Some Cartoons for Saturday Morning #194

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

Today's cartoon selection begins with Walky Talky Hawky (1946). This short film was created as a starring vehicle for the character Henry Hawk, who had previously appeared in the Chuck Jones directed cartoon The Squawkin' Hawk (1942). However, this film is best known for introducing the world to Foghorn Leghorn. This cartoon was directed by Robert McKimson, who would go on to direct all the Foghorn Leghorn shorts. Appropriately this cartoon was featured in Jerry Beck's book, The 100 Greatest Looney Tunes. 

Now for a classic Terry Toons short, The First Robin (1939). 

Now for a real classic Mickey Mouse cartoon, On Ice (1935). This cartoon stars not only Mickey but also Minnie, Donald, Pluto and Goofy. Despite being a short film, this movie gives ample time to each of the main characters and gives them all their own little story (though Mickey and Minnie share their story). Some of the characters' little stories even intertwine at the end. Even in this silly slapstick cartoon, the Disney studio's great storytelling ability at this time period is shown perfectly through this and it is easy to understand, why for so many the Disney cartoons stood out during this time period. Goofy especially gets time to shine here and gets some of the best gags. He is heavily animated by Art Babbit here, who was one of the finest animators for this character at this time. Despite his little screentime Art Babbit's animation makes Goofy feel like a fully formed character. Here Goofy sings the song, The World Owes Me a Living. That song was introduced in the Disney short, The Grasshopper and the Ants (1934). There the song was sung by a grasshopper. That grasshopper was also voiced by Pinto Colvig, who used pretty much the same voice he used for Goofy. This song would go on to become Goofy's unofficial theme song. 

Next, we join Oswald the Lucky Rabbit in The Ginger Bread Boy (1934). Though most people today are probably most familiar with Oswald from his early cartoons by Walt Disney, I have a special fondness for these shorts produced by Walter Lantz. This is probably because they were my introduction to the character. 

Now it is time for a commercial break. 

Next is a delightful silent Aesop's Film Fables cartoon, The Dog and the Thief (1922). 

p next is the Silly Symphony, Moth and the Flame (1938). This film began creation in the summer of 1935. However, it was shelved and not picked up again until spring of 1937. In 1935, Dave Hand (supervising director for the Disney features, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) and Bambi (1942)) was set to direct. However, after Burt Gillett (who directed the most famous Silly Symphony, Three Little Pigs (1933)) returned to Disney from the Van Beuren Studio, Gillett was placed as director. However when Gillett left Disney again midway through production, Dick Huemer (who would work on such Disney feature films as Fantasia (1940), The Reluctant Dragon (fol1941), Dumbo (1941), Saludos Amigos (1943), Make Mine Music (1946) and Alice in Wonderland (1951), and had done great work at the Fleischer Studios during the silent era and worked on some of the Scrappy cartoons at Columbia in the early 1930's) would become the film's director. Russell Merritt and J.B. Kaufman's book on the Silly Symphonies credits Gustaf Tenggren with "Inspiration art." Tenggren played an important role in the Disney studio at this time and had designed backgrounds for the Disney features, Snow White and Pinocchio (1940). All the Disney films he worked on were pure visual delights and had a real sense of atmosphere that I find irresistible. Win Hoskins, who would work on both of the Fleischer Brothers' feature films, Gulliver's Travels (1939) and Mr. Bug Goes to Town (1941), animated the opening of the film. Archie Robin animated the moths eating the costumes. Izzy Klein, who would later write many of the Popeye and Casper the Friendly Ghost cartoons for Famous Studios, animated our heroes entering the shop. Milt Schaffer, who would go on to write some great cartoons for both Disney and Walter Lantz, animated the boy getting burned, the girl being caught in the web, the boy trying to trap the flame and the boy rescuing the girl. Ed Love, who would later animate for Tex Avery at MGM, animates the scenes with the girl and the flame as well as ending scene. Louie Schimdt animated the boy pouring water on the flame. Don Williams, who worked on many cartoons for Warner Brothers and DePatie-Freleng, animated the moths filling the bagpipes. This cartoon premiered at the Radio City Music Hall on September 22, 1938, with the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers movie, Carefree (1938). Its television debut was on October 22, 1956, on an episode of The Mickey Mouse Club. The following are some exhibitors' reviews from the Motion Picture Herald, "Moth and the Flame, The: Walt Disney cartoons - This was particularly good - Harland Rankin, Plaza Theatre, Tilbury, Ontario, Canada. General Patronage." Moth and the Flame, The: Walt Disney Cartoons - Still tops among cartoons or have you heard? - C. Fismer, Lyric Theatre, Hamiliton, Ohio. Family Patronage."  "Moth and the Flame, The: Walt Disney Cartoons - A real humdinger! Very clever. - L.A. Irwin, Palace Theatre, Penacook, N.H. General Patronage." 

Now we join Donkey Kong in Greenhouse Gorilla (1983).  This cartoon comes from a TV Show called Saturday Supercade. Each episode of this show was made up of multiple cartoons based on popular video game characters. Other video game characters featured in this show included Frogger, Donkey Kong Jr., Q*bert, Space Ace, Kangaroo and Pitfall Harry. In this cartoon, Donkey Kong is voiced by Soupy Sales, a comedian best known for his TV work in the 1950's and 60's. Mario is voiced by Peter Cullen, best known as the voice of Optimus Prime in Transformers. 

Today's cartoon selection ends with Itchy and Scratchy in Cat Splat Fever. This cartoon comes from The Simpsons episode, Radio Bart (1992).  

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

The 100 Greatest Looney Tunes edited by Jerry Beck. 

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

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

https://mediahistoryproject.org/