassic Park (1993). However, two years later The Lost World: Jurassic Park would replace Batman Forever grossing $72.1 million in its opening weekend. Critics were mixed but mostly positive towards the movie and the film was nominated for Best Cinematography, Best Sound Effects Editing, and Best Sound at the Oscars (though it won none of those awards). 

Though this film has a very weak villain in Two-Face and has humor that mostly falls flat, this movie does a great job at exploring who Batman and Robin are as characters, creating a strong emotional connection. This and some well-done action scenes make this a very underrated superhero movie. 

Resources Used


https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/68179/batman-forever#articles-reviews?articleId=153078

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/batman-forever-story-behind-surprise-802804/#!


  

 

Movie Review: Daddio

 

Michael's Movie Grade: B+

A really interesting experiment that pays off very well. 

Nearly this entire movie takes place in a Taxicab with only two characters. There is no big storyline here but instead we just listen to a conversation between these two characters. A movie with this type of premise could have easily become incredibly boring. Yet watching this film my attention-span never wandered off once. Have you ever simply listened to two people talk and their conversation becomes so interesting that you just keep listening without needing to say a word yourself? This film is almost the cinematic equivalent of that. However, the reason, we become so invested in this conversation is not just what is being said. We become invested in these characters themselves. We may think we fully know who these characters are as the movie starts but the truth is we don't. Little by little we see their layers be stripped away until their real selves completely show. They end up being much more complex than we first took them for. This is the main ingredient that makes this film work. This movie is not about its gimmick or its experimentation. Rather this is simply a film about real people having real human emotions. Of course, with a film like this one of the most important aspects is who is cast in the lead. Luckily this movie stars Sean Penn and Dakoata Johnson, both of whom are simply wonderful here. These are two great actors at the top of their game. Not only this but the chemistry between them is fantastic. 

My only real problem with this movie is that it attempts to say something deep about sex and relationships but really doesn't. Everything this film has to say has been said by multiple films before and just as well if not better. I also felt the text conversations she was having with her boyfriend, were very poorly written and awkward. Luckily those are too brief to be a major problem. 

This marks writer/director Christy Hall's feature film debut. I always respect when a filmmaker is willing to do something truly bold for their first movie. I have even more respect when this bold move works as well as it does in Daddio.  

Movie Review: Kalki 2898 AD

 

Michael's Movie Grade: B

An engaging sci-fi epic from India. 

One of the main reasons this movie works is because the filmmakers understand that the most important aspect of a sci-fi film is the world building. This movie takes its time building up the world rather than simply rushing into the action. This works very well. By the time we get to the larger action scenes, we know how this world works and what each character is fighting for. This not only gives us an emotional connection to what we are seeing, but for nearly 3 hours we are transported to this sci-fi world. When the action scenes come, they are quite good. The chorography and pacing on them is great. There is also a scope to these action scenes that make some of them feel larger than life. The story is also often very clever with how well it combines mythology with sci-fi. This is done in a smart and effective way and there is even some intelligent commentary snuck in here. 

This movie does have its flaws though. Even though the early scenes take their time setting up the world and the characters, the last act feels really rushed. One of the most important twists especially feels quite rushed and because of this it cannot have the emotional impact it should. This twist can almost feel like a deux ex machina. The ending also feels too abrupt. While I understand that this is the start of a cinematic universe, it feels like the credits just start rolling out of nowhere. While an ending doesn't need to fully end a story, it needs to feel like the ending of this chapter of the story. This doesn't. The movie also often suffers from bad CGI. You can easily tell it is CGI and this can distract from the story. 

Despite its flaws, this is an engaging sci-fi epic that is a lot of fun. I just wish the ending was as good as the rest of the film. 

Movie Review: Crisis Negotiators

 

Michael's Movie Grade: B

A tense action thriller from China. 

There is nothing new or complex about this movie, but that does not mean it is not very entertaining. The film does a wonderful job of building up its suspense. For the most part this happens little by little. Because the suspense keeps growing as the film goes on, this keeps it from ever feel repetitive or boring. By the climax the film becomes so tense that you are completely on the edge of your seat. This movie also boasts some great action scenes. Both of the car chases in this film are truly fantastic and a whole lot of fun. The same can be said for the big shootout scenes as this movie approaches its climax. This movie even has a few surprisingly funny comedic moments. 

The main problem with this film is that its story about a man going to extreme lengths to clear his own name is so familiar. Because of this it simply has a hard time standing out among many similar movies. It does everything well, but not to a level that would make it stand out. This makes this a great watch but one you will forget about in a few months. The same can be said about the characters. They are not boring characters, and they do their job well enough. Yet there is little to make them more memorable than characters from similar films. 

  This is a very well-made film, even if it can be too reminiscent of many similar movies.

Cowboy Church #182

 Hello my friends and welcome back for another service of Cowboy Church. 

Today's musical selection begins with Roy Rogers and Dale Evans with In the Sweet By and By.  This song came about because of a friendship between composer, Joseph Webster and poet, Dr. Sanford Fillmore Bennett. One day Webster was depressed, and Dr. Bennett recognized this. Dr. Bennett asked his friend what was wrong. Webster replied, "Oh nothing. Everything will be alright by and by." These words brought up an idea in Bennett and he wrote down three verses and a chorus to this song as soon as he could. He handed it to his friend saying, “Here is your prescription, Joe.” Webster loved the lyrics and wrote music for them in practically no time at all. Dr. Bennett later said, “It was not over thirty minutes from the time I took my pen to write the words before two friends with Webster and myself were singing the hymn.” The hymn was first published in 1868 and went on to great fame since.

This is followed by Frank Luther with his 1931 recording of Jacob's Ladder. 

Then comes the Carolina Gospel Singers with their 1929 recording of Jesus Paid It All. Elvina Hall wrote the words to this hymn on the flyleaf of her hymn book and handed it to her pastor. Meanwhile the church's organist John Grape handed the pastor a new piece of music he had just written. Noticing that the poem and the music fit together perfectly, the pastor put the two together and the hymn was born. The hymn came to be in 1865.

Afterwards is Johnny Cash with This Train is Bound for Glory. This wonderful recording comes from John's 1979 album, A Believer Sings the Truth. This was a double length gospel album and Columbia Records felt that such an album from John could never be successful. However, Columbia allowed John to release the album on its own and it was successful earning a spot in the Country Top 50. A shorter version of the album called I Believe would be released in 1984, which would feature a select few songs from the double album. A Believer Sings the Truth would not find its way to CD until 2012.

Next is Anne Wilson with God and Country. This comes from her most recent album 2024's God and Country. 

Then is The Weavers with their 1951 recording of Poor Little Jesus. At this time their lineup included Lee Hays, Fred Hellerman, Pete Seeger and Ronnie Gilbert.  

Next is Hank Williams Jr. with Are You Walkin' And Talkin' For The Lord. This comes from his 1969 gospel album, Sunday Morning. 

Today's musical selection ends with Sons of the Pioneers with Read the Bible Every Day. This song was written by Tim Spencer, one of the founding members of the group. This version of the song is from their newest album, 2024's Campfire Spirituals. However the Sons of the Pioneers had recorded this song before in 1947 (though of course they had completely different members at the time.   

Now for a message from S. M. Lockridge. 

Now for an episode of the Lone Ranger radio show. 

The LORD detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy. Proverbs 12:22

To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice. Proverbs 21:3

 The path of the righteous is level; you, the Upright One, make the way of the righteous smooth. Isaiah 26:7

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus. Philippians 2:5

Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23

Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. 1 Peter 3:4

If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. James 2:8

Thanks for joining me. Come back next week for another service of Cowboy Church. Happy trails to you until we meet again. 

Some Cartoons for Saturday Morning #282

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

Today's cartoon selection begins with Mr. Magoo in Magoo's Problem Child (1956). This short film was directed by Pete Burness. Burness had previously been an animator on MGM's Tom and Jerry shorts as well as some classic Looney Tunes. At this time, he was the main director of the Magoo series. 

Up next comes a Columbia Color Rhapsody cartoon, A Cat, a Mouse and a Bell (1935). 

Big Bad Sindbad (1952) is an interesting cheater cartoon. This is because it only uses clips from one previous cartoon. The previous film is Popeye the Sailor Meets Sindbad the Sailor (1936). That short ran more than twice as long as the normal Popeye cartoon. With this short being more of a regular length, this movie plays as a shorter version of the earlier film with a new opening and closing. One change that appeared in the Popeye films between the two cartoons is that Popeye's outfit changed from black to white. Because of the reused footage though this movie is the rare 1950's Popeye cartoon with Popeye wearing his old outfit. 

Next comes a classic Talkartoon cartoon, The Cow's Husband (1931). This short film stars Bimbo, who is best known today for being Betty Boop's boyfriend. However, at this time he was the Fleischer Studio's main star. His design here is also greatly different than the one we would later see in Betty Boop cartoons. This film contains all the delightfully surreal humor that made the Fleischer cartoons of this era so much fun. The film's highlight may be the rotoscoped bull dance. 

Now it is time for a commercial break. 

Up next comes Daffy in Wackyland (2023). This recent short film was the first Looney Tunes cartoon to be done completely in stop motion. It premiered at Annecy International Animated Film Festival on 17 June 2023. This cartoon is a continuation of sorts of the classic Looney Tunes short, Porky in Wackyland (1938). 

Now for another modern cartoon based on a classic cartoon character, D.I.Y. Duck (2024). This Donald Duck short was directed by Mark Henn, who worked as an animator on such Disney movies as The Little Mermaid (1989, the lead animator for Ariel), Beauty and the Beast (1991, the lead animator for Belle), Aladdin (1992, lead animator for Jasmine), The Lion King (1994) and Mulan (1998, lead animator for the title character). This short is a wonderful throwback to the Donald cartoons of the 1940's and 50's. 

Now it is silent movie time with one of Walt Disney's Alice Comedies, Alice on the Farm (1925).

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 movies 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 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. 

Resources Used

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

https://mediahistoryproject.org/

 

Movie Review: Robot Dreams

 

Michael's Movie Grade: A+

An incredibly moving animated film. 

Without a single word of dialogue, this seemingly simple film will move you to tears by the end. The story starts off as simple as can be. A dog is lonely and in need of a friend. He buys and builds a robot and the two quickly grow a real close connection. These scenes of the two having fun could have been released as a short film and been a pure delight. However, the story does not end there, and the movie goes on to be something much more profound and beautiful. I expected to enjoy this movie, but I did not expect to be moved as deeply as I was. This movie goes from the warm hearted and funny movie it starts as to being a deeply intelligent and thoughtful mediation on loneliness, friendship and the passage of time. What is amazing is that for a movie about a dog and a robot, this mediation is very open and honest about these themes. It does not simplify anything and among the happy and sad scenes there are many that are bittersweet. This is something that is especially true about the passage of time. What happens as time passes is something more complex than simply happy or sad and this movie is unafraid to look at this with this complexity. While there are scenes that we might hope could have gone a different way, these scenes are perfectly honest about all of them. The look at friendship is equally complex and intelligent. Any close relationship has its moments of joy and of sadness. This movie captures both of these feelings perfectly. As for loneliness anyone who has ever felt lonely can attest to how accurate this movie is. 

Yet this is an animated family movie about a dog and a robot. Even with the complex emotional scenes this film also has all the joys you could want from this type of movie. The early scenes after the robot are built are incredibly joyous and this joy is completely infectious. As the movie ventures into more complex territory, it still keeps its sense of humor. While not always laugh out loud funny the humor is creative and fun. Therefore, it will keep a smile on your face. This whole movie is also full of great imagination and the whole film is full of pure and awe-inspiring imagination. This imagination also keeps this movie very accessible to young kids, even with its deeper themes. 

This is director/writer Pablo Berger's first foray into animation and hopefully not his last. Berger has a love of silent cinema and even directed the modern silent film, Blancanieves (2012). Here again he masters of making a modern film using this truly timeless form of storytelling. He stated that making Robot Dreams, he made the crew study the silent films of Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd. While this film has its own unique feel the influence of these great artists can truly be felt. The great character design work was done by Daniel Fernández Casas. Casas is best known for his work with Illumination having done great work on such movies as Sing 2 (2021) and The Secret Life of Pets 2 (2019).

This is a must-see for all animation fans. 

Movie Review: Ghostlight

 

Michael's Movie Grade: A-

An unabashedly sentimental and profoundly moving dramedy. 

Despite the title, this is not a horror movie, nor does it have anything to do with ghosts. This is rather a deeply emotional story about a family that is falling apart after the son commits suicide. However, the father and the daughter (who are barely talking to each other outside of arguments) reconnect when the father finds himself joining a community theater group. 

This film often dips completely into sentimentality. However, it does so with such sincerity that it never feels forced or cloying. Instead it comes off as completely natural and real to us. Because of this, Ghostlight is a movie that can often truly move its audience to tears. This movie will tug on your heartstrings and never let go. This is one of those films that will make you leave the theater still feeling all the emotions you did while watching. One of the main reasons for this is that it is not afraid to dip into darker territory, yet at the same time never simply becomes a depressing dirge. Rather there are some moments of hope and great beauty, that leave us fully inspired. This creates a very mature and believable look at this movie's complex themes, which are often in equal parts very sad and quite hopeful. This is the true definition of a film that will make you laugh and cry. 

What also makes this film work so well is the characters. As the movie starts, they seem like almost one-dimensional stereotypes. However, as the film goes on, we see that there are many more layers to each of these characters than we first saw. These are characters who have parts of themselves they don't always show outwardly. This is something that community theater allows them to bring out into the open in a way that they usually wouldn't show outwardly. Because of this, we get to truly know these characters in a deep and meaningful way. As the film goes on, they feel more real to us than some people we know in real life. This is helped by truly incredibly performances by Keith Kupferer and Katherine May Kupferer (real life father and daughter) as the father and daughter here. You feel the pure raw emotion in their performances, as they truly pull on your heartstrings. This is evident not only in many of the film's dramatic scenes but in their scenes where the characters are preforming on stage. The climatic performance of Romeo and Juliet will truly bring you to tears. Speaking of the play, the way this movie mirrors the play they are performing with their personal drama is absolutely masterful. The big performance of the play becomes doubly emotional powerful as the drama of Shakespeare's play and the characters' personal drama meld together seemingly effortlessly to create something profoundly moving. 

This movie is not just a pure drama though. Though the story has many very serious themes, the drama is rounded out by some well-incorporated humor. Much of the comedy here is truly hilarious and made me laugh out loud. Most importantly though is that neither the comedy nor the drama ever gets in the way of each other but blend seamlessly. 

A must-see. 

Batman: The Movie (1966)

 

In 1966, Batmania swept the United States. Though the character had first appeared in comic books in 1939, the 1966 Batman TV show starring Adam West and Burt Ward gave the character a newfound popularity that was beyond anything he had known before. Between the first and second season of the show a theatrical feature film starring the same cast and made by the same crew was released. However, the original intention for this movie was to have it released before the premiere of the TV show. This theatrical feature film was supposed to be audiences' introduction to this version of the caped crusader. However, this was not meant to be. When ABC decided to debut the TV series as a mid-season replacement in early 1966, audiences ended up seeing Adam West and Burt Ward as the Caped Crusader and the Boy Wonder on TV before seeing them on the big screen. Perhaps this was for the best because all though the TV series was a national phenomenon, this movie ended up only being a moderate success at the box office. The movie premiered at the Paramount Theatre in Austin, Texas, on July 30, 1966. Though this marked Batman's first feature length film this was not the first time he was seen on movie screens as there were two Batman movie serials in the 1940's. 

This movie's plot is wonderfully simple. The Joker (Ceaser Romero), The Penguin (Burgess Meredith), The Riddler (Frank Gorshin) and Catwoman (Lee Meriwether) all team up to pull off an elaborate scheme to take over the world. Batman (Adam West) and Robin (Burt Ward) must stop them before they can complete their evil scheme.

This movie may feel like a longer episode of the TV show, but if it does it feels like one of the best episodes. This film is a complete delight from start to finish. Like the TV series much of the action is played completely tongue in cheek. This movie is corny, but it knows that it is corny. Because of this the filmmakers have a lot of fun playing with just how silly a lot of the action is. That makes it so that we have just as much fun watching. There are many scenes here that are pure comedy gold. No matter how many times I watch this film, I still laugh out loud at some of these comedic moments. The opening scene with the dynamic duo in the Bat-copter, the famous Bat-Shark repellant gag, the scene in the Commissioner's office where they try to figure out who is behind this and of course the classic "Somedays you just can't get rid of a bomb" scene are all comedic brilliance. Yet this movie also captures the same secret that makes the TV show work. While it may be filled with silly over-the-top gags, the characters themselves are never treated as jokes. Batman and Robin are still exactly the type of hero that every kid would want to be. Even as an adult these two versions of Batman and Robin are exactly the type of hero that I would wish to be. This is why Adam West remains my favorite Batman. It is not because of the corniness of the movie and TV show but because this version of Batman is everything that I feel a hero should be. Similarly, the villains, while over the top, feel like a real threat to our heroes. We may laugh at some of their antics but like Batman and Robin, they never become jokes. As a threat to our heroes, we take them seriously. Of course, as is true with the TV show, the great casting makes this movie work incredibly well. Each actor plays their roles absolutely perfectly.

 The only real problem I have with this movie is that it is a little bit longer than it needs to be. Some of the scenes involving the romance between Bruce Wayne (Batman's secret identity) and Kitka (really Catwoman in disguise) can drag a little. Maybe these could have been shortened to make a tighter movie. However, even with this flaw, I love this movie with all my heart.   

This one of the rare theatrically released films directed by Leslie H. Martinson. Martinson had mostly worked as a TV director. Though as a TV director his career spanned from the 1950's through the 1980's. TV shows he directed episodes for included The Roy Rogers Show, Tales of Wells Fargo, Cheyenne, Maverick, Mission: Impossible, Mannix, Wonder Woman, Young Maverick, CHiPs and of course Batman. Fans of classic TV might also know him for directing the made for TV movie, Rescue from Gilligan's Island (1978). The only difference in the casting for this movie and for the TV show is that Lee Meriwether played Catwoman instead of by Julie Newmar (who played the character in the first two seasons of the TV show). 

I truly love this movie with all my heart. This is just sheer corny superhero fun at its best. 

Ms. Marvel: Time and Again (2022)

 

With this episode, I continue to be in love with this show and wish I had watched it when it was new. 

In this episode, Kamala's bangle revels many secrets about her family legacy. 

This episode could have easily been nothing but pure exposition. Yet instead it is a very entertaining and heartfelt episode. Rather than simply focusing on Kamala, the start of the episode shifts much of the focus onto her great grandmother. We have heard so much about her and know how important she is to Kamala becoming a superhero. It is so wonderful to see her actual story and that story doesn't disappoint. It is truly heartfelt and moving and Mehwish Hayat's performance is truly moving. This portion of the episode also takes a very respectful and emotional look at a very tragic part of Indian history. It never simply uses this historical moment as a backdrop for a superhero story, but instead treats it with the respect and seriousness that it should be. When the story shifts to Kamala, we truly see what a wonderful young actress Iman Vellani truly is. While she does have some scenes where she can show her quirky loveable charm, this episode features some truly heartfelt scenes. These scenes give the young actress to really show her range and she plays each of these emotional scenes perfectly. Though there are less superhero action scenes here, the action scenes are a lot of fun (despite some weak special effects). 

Another great episode 

Movie Review: Tuesday

 

Michael's Movie Grade: A+

A mature and intelligent contemplation on death. 

This film marks the feature length directorial debut for director/writer Daina O. Pusić. She could not have started her movie career with a more ambitious project.

Here she pictures death as a magical bird that can grow or shrink in size. At first this bird seems to do his job with little emotion, as he speaks not a word and simply sends both those who are ready to die and those who are afraid of death to their deaths simply like a force of nature. However, all this changes when we meet our main human characters. He goes to visit a 15-year-old girl, who is very ill. Yet the two end up becoming friends. Because of this she convinces Death to wait until she can talk to her mom. The bird patiently spends time with her until her mom comes home. What happens after is something I dare not spoil here. 

This type of story could have easily gone wrong in one of two ways. Either the fantasy elements could make it so it would be hard to take the serious themes seriously or the film could simply be too depressing for anyone to want to sit through. Somehow this first-time director/writer found a way to not fall into either of these traps. As I left the theater, I was profoundly moved by what I saw but never in a way that I wasn't completely grateful for having watched it. Rather than distracting from the seriousness of the story, the fantasy elements instead communicated these complex themes in a way that seems perfectly approachable and even more profound. As for the serious themes, they are explored in a highly intelligent thought-provoking manner. This film does not give any easy answers for death, but rather it explores all the ways it is both necessary and hard to deal with. This movie is full of scenes that emotionally hit you right in the gut, but there is also something inspiring and even kind of uplifting even in the film's darkest scenes. Watching this film, you will be taken to some dark places but the light will never be fully taken away as there is something beautiful even in these dark places. It is rare to see a film that leaves you with so many complex emotions that are hard to explain but this movie does that just perfectly. 

Also making this movie even more powerful are the performances by Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Lola Petticrew. Both of them give perfect performances here. Petticrew may be a young actress, but she plays this role with an incredible amount of maturity and insight. Julia Louis-Dreyfus is of course best known for her over the top comedy roles (especially in the infamous sitcom, Seinfeld). However here she is given what is perhaps the most serious role of her career and she plays it perfectly. She brings such emotion to her performance that it is hard not to be swept up in it.  

This is simply a must-see.  

Movie Review: Firebrand

 

Michael's Movie Grade: B-

A flawed but effective historical drama. 

This film tells the story of Katherine Parr, the sixth wife of King Henry the Eighth, though it takes more than a few liberties with the true story. 

Where this movie really works is in the sense of atmosphere. This whole film is drenched in a dark but intriguing atmosphere. So much of this is captured in the film's look. Everything from the lighting to the costumes to the cinematography perfectly captures this feeling of dread and constantly draws us into the world of the film. Also helping very much with the sense of dread is how well the danger that Katherine increasingly finds herself in grows. The filmmakers truly know how to build up suspense in an incredibly effective way that makes us feel more ill at ease as the movie goes on. Even the critics who hated this film praised the performances by Alicia Vikander and Jude Law. I have to join in giving these praises. The two give incredibly dynamitic and magnetic performances that draw you into the film and even make some of the weaker scenes kind of work. 

This is the first English Language film by Brazilian director, Karim Aïnouz. However, you can never tell that watching this film as much of the dialogue flows perfectly naturally though.

The main problem with this film is overlength. Many scenes either drag on too long or simply don't add anything to the story. If this was 20 minutes are so shorter, it would be a much tighter and more exciting film. However, as it is even some of the most patient movie fans may find their minds drifting from time to time. The gorier scenes should have definitely been left on the cutting room floor as they simply come off as gratuitous and repetitive. The film also could have benefited from certain characters being fleshed out more. That could have easily made certain scenes have a stronger emotional impact. 

This movie certainly has its flaws, but the things that work are great.

 

Movie Review: Treasure

 

Michael's Movie Grade: B

A flawed but very emotional film.

This film follows a 36-year-old Jewish-American woman in 1991. Her father was a Holocaust survivor, but had never talked about anything that happened before the family came to the U.S. The daughter decides to go to Poland to discover her family's roots. However, her father decides that he is going along. 

This movie mostly focuses on the relationship between the father and daughter. While some (though not all) of this family drama can be cliché, many of these scenes hit all the right emotional beats. Much of this is because of how likable these characters are despite their flaws and the great performances by Lena Dunham and Stephan Fry. They bring a strong sense of humanity to their characters here and this adds so much to every emotional scene. Though this is a fictional story that has to do with the Holocaust, the scenes involving the greatest tragedy in world history are done with the utmost respect and honesty. The scenes where the visit Auschwitz is so disturbing that it can be hard to watch. While it may not be pleasant it is the only way to handle this extremely dark chapter in human history. The emotions the father has as he is facing this horrible part of his past are truly powerful. It simply hard to watch some of these scenes without being swept over with emotion. 

However as effective as this film is it can be quite flawed. This movie tries to mix its emotional story with some comedy. However, most of this comedy falls completely flat. I barely laughed at any of the comedic scenes here. Even the few comedic moments that worked, felt at odds with the seriousness of the story. As great as the two main characters are the rest of the characters are rather bland and forgettable. Also, for such an emotional movie, the ending kind of feels too convenient and doesn't completely work.

This movie may have its flaws, but it also truly packs a strong emotional punch. 

Movie Review: The Bikeriders

Michael's Movie Grade: B-

A well-made but very familiar biker gang movie. 

In many ways this film is very reminiscent of Martian Scorsese's gangster movies (especially Goodfellas (1990)), only with the focus being on a biker gang. As such there is little here that you haven't seen before. This doesn't make this a bad movie at all though and there is a lot to enjoy about this film. One of the main reasons for this are the performances by Austin Butler and Jodie Comer. Austin Butler is simply perfect in this role. He has a real magmatism to him here, that draws you in and makes it hard to look away. You fully see why all the other characters are drawn to him and admire him so much. Jodie Comer's performance helps bring a sense of heart and humanity to this tough film. This is also a very handsome looking movie. Every shot in this film is simply gorgeous to look at. This gives the film a real atmosphere that helps us not only understand the appeal of this lifestyle but feel it as well. There is simply a feeling of coolness here that makes the movie hard to fully resist. While the story is cliché and familiar for the most part it works, because it is simply well told. 

This movie does have its flaws as well. I will admit that Tom Hardy essentially doing a Marlon Brando impression for the whole film got a little distracting at times. Most of the characters seemed underdeveloped and it felt like we never got to know them beyond the surface level. Also because of the familiarness of the story, this is not an especially memorable film and one you will likely forget about a few years from now. 

While this be the new classic it wants to be, there is still a lot to recommend about this movie. 

Cowboy Church #181

 Hello my friends and welcome back for another service of Cowboy Church. 

Today’s musical selection begins with 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 song comes from Roy and Dale’s 1973 gospel album, In the Sweet By and By.

This is followed by Anne Wilson with Songs about Whiskey. This comes from her most recent album, 2024’s Rebel. 

Afterwards is Johnny Cash with Precious Memories.  Though this is a sweet uplifting song, it was based upon a tragedy. In 1922, John Wright lost his five-year-old son. Wright would later say about this song, “’Precious Memories’ was born in the midnight hours as I bathed by pillow with tears, likewise all my songs came through life’s severest tests.” Though this is a very famous hymn, John Wright only received $36 for writing it. He would remain a janitor that was always struggling to make ends meet for his entire life.

Then comes Mainer's Mountaineers with their 1937 recording of Carry Your Cross with a Smile. 

Up next is Jim and Jesse with Where the Roses Never Fade. This recording comes from their 1964 album, The Old Country Church.

Afterwards is the Prairie Ramblers with their 1936 recording of How Beautiful Heaven Must Be.

Up next is Willie Nelson with Unclouded Day. This song was written by Josiah Kelley Alwood in 1979. Alwood described why he wrote this song stating, “It was a balmy night in August 1879, when returning from a debate in Spring Hill, Ohio, to my home in Morenci, Michigan, about 1:00 a.m. I saw a beautiful rainbow north by northwest against a dense black nimbus cloud. The sky was all perfectly clear except this dark cloud which covered about forty degrees of the horizon and extended about halfway to the zenith. The phenomenon was entirely new to me, and my nerves refreshed by the balmy air and the lovely sight. Old Morpheus was playing his sweetest lullaby. Another mile of travel, a few moments of time, a fellow of my size was ensconced in sweet home and wrapped in sweet sleep. A first-class know-nothing till rosy-sweet morning was wide over the fields. To awake and look abroad and remember the night was to be filled with sweet melody. A while at the organ brought forth a piece of music now known as “The Unclouded Day.” A day and a half was bestowed on the four stanzas.” This version comes from Willie's first (and best) gospel album, 1976's The Troublemaker. This recording features Willie at his best as this is one of the most fun and energetic versions of this song and Willie's voice and guitar playing are in top form. Gospel means "good news", so it is no wonder that so much of it is so joyful and this is about as joyful as it gets. 

Today's musical selection ends with Sons of the Pioneers with Will There be Sagebrush in Heaven. This recording comes from their most recent album, 2024's Campfire Spirituals. The group had previously recorded this song in 1947, though the group of course had a completely different line up at that time.  

Now for a message from the Rev. Billy Graham. 

Now for an episode of Roy Rogers radio show. 

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9 

Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Psalms 23:4

The Lord has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad. Psalm 118:24

The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity. Proverbs 11:3

To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice. Proverbs 21:3

Pray for us. We are sure that we have a clear conscience and desire to live honorably in every way. Hebrews 13:18

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Philippians 4:8

Thanks for joining me. Come back next week for another service of Cowboy Church. Happy trails to you until we meet again. 

Some Cartoons for Saturday Morning #281

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

Today's cartoon selection begins with Heckle and Jeckle in Flying South (1947). Heckle and Jeckle always seemed to bring out the best in the Terry Toons staff. That is definitely true in this short film. This cartoon offers gag after gag and many of them are simply wonderful. What I also love about these shorts is how they embrace the fact that they are cartoons. There are so many gags here that feel like the filmmakers were having a wonderful time exploring just how much you could get away with in a cartoon. 

For anyone interested in movie history, many of the Disney cartoons of the 1920's are essential watching. The reason for this is that many of them are directed by Walt himself. All of us know Walt Disney as a producer, a studio head, a TV personality and one of the movies' greatest ambassadors, however in these short films we get to see him in the director's chair. Next, we have one of the cartoons he directed, El Terrible Toreador (1929). This movie marked the second Silly Symphony cartoon and the first one directed by Walt. As with many early Disney films, this cartoon features many gags that go against the rules put in place in the later Disney cartoons. For instance, the later films would not allow body parts to detach or stretch to impossible lengths. Yet in this movie, both of those are common sights. There are also some somewhat risqué gags that wouldn't fit with Disney's later squeaky-clean image. Despite this only being the second Silly Symphony, the series already boasts an incredible cast of animators. Ub Iwerks (Walt's right-hand man and one of the main influences on the early Disney style) animates the bullfighting scenes and supervised the work of the other animators. Burt Gillet (who would go on to direct many great Mickey Mouse cartoons as well as The Three Little Pigs (1933)) animates the meeting of Carmen and Don Jose. Wilfred Jackson (who would direct some of the best Silly Symphonies and be one of the directors of features like Cinderella (1950), Alice in Wonderland (1951), Peter Pan (1953) and Lady And the Tramp (1955)) animates Carmen's dance. Les Clark (one of the best Mickey animators and one of Walt's nine old men) animates a close-up of Don Jose. Jack King (who would direct some excellent Donald Duck cartoons) animates Escamillo confronting Don Jose. Ben Sharpsteen (who would be the supervising director for Pinocchio (1940), Fantasia (1940) and Dumbo (1941)) animates the introduction to the bullfighting scene.

Next comes a classic early UPA cartoon, The Popcorn Story (1950). This cartoon was directed by Art Babbitt. Art Babbitt had previously worked at Disney and was for a while one of that studio's best animators. While working at Disney, his animation helped define the character of Goofy. His other work at Disney included a much-praised sequence with a drunk mouse in the Silly Symphony The Country Cousin (1936) as well as work on the evil queen in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) and Geppetto in Pinocchio (1940). While later UPA cartoons could get a little bland, I have a huge fondness for the UPA shorts from around this era. 

Now we join our old friend Krazy Kat in Krazy's Waterloo (1934). Though this series was based off George Herriman's classic newspaper comic strip the Krazy Kat character here bares scant resemblance to the one in the comics. For one thing in the comics, Krazy's gender is a mystery but in the cartoons the character is clearly male. 

Now it is time for a commercial break. 

Now it is time for some Saturday Morning Minions. 

 is Porky Pig's Feat (1943). This cartoon is directed by Frank Tashlin. Tashlin began directing cartoons for the Warner Bothers studio in 1936. However, in 1938, he would leave the studio to work at Disney. Soon he would leave Disney to direct cartoons at Columbia, where he would introduce the characters of the Fox and the Crow. Porky Pig's Feat was the first cartoon he directed after briefly returning to Warner Brothers as well as his first Daffy Duck cartoon. Tashlin would later become a live action director, directing such films as The Son of Paleface (1952), Artists and Models (1955), The Girl Can't Help It (1956) and Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter (1957). Porky Pig's Feat is a very fast paced and funny cartoon, that is an absolute delight. The following is what an exhibitor wrote about the cartoon to the Motion Picture Herald, "Porky Pig's Feat: Looney Tunes Cartoons - It's black and white but it's fast and furious and full of laughs. That's what counts. - W. Varrieck Nevins, III, Alfred Co-op Theater, Alfred N. Y." This cartoon is appropriately included in Jerry Beck's book The 100 Greatest Looney Tunes. 

Up next is one of Walt Disney's silent Alice Comedies, Alice's Mysterious Mystery (1926). The Alice Comedies were a series of short films which combined a live action little girl with an animated world. This series also marked the first series of films by Walt Disney to use reoccurring characters. Here Alice is played by Margie Gay, the third child actress to play the character. 

Now let us close by opening our hymn books to sing an old hymn. 

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

The 100 Greatest Looney Tunes edited by Jerry Beck.

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


https://mediahistoryproject.org/