Michael's Christmas Movie Guide: Gremlins (1984)

 

This classic horror-comedy is perfect watching for those who prefer a bit more offbeat Christmas movies. 

In this film a father (Hoyt Axton) buys a cute little creature as a Christmas gift for his son Billy (Zach Galligan). However, he is given three rules, keep him out of the light, keep him away from water and never feed him after midnight. Naturally it isn't long until these rules are broken, and a swarm of monsters are unleashed upon the city of Kingston Falls (which bares more than a little resemblance to the town of Bedford Falls from It's a Wonderful Life (1947)). 

This is everything one could want from a horror comedy. There are some scenes here that are legitimately creepy. However even these scenes are balanced with a sense of dark humor. Some of this humor almost resembles a Looney Tunes short in its level of cartoon-y absurdity. The gremlins singing Christmas carols, enjoying watching Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) in a movie theater, acting like rowdy bar patrons and breaking into a candy store simply makes these characters a lot of fun to watch despite their violence and scary appearance. It is this mixture of frights and laughs that make this film so much fun. However, this is not the only joy of this movie. Gizmo (the original gremlin) is incredibly adorable in a way that helps bring a certain charm and likability to a film that could have otherwise been too dark and mean spirited. The same can be said for the young romance between Zach Galligan and Phoebe Cates. Zach Galligan was given the role because he showed great chemistry with Phoebe Cates during the auditions. That great chemistry can be felt here. Though this is not really a romantic film, there is a sweetness to the young romance here that feels completely natural. This helps make us like these characters almost instantly, which again helps this movie from becoming too mean spirited. The movie also makes great use of its Christmas time setting. The juxtaposition of the violence and the Christmas imagery adds a lot to this movie's dark humor. As does the various sendups of Christmas movies throughout. The Christmas setting also gives a somewhat warm and charming feeling to the early scenes, which makes the later release of the Gremlins upon the city both funnier and more frightening. 

Despite the mixture of horror and comedy being one of this film's main features, the movie wasn't originally conceived this way. Hearing the scampering of mice as he was trying to sleep, gave screenwriter Chris Columbus the idea for this film. He wrote a script that was straight horror. In this script the gremlins were not humorous or fun in any way and their violence was even more intense. This script found its way to Steven Spielberg, who thought the idea was very original. He bought the script to produce it at his new production company, Amblin Entertainment (this was the first movie to carry the now famous Amblin logo). However, Spielberg also knew that much had to be done before this script was ready to become a movie. He suggested that the horror and violence be toned down a bit and that Gizmo would stay a cute and lovable creature instead of being transformed into a monster like the rest of gremlins. Tim Burton was briefly thought of to direct this movie. Burton at this time had not directed a single feature length movie but a short film he directed called Frankenweenie (1984) would bring him to be considered. However the directing job instead went to Joe Dante who at this time had directed such horror movies as Piranha (1978) and The Howling (1981). Dante would bring in much of the film's sense of humor. Dante also came up with the idea to make the early scenes much warmer, like a traditional Christmas movie. He felt that with this, "even the smallest amount of violence became more intense." 

This movie along with Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) (which was released only two weeks earlier), would help lead to the PG-13 rating. Both of these films angered parents who thought they were bringing their kids to something more age appropriate. Later that same year Red Dawn (1984) would become the first movie to receive a PG-13 rating.

With its Christmas time setting it may seem strange that this movie was released during the summer. This came because Warner Brothers (who was distributing the film) realized that they did not have a big summer movie to release opposite of the likes of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Ghostbusters (1984). Because of this the movie's release was moved up from its original Christmas time release to a summer release. This however did not hurt the film's success at the box-office as this would become the 4th highest grossing film of 1984. 

Resources Used

Christmas in the Movies by Jeremy Arnold

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/57137/21-things-you-might-not-know-about-gremlins
   

Some Cartoons for Saturday Morning #205

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

Today's cartoon selection begins with the first cartoon featuring the Tasmanian Devil, Devil May Hare (1954). About Taz director Robert McKimson recalled, "I devolped him because we were looking for a new character. I made two of them, I think, and my boss [Eddie Selzer] told me not to make them anymore because he was too obnoxious. Actually he was just a stupid foil. He could tear things apart but a guy like Bugs Bunny could frustrate him. Shortly after that, Jack Warner asked Eddie Selzer, 'what happened to the Tasmanian Devil?' And Eddie said he'd stopped making them, 'get back and make more of them' [Jack Warner replied] 'He's a funny character.'" 

Santa's Surprise (1947) is an especially delightful Christmas cartoon from Famous Studios. This cartoon is best remembered as the first cartoon to feature the character of Little Audrey. Little Audrey was an original character for the studio and also a replacement for Little Lulu, who the studio had made a series of cartoons with, in the past. Little Lulu was not created by the studio but was the star of a comic strip by Marjorie Henderson Buell. When Paramount decided not to renew the license for Famous Studios to use that character, Little Audrey was created. The character was designed by veteran Disney animator Bill Tytla (possibly my favorite Disney animator), who was now a director at Famous. This short's lead animator was Myron Waldman, who specialized in cute animation (often shining his best in the studio's Casper series). Myron would later remember this cartoon as one he was especially happy with.

Next comes the Tom and Jerry cartoon, Cue Ball Cat (1950). This was the last Tom and Jerry film of 1950. The first year of the 1950's showed Tom and Jerry films still at the consistent high quality that they had maintained in the 1940's. The cartoon was reissued to movie theaters in 1956. 

Now for a classic black and white Walter Lantz cartoon, Queen's Kittens (1938). 

Now it is time for a commercial break. 

Let's continue with a Christmas classic, Pluto's Christmas Tree (1952). Like many of the post-1930's Mickey Mouse short films, Mickey is not really the star of this cartoon. Instead, the short centers around Pluto and Chip and Dale. Though Chip and Dale are mostly recognized for fighting with Donald Duck, they did make their film debut as antagonists for Pluto in Private Pluto (1943). This cartoon features a great cast of animators including, George Kreisl, Fred Moore, Bill Justice, Volus Jones, Blaine Gibson and Dan MacManus. Dan MacManus animates the opening scene of the cartoon. Fred Moore is recognized as one of the greatest Mickey animators of all time and he gets to show that off here as he animates Mickey chopping down the tree, Mickey decorating the tree, Mickey with the Christmas gifts, Mickey's reactions to Pluto's antics, Mickey holding the chipmunks and him and Pluto looking out the window. Bill Justice and Volus Jones animate much of the Chipmunks. Justice also animates the cameo of Minnie, Donald and Goofy at the end. George Kreisl animates much of Pluto's antics. Blaine Gibson animates very little in this short with the tree lights going off and on. This cartoon was directed by Jack Hannah, who directed the majority of the Chip and Dale shorts. 

Now for a silent Krazy Kat cartoon, The Best Mouse Loses (1920). 

Now for the Terry Toons cartoon, Codfish Balls (1930). At this time nearly every Terry Toon short had a title that was a type of food. 

Today's cartoon selection closes with a half hour TV special, I wish would play on TV. This is A Pink Christmas (1978) starring the coolest cat in all filmdom. The Pink Panther. While The Pink Panther has often been compared to Charlie Chaplin's Little Tramp, this is probably the clearest example. Like Charlie Chaplin's best films, this special effortlessly combines sentimentality and slapstick humor. The character is at his most likable and charming here creating what is to me a Christmas must watch. 

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

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

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

http://afilmla.blogspot.com/search/label/Shorts_RKO?updated-max=2006-08-26T01:00:00-07:00&max-results=20&start=25&by-date=false

 

Movie Review: Juror #2

 

Michael's Movie Grade: A-

A very intelligent and gripping courtroom drama. 

It is believed that this could possibly be the last film for legendary filmmaker Clint Eastwood (he directs but doesn't act in the movie). If it is than I am very glad that he is ending his career on such a high note. This is truly a wonderful movie. The main reason this movie works so well is that the very premise presents us with a thought-provoking moral dilemma. Our main character is juror on a murder case where a man is accused of killing his girlfriend. As our main character hears what happened in the case, he comes to the realization that he may have killed this woman. He was driving home (he has a history of drunk driving but wasn't drunk at the time) from the same place and thought he hit a deer with his car at the exact same time in exact same spot that this woman was killed. He is faced with the moral dilemma of whether he should find the defendant guilty, so that the case won't be investigated further or find him not guilty because he knows the man is innocent. This moral choice is complicated by the defendant not being the most upstanding citizen and our main character's wife just about to give birth. This is a movie that perfectly put us in the shoes of the main character and forces us to face the same moral dilemma. This not only creates a thought-provoking film but also a movie that is very emotionally engaging. I found myself glued to the screen needing to see what happened next in each scene. Each twist and turn the movie took only made it more engaging.

 Jonathan Abrams' (who amazingly receives his first writing credit on a movie here) script is incredibly smart with intelligent dialogue and its ability of making a courtroom drama as intense as any thriller. Clint Eastwood's direction is of course fantastic and though this may not be a fast-paced film, it is never once boring. A great lead performance by Nicholas Hoult as well as supporting performances by Toni Collette, J.K. Simmons, Kiefer Sutherland and Zoey Deutch help elevate this film above your average courtroom drama. 

A must watch. 

Happy Thanksgiving from Movies with Michael

 Hello, my friends and happy Thanksgiving. Though I am vegetarian and don't eat turkey I have a real soft spot for Thanksgiving. Partly because I love the idea of taking some time to stop and take a look at what we should be thankful for. Also, because Thanksgiving marks the last day before the Christmas season (which many of you know I am obsessed with Christmas). 

Though Thanksgiving songs may not be as popular or abundant as Christmas songs, there are some truly fine Thanksgiving songs out there. One of my favorites is Irving Berlin's I've Got Plenty to be Thankful For. This song was written for the classic movie, Holiday Inn (1942), where Bing Crosby sang it.

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There aren't a lot of Thanksgiving movies, however Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987) stands as a true Thanksgiving classic. 

Now for a classic Thanksgiving cartoon from the wild mind of Tex Avery. 

Plus, one of my favorite scenes from the Harold Lloyd feature film, Hot Water (2024). This scene is especially appropriate for Thanksgiving. 

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Now for an example of a great Thanksgiving dinner scene in movie history. 

I don't post enough about old radio shows here. So here are two great examples of Thanksgiving themed classic radio show episodes. 

Now for a little appropriate Thanksgiving music.

Universal Weekly, 1928

And to you dear reader, I am very thankful for you and hope you are having a wonderful Thanksgiving.











 

Movie Review: Wicked

 

 Michael's Movie Grade: A+

One of the best movie musicals in recent years.

I came into this film with high expectations, and it still managed to blow them away. As a lifelong fan of movie musicals this is everything they should be.  Not only are the musical numbers incredibly well done they are also perfectly integrated into the plot. It never feels like these characters randomly burst into song, instead them singing feels perfectly natural. Each of these songs also does a great job of moving the plot forward and conveying emotions in a way that is more powerful than what can be done with mere dialogue. Of course, each of these songs is a wonderful song on its own as well. The soundtrack for the Broadway musical that this is based on has become incredibly popular for a reason. These are just incredibly well written songs that are both clever and catchy. In this movie the visuals on the screen are just as great as the songs. The chirography is simply incredibly and helps make each of these great musical numbers come to life. 

Yet this film is not simply a collection of great musical numbers. The storyline and characters are excellent. I especially like how our two main characters, Glenda and Elphaba are treated. For a movie that is about appearances not truly reflecting who people really are, these characters both turn out to be so much more than they first appear. For instance, at first, we view Glenda as simply the mean popular girl who is simply obsessed with herself. While she is quite self-centered, as the film goes on, we see that there are many times that she believes she is standing up for others. However, since she is used to everything revolving around her, she does this in a way that is very safe and still paints herself as the perfect image she wants to keep. This is something much more complex and fascinating than your stereotypical mean girl bully. The complexities of this character are perfectly shown in Ariana Grande's performance. I admit I completely underestimated her as an actress at first viewing this casting as simply putting a popular pop star in the role for star power. Yet this performance made me completely reevaluate her acting abilities and realize that she is just as much a good actress as she is a good singer. Cynthia Erivo is incredible as Elphaba as well, bringing a lot of humanity to the character making it hard for us not to root for her (plus her singing voice is incredible). The two also play off each other perfectly. The chemistry between these actresses is simply amazing. The storyline is also very smart here. It gives us very intelligent commentary on racism, classism and how humanity often looks to scapegoat and demonize a group of people during trying times. Yet all this commentary is at the service of the story. It naturally comes out of this fantasy storyline and the film never stops to preach to us. The storyline is also so compelling that you don't even realize that this movie is 2 hours and 40 minutes. It goes by so quickly that it feels like simply an hour and a half. That is truly a testament to great storytelling. 

This is a top-notch movie musical in every way.         

Movie Review: Moana 2

 

Michael's Movie Grade: B

Though it is not the instant Disney classic that the first Moana (2016) was, this is still a good movie in its own right.

Where this movie really works is its sense of adventure and danger. In this film it truly fails like Moana is tested far beyond how she was tested in the first picture. This gives the story a true sense of suspense that works incredibly well. We truly feel that our heroes are in real danger, and this makes the action scenes very exciting. The big climatic action scene is pure edge of your seat excitement. The movie also does a great job building upon the world that the first film built. The new environments feel larger than life and the visuals are absolutely gorgeous. At the same time Moana and Maui still remain the lovable characters from the first film and it is simply a joy to spend time with them again. Their friendship again is very sweet and touching. The way the two play off each other in both comedic and serious moments is a highlight. Yet these characters are likable by themselves too. We relate to and care about both of them. The addition of Moana's little sister Simea also adds a lot of heart to this film and this character is the focus of the most emotional moments. 

The humor can be a bit hit and miss. Some of it may not work, but there are also moments that are laugh out loud funny. In this case I think the funny moments outnumber the unfunny ones. 

This is not a perfect movie though. Moana's crew that she brought along on this new adventure is filled with quite boring characters. These characters are all pretty bland and one note. They feel too much like movie characters we have seen a million times before with nothing new added. This movie also has pacing problems that probably come from the fact that this film was originally planned to be a streaming series.  

This film is directed by David Derrick Jr., Jason Hand, and Dana Ledoux Miller. This is the feature film directorial debut of all three of directors. David Derrick Jr. has previously worked as a storyboard artist on such films as Bee Movie (2007), How to Train Your Dragon (2010), Megamind (2010), Moana, Raya and the Last Dragon (2021) and Encanto (2021). Jason Hand worked as a layout artist on such movies as Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch (2005), Curious George (2006), The Princess and the Frog (2009) and Winnie the Pooh (2011). He also worked as a story artist on the original Moana. Dana Ledoux Miller has worked as a writer and producer on such live action TV series as Designated Survivor, Lodge 49 and Kevin Can F**k Himself. 

 Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear are the songwriters here replacing Lin-Manuel Miranda (whose songs will be heard in Mufusa, a Disney movie coming out later this year). These are two young female songwriters in their 20's. Unlike previous Disney songwriters this duo did not write songs for Broadway, radio or film beforehand. Rather these two rose to fame from Tik Tok. The songs here (like quite a few of songs from Disney's recent animated features) are very pleasant and fun to listen to but aren't as memorable as those in older Disney movies. I really enjoyed each song number here but unlike after watching an older Disney movie, I didn't leave singing one of them to myself. 

This may not be the next big Disney classic, but it is a delightful treat for Disney fans.


  

Movie Review: Conclave

 

Michael's Movie Grade: B+

Director Edward Berger's follow-up to his acclaimed remake of All Quiet on the Western Front is this excellent drama about the electing of a new pope. 

This film does not have much action in it at all and mostly takes place in one setting. Yet for much of its runtime it is as gripping as any suspense movie. What makes this movie so good is that its focus is not on the process or the politics (though both play a major role) but on the actual people. This film causes us to look at these characters not as religious figures but as human beings with all the flaws and virtues that come with that. With that as we watch this movie, we care much more deeply than we would with how pretty much any other filmmaker would approach this subject. As such when this movie delves into the political discord and scandals, it does not feel merely intellectual but deeply personal as well. This movie offers twist after twist and most of them are very smart and keep you on the edge of your seat. The incredible performances from Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow and others help make Peter Straughan's smart script all the more real to us.

My major problem with this film is a very important plot twist that comes towards the end. There is little buildup to it, and it seemingly comes out of nowhere. It also seems quite far-fetched for what is otherwise a logically bound film. What is done with this twist after it happens is very smart, but it doesn't stop this twist from taking us out of the movie. 

An excellent film. 

Some Cartoons for Saturday Morning #204

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

Today's cartoon selection begins with the second Coyote and Roadrunner film (though Wile E. Coyote appeared sans Roadrunner in Operation Rabbit (1952) before this). When the first Roadrunner cartoon (Fast and the Furry-ous (1949)) was made, it was not intended to become a series. Writer Michael Maltese stated, "It was just another one-shot. Another workaday cartoon." This second entry proves that these characters had a power that lasted past one cartoon. Beep Beep remains one of the finest entries in the series. 

Up next is a true Thanksgiving classic, Tom Turk and Daffy (1944). Unlike Christmas or Halloween, there really aren't a wide variety of Thanksgiving cartoons, which is odd once you think about how hunting a turkey is a perfect subject for a cartoon. However, the idea of hunting a turkey in a cartoon was done to perfection in this film. The cartoon was directed by Chuck Jones, who is often credited with playing a major role in turning Daffy from his early crazy self into a self-centered character bent on self-preservation-ism. While Daffy had not fully turned into that character by this point this cartoon shows that sneaking into the character. In this film Daffy is willing to sell-out his friend he vowed to protect when temptation gets the better of him (Those darn candied yams!). The idea of Daffy simply being too weak to resist temptation is fully in line with the Daffy we would see in later Jones cartoons. Yet he still has the wild energetic streak that characterized the older Daffy Duck cartoons. In an interview with film historian Joe Adamson, Chuck would state, "What you do is multiply your own weakness, I guess, in a character like Daffy. There was no problem after I began to understand what he was all about. My Daffy and Friz's [Looney Tunes director, Friz Freleng] are also a little bit different, Friz was the one you might say, who got him into that cowardly self-preservation. The minute he did it, I understood what that was; I knew how I'd feel. It's that awfulness, when you're on the battlefield, of realizing when your buddy is shot that your basic feeling is one of relief: that it wasn't you. Well Daffy says that. He says, 'I may be a mean little duck but I'm an alive little duck.' or when he gave Bugs up to the Abominable Snowman, he said, 'I'm not like other people: I can't stand pain - it hurts me.' When I'd go home, I'd tell Dorothy [Chuck's wife] a line like that, which just occurred as I was working. I'd say, 'You know what that guy Daffy did today?' and I'd repeat the line and then she'd look at me. She never got used to this, she'd say, 'Well, you were drawing it you did it.' I'd say 'That's not true! It just developed! That's what he said. It was natural for him to say it.'" Despite this cartoon being Thanksgiving themed, Jerry Beck and Will Friedwald's book, Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to Warner Brothers Cartoons, lists the film release date as February 12th, 1944. The story credit for this film goes to "The Staff" and as far as I know this is the only Warner cartoon with that credit. I do not know the reason for this if any of you do, please let me know.

Next is Tom and Jerry in the Hollywood Bowl (1950). In the vein of The Cat Concerto (1947) before it, this film once again features Tom trying to put on a concert and Jerry wanting to be a part of it. Tom has a big concert at the Hollywood Bowl as the conductor. Jerry wants to conduct alongside Tom, but Tom does not take to kindly to this. Tom tries his best to get Jerry out of his way, but the mouse proves to be incredibly stubborn. 

Now for a delightfully bizarre early Terry Toons short, Golf Nuts (1930). This is actually the first Terry Toon not to have the name of a food or drink in its title. All the Terry Toons before this were named after some food or drink. 

Now it is time for a commercial break. 

Next is a black and white Walter Lantz cartoon, Pixie Land (1938). While this may not be as funny as the Walter Lantz shorts of the 1950's it is still quite enjoyable on its own terms. 

Before Pat Sullivan produced the silent Felix the Cat cartoons, he produced a series of animated short films starring Charlie Chaplin's little tramp character. Charlie's Turkish Dream (1919) is a good example of one of these films. 

Now for a Mickey Mouse Works TV cartoon, Roller Coaster Painters (1999). This cartoon would later be used in the House of Mouse episode, Not So Goofy (2001). 

Today's cartoon selection ends with a classic Thanksgiving TV special, Garfield's Thanksgiving (1989). 

Thanks for joining me. Come back next week for another selection of animated treasures. Until then may all you tunes be looney and your melodies merry. 

Resources Used

Chuck Jones: Conversations Edited by Maureen Furniss

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

Hollywood Cartoons: American Animation in it's Golden Age by Michael Barrier

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

  

Classic Short Film: So You Want to Move (1950)

Movie Review: Hello Love Again

 

Michael's Movie Grade: C+

A decent romantic flick from the Philippians.

While this is one of those romantic movies, where you know how it is going to end from the start, it does work when it comes to the most important ingredient of these films. That is that we care about the main characters. While they are both flawed, they are both likable and relatable. We do want to see both of them end up happy. Because of this some of the emotional moments do really work. There is an especially effective tearjerker scene towards the end. This keeps the clichés from becoming overwhelming or taking us out of the film. This movie also works because the story works in some smart social commentaries about the difficulties that those who move to another country can face. This makes the film feel more real to us than the Hallmark type of romantic comedy. This movie also tells its story in a clever way. It cuts back and forth between the past and current story. This allows us to grow a greater understanding of who these characters are and gives some of the scenes in the past an emotional weight that they wouldn't have had otherwise.  

As great as the main characters are, the side characters are all overly cliché. They are boring at best and annoying at worst. Though a couple jokes land here, most of the humor falls flat.     

This is a very cliché and predictable romance film; however strong characters and clever storytelling help keep it a decent watch despite its flaws. 

Video Link: The Man Who Laughs: The Darkest Film You've Never Seen - Antonia Carlotta

Movie Review: Gladiator 2

 

Michael's Movie Grade: B-

Belated sequel to the Oscar winning fan favorite is fan but nothing really special. 

Of course, being a Ridley Scott film, this movie does feel larger than life. Ridley Scott is a master at making epics feel purely epic. He does that here in spades. The scenes in the colosseum are pure cinematic spectacle at its finest and even the battle scenes outside the colosseum feel larger than life. The performances are also often times great. Paul Mescal, Connie Neilson, Denzel Washington and Pedro Pascal, all give an air of believability and humanity to what are otherwise pretty standard characters. The story arc for our main character is a very good one (even if it could have been fleshed out more) that is at times both smart and relatable. 

The dialogue is often pretty hit and miss in this movie. There are some great lines of dialogue here that are very intelligent but there are also some which are embarrassingly corny. 

This movie does a tonal problem with it. At times this is a serious drama with real social commentary and at other times it is very campy and over the top. Though both these parts work on their own, they do not really mesh together. This movie also has so many characters and gives many of them their own plots. The problem is that even at nearly 2 and a half hours there are still too many plots for them to be properly fleshed out.

Despite the story problems, this movie does have a real sense of spectacle and great performances. While this probably won't receive the accolades of its predecessor, it works well enough.  

Movie Review: Red One

Michael's Movie Grade: B

Corny Christmas fun. 

This movie may not be a great work of cinematic art, but it doesn't try to be. It simply wants to be a fun Christmas themed action/comedy about two polar opposites (pun intended) working together to save a kidnapped Santa Claus. In this respect the movie works very well. The film never takes itself too seriously and never asks us to do so either. Because of this, it is easy to enjoy the silly comedy that is often quite funny. This is especially true with how well Chris Evans and The Rock play against each other here. The buddy cop dynamic between them allows for some very good comedy moments and even makes some jokes that would have otherwise fallen flat kind of work. Also great is the wonderfully oddball casting of J.K. Simmons as Santa Claus. This is not a casting choice any of us would have expected and the movie has fun with this. At the same time, he is a very good actor and plays the part very well, capturing the warm heart we all associate with Santa. It is a shame he couldn't have gotten more screentime. This movie also is surprisingly not afraid to lean towards the darker side when it turns its focus to the villain. Because of this the villain feels surprisingly creepy and gives this movie a real sense of suspense. Yet this is never taken too far to lose the film's lighthearted Christmas charm. 

This film does have its flaws though. The subplot between Chris Evans' character and his young son, feels much too rushed and underdeveloped. Because of this there is no real emotional connection to this part of the story. Either more time had to be given to this subplot, or it needed to be dropped. As it is, the subplot simply feels like it is there because most movies of this type have similar subplots. There is a lot of CGI throughout this movie and very little of it is very good. I often found myself too aware that I was looking at CGI that it took me out of the fantasy. 

This may not be a new Christmas classic, but it is a really fun holiday watch. 

 

Movie Review: Bird

 

Michael's Movie Grade: A-

A beautiful coming of age film. 

This movie follows a 12-year-old girl whose parents seem to have little time for her. Her drug dealer father (who does actually care about her, just doesn't make the time for her) is engaged to a woman that she hasn't even met before, while her mother is living with an incredibly abusive boyfriend. She instead finds the care and attention she is looking for in a strange young man (who most would simply ignore), who is trying to find the father he never knew. The story may sound like your typical coming of age story and in some ways is. However, what sets it apart is how it is told. This film has moments of fantasy mixed in with the coming-of-age drama, but these moments are for the most part treated as if they are completely natural. Most of them are never even brought up again. Such sequences were quite daring for director/writer Andrea Arnold (Fish Tank (2010), American Honey (2016)), but they pay off perfectly. This gives the film a sense of magic that may not make logical sense but feels emotionally honest. This whole movie feels emotionally honest. Our main character is instantly easy to care about and relate to. Though she may have her flaws, we see and experience everything through her eyes and feel everything she feels. Young actress Nykiya Adams (in what is incredibly her first movie role) adds so much to how real this character feels with a deeply human performance. Barry Keoghan also brings a lot of humanity to her father making him a deeply human character under his many flaws. The movie may occasionally dip into sentimentality, but it does so in an honest way that seems to flow naturally from the story and characters. 

This movie takes what could have been your average coming of age film and turns it into something much more powerful. 

Movie Review: Ghost Cat Anzu

 

Michael's Movie Grade: B

A fun animated dramedy from Japan.

This movie is about a young girl who has to live with her grandfather when her dad tries to pay off some debts he can't possibly pay. Her grandfather has a ghost cat, in other words a cat that walks and talks like a person and lives forever. For the first two acts, this film is a wonderful combination of a slice of life story and an over-the-top fantasy comedy. This film works best when handled in this vein. The mixture of a realistic coming of age tale and these more fantastical elements is simply charming. It makes you feel like you have traveled to this world and just living there in a way that movies that are pure fantasy oftentimes don't. It also gives the majority of this film a laid-back feel that makes it a pleasure to watch. This also works because our main characters feel real to us. While we do like them, they are not without their flaws and these flaws just make them seem more real. The humor in this movie may not always be laugh out loud funny but it did make me smile and it fits the laid-back nature of most of this film. 

The problem with this movie is in the third act when it drifts fully into the fantasy realm. Here it becomes your typical action/fantasy anime with little to make it stand out. The action scenes also make this movie lose its laid-back charm. It is during these scenes that the film kind of lost my interest. Luckily after all this, the film does have a strong ending. 

Despite a weak third act, the rest of this movie is a pure delight. 

Some Cartoons for Saturday Morning #203

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

Today's cartoon selection begins with what is widely considered to be one of the greatest cartoon shorts ever made, Duck Amuck (1953). This short film has been analyzed as much as any live action feature and is sometimes considered to be a great commentary on the film medium itself. However, none of this was on the minds of anyone making the cartoon at the time. Director Chuck Jones would later say, "We started out, I sat down and started drawing, and I came up with the opening and it was just an idea that he runs out of background. From that point on it happened right on the board. We didn't even have a story as such, we made one afterward, but there wasn't one as we were making it." He would even state that the iconic ending didn't even happen until the last week of layout. This cartoon reached the number 2 spot in Jerry Beck's book, The 50 Greatest Cartoons and still delights audiences whether they are seeing it for the first or the 100th time. 

Quiet Please (1945) was the third Tom and Jerry cartoon to win the Oscar for Best Animated Short Film. It's competition that year included Disney's Donald's Crime (1945), George Pal's Jasper and the Beanstalk (1945), Warner Brother's Life with Feathers (1945, the debut of Slyvester), Terry Toon's Mighty Mouse in Gypsy Life (1945), Walter Lantz's Poet and Peasant (1946) and Columbia's Rippling Romance (1945). A scene from this film was recreated in the opening for the 1975 Tom and Jerry TV show. This scene features Tom chasing Jerry and coming to a stop when he sees Spike sleeping. The gag of Jerry making a drawing of Tom and writing "Stinky" underneath was reused in an episode of TV's The Tom and Jerry Comedy Show, called New Mouse in the House (1980). 

Now we join our good friend Dinky Duck in The Timid Scarecrow (1953). 

Now we will join our friend Toby the Pup, Down South (1931). While Charles Mintz was producing Krazy Kat cartoons for Columbia, he decided to create a separate series of cartoons for RKO, these starring a character named Toby the Pup. To head this series Mintz handed the duties to Dick Huemer, Art Davis and Sid Marcus. Dick Huemer had been a major contributor to the style of the Fleischer studio earlier and this is probably why these shorts have a Fleischer-type feel to them. Huemer, Davis and Marcus would later be the major creative factors for Columbia's Scrappy cartoons (also produced by Mintz).

Now it is time for a commercial break. 

Now for a Walter Lantz cartoon starring Jock and Jill, Ghost Town Frolics (1938). This is the only Jock and Jill cartoon. If there were plans to make this a full series it didn't pan out. Watching the film, it is understandable why. The cartoon is quite creative and full of fun gags. However, Jock and Jill don't have much in the way of personality or anything to make them stand out from similar cartoon characters of the same time. 

Now for a silent stop motion film, Green Pastures (1926). Yes, I think the horse looks like Pokey too. 

Now for a true Disney classic, Alpine Climbers (1936). Though this film teams Mickey, Donald and Pluto, it follows the same format as the Mickey, Donald and Goofy cartoons that Disney made around this time. Like those films, here each of the characters goes his separate way and has a separate adventure. Mickey tries to collect an eagle's egg. Donald tries to pick flowers. Pluto has a run in with a St. Bernard dog (designed by Joe Grant). This other dog actually has a name, and that name is Bolivar. The character however is unnamed in the film, nor would he ever be used again in an animated cartoon. Instead, the character would be named in the Disney comics. He started appearing in 1938 in Al Taliaferro's Donald Duck newspaper comic strip. Bolivar would soon become the family dog of the duck family and would even be a reoccurring character in Carl Barks' beloved Donald Duck comic books. Despite this being an odd name for a cartoon animal the name had almost been used before. A cartoonist named Pinto Colvig (best known to cartoon fans today as the original voice of Disney's Goofy) was interested in entering the making of animated cartoons when sound came to the movies. He felt due to the fact that he was a cartoonist, who was also capable of doing various voices and playing multiple musical instruments, he felt sound cartoons were a wonderful opportunity for him. He created a character named Bolivar the Talking Ostrich. Teaming with Walter Lantz (later of Woody Woodpecker fame), he made a film with this character called Blue Notes (1928). In this film, the animated ostrich interacted with a live action Pinto Colvig. Unfortunately, this film is considered lost and despite Colvig's best efforts, a series never materialized. Colvig would however talk much about this ostrich in later years, however Lantz would barely ever mention the character. It may be possible that Al Taliaferro named the dog character after Colvig's ostrich character, but there is no real proof either way. Alpine Climbers would be reissued to movie theaters in 1948. The short film would make its TV debut on an episode of TV's Disneyland entitled, The Adventures of Mickey Mouse (1955). The following is a review of Alpine Climbers from a 1936 issue of World Film News. "I laughed immoderately at the latest Mickey Mouse, Alpine Climbers. The spectacle of the frozen Pluto getting tiddly with his savior, a St. Bernard with a handy keg around his neck is wonderful. - Ian Coster" 

Now to end with a very educational short film. 

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

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

The 50 Greatest Cartoons edited by Jerry Beck

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

https://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/bolivar-the-ostrich-unspoken/

https://lantern.mediahist.org/

https://tomandjerry.fandom.com/wiki/Quiet_Please!

Movie Review: A Real Pain

 

Michael's Movie Grade: A+

A beautiful dramedy. 

It may be a cliché to say that movie makes you both laugh and cry but that is just what makes A Real Pain so special. Though this is a really funny movie, there is a real sadness prevalent throughout the film. This film takes a real look at the pain people have endured both big and small. This is shown through the relationship between the two main characters. These are two Jewish-American cousins, who travel to Poland to see where their Holocaust survivor grandmother used to live. One of them always wears his emotions on his sleeve and always says exactly what he is feeling at the time. The other used to be highly emotionally on the outside but now keeps his emotions tucked inside. Though these two seem drastically different, as the film goes on you can see how they complete each other, especially when they take a trip that involves seeing where the greatest man-made tragedy took place. Much of this is sad in a way that makes us feel vulnerable to the point where we have to take a look at our own pain. The relationship between these two cousins is also deeply emotional because it feels so real. Part this is due to how multifaceted these characters are and how it is impossible for anyone not to be able to see more than a bit of themselves in both of them. Part of this is also due to the incredible chemistry between Jesse Eisenberg (who also directed this movie) and Kieran Culkin. It feels like these two have known each other their whole lives in the same way the characters did. It is hard to believe that a movie like this could also be funny, but this film is often laugh out loud hilarious. The reason the comedy and the drama mix so well here is because they both flow naturally out of the characters. We can laugh and enjoy the eccentricates of these characters, while also feeling the painful emotions they have behind all of them. Because of this the mixture of joy and laughter with sadness and pain becomes simply a truthful showing of the human experience.   

Simply a must see. 

Movie Review: Small Things Like These

 

Michael's Movie Grade: A-

A heartbreaking and incredibly emotional film. 

This movie tells the story of a coal merchant who accidently discovers the horrors of how young girls at a convent are being treated. He is conflicted because the nuns running that convent are very powerful. He wants to help the girls but is afraid of what might happen to his own family if he does. This conflict and inner turmoil are truly the focus of this film. Seeing this tears at his own heart and we are forced to face the question of what we would do in his place. A film built on inner turmoil is of course very dependent on the actor playing the lead. Luckily this is one of Cillian Murphy's (who won an Oscar for his lead performance in last year's Oppenheimer (best screen performances. Even during quiet scenes in which he has little to no dialogue he perfectly conveys everything that is going through his mind. If it wasn't for this performance this movie would have nowhere near the emotional impact it does. Yet his performance is not the only thing that makes this movie great. This is a slower paced film, but this slower pace works perfectly here. This movie starts off as slice of life story of this family (a happy family enjoying Christmas contrasts perfectly with what will come later). This lets us understand perfectly who this man is and his relationship with his family, which of course will become the heart of story as it goes on. Because of this the emotional moments hit much harder. This film also benefits from more subtle storytelling. The film never dwells on showing us the horrors the young girls are being subjected to. Most of them are implied rather than shown and the ones we see are never shown in a gratuitous way. The fact that much is left to our imagination, especially in a scene where a girl is begging our main character to take her away if only as far as the river, makes these scenes all the more disturbing. Some scenes simply send chills down my spine as if I was watching a horror movie. The subtlety of this movie even comes down to the basic storytelling. We see many flashbacks to our main character as a child, the transitions here are seamless and never disrupt the flow of the film (at first you may not notice that these are flashbacks, but you will catch on quick). 

A truly great movie.   

Video Link: The Cat and the Canary: MUST SEE Universal Horror - Antonia Carlotta

Movie Review: Elevation

 

Michael's Movie Grade: D-

A boring monster movie.

The last thing that a film about monsters having taken out a large percent of Earth's population should be is boring. Yet that is just what this movie is. Despite the clever idea of the monsters not being able to go over a certain height, this movie just feels like it is copying so many other monster movies. Everything here has been done a million times before and there is no new spin on any of this. Because of this the only thing this film will do is make you think of better movies you have seen. A lack of originality could be made up for if the movie was fun, suspenseful or scary but it is none of these things. The characters are incredibly bland. Even a good cast (Anothy Mackie, Morena Baccarin, Maddie Hasson) can't make these characters the slightest bit interesting. The action scenes lack any real excitement and seem to really drag on. The monsters themselves are boring and instantly forgettable. Worst of all though is that the sci-fi setting doesn't feel properly explored and simply feels like a bland copy of what we have seen in various other "end of the world" movies. There is a twist at the end that simply makes this movie even worse. The twist answers none of the questions that the story raises and in fact adds more confusing questions on top of them.

I will admit that the lighting and cinematography do give this movie a certain sense of atmosphere but that is not enough to save this mess. 

You could forgive how unoriginal this film is, if it wasn't so boring at the same time.  

Movie Review: Bonhoeffer: Pastor. Spy. Assassin.

 

Michael's Movie Grade: B+

A very well-made biopic. 

Bonhoeffer was a man who completely deserves to have a movie about him. He was a German pastor, who stood up against Adolph Hitler and against the church when it followed this horrible man. Yet he always felt, he had to help in more ways than just preaching and he helped in any way he could even when it was very dangerous. This movie captures just what made this man so great, while still painting a very human portrait of him. Though it is never slow paced, it takes its time to let us get to know the man, instead of rushing into the important things he has done. The scenes where he is in the U.S. with his good friend (a black pastor) help us see what helped shape him into the great man he would become. It is during these scenes that we see his faith in God become something deeper than just reading the bible and him learn just how much prejudice exists in this world. We also even get a good glimpse into another side of the man as he discovers jazz music for the first time and falls in love with it (if Louis Armstrong was on stage the first time you hear jazz, you would fall in love with it too). These moments don't add much to the story but do make this film feel much more real to us and the man much more human.

This movie does follow the conventional bio-pic storytelling and doesn't really do anything new. Because of this it doesn't really stand out from similar movies as much as it should. However, the story and subject are more than interesting enough to make up for this.

All in all, an excellent movie. 

Classic Short Film: The Hayseed (1919)

Movie Review: Meanwhile on Earth (Pendant ce temps sur terr)

 

Michael's Movie Grade: A-

A wonderful sci-fi film from France. 

Despite the sci-fi elements, this film is first and foremost about our main character, a young woman who has given up on her ambitions after her beloved brother seemingly disappears. Over the course of an hour and a half, we get to know her as well as we know ourselves. Because of this even with the fantastic elements, this movie feels completely real to us. We are drawn in as we feel the pain of the loss of her brother, and we are thrown into her inner conflict of whether she is willing to sacrifice others to bring her brother back to her. This is not a movie about aliens (even though the play a major role in the story) but about perseverance through great loss. Perhaps this is why the sci-fi elements are never fully explained because there is no need for them to be. We just accept them and focus on the drama of the main character. The fact that there is only one scene in which we get a glimpse of an alien and only a couple of scenes with real action actually helps the film. It helps internalize the conflict even further. Yet the film also keeps a sense of visual interest throughout. Probably the best example of this is the brief animated scenes where her and her brother are allowed to talk. The use of animation stresses how he can not be in the real world with her and makes it feel like these scenes are taking place on a different plane. It also helps us see that in these scenes she gets to be the real her (she had always dreamed of being an artist and her brother was one of the few people she shared her work with). 

While those who prefer the more action oriented side of sci-fi might not be interested, this is a very smart and emotionally engaging movie that will stay with you. 

Cowboy Church #196

 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 Anne Wilson with a live performance of God and Country. 

Then comes George Jones with Cup Loneliness. This self-penned gospel song was the title track of George's 1967 gospel album. 

Afterwards is Mainer's Mountaineers with their 1936 recording of What Would Give in Exchange for Your Soul. 

 When Bob Dylan made his 1962 debut album (simply titled Bob Dylan), he was not yet known as a songwriter or a poet. Instead, he was an interpreter of old folk songs. Though this first album featured two songs written by Bob Dylan, the majority of the album consisted of old folk and blues songs. One of these was the gospel-blues tinged In My Time of Dyin'. The liner notes for the album state, "Dylan had never sung In My Time of Dyin' prior to this recording session. He does not recall when he first heard it. The guitar is fretted with the lipstick holder he borrowed from his girl, Susie Rotolo, who sat devotedly and wide-eyed through the recording session." This is in my mind one of the highlights off the album and one of my all-time favorite vocal performances by Bob Dylan. Despite the many jokes about his voice, there are quite a few times, when he turned in a great vocal performance and this is one of those times.

Now for  The Sons of the Pioneers with their 1947 recording of The Sea Walker. This song was written by Tim Spencer, one of the group's founding members. Music was a major part of Tim's life from very early on. In fact when he was only 3 years old he was already singing at the church he grew up in. His love of things cowboy and western related also began very early as he had grown in awe of western movies and screen cowboys like Tom Mix, Hoot Gibson, William S. Hart and others were his boyhood heroes. With this it is no surprise that in 1931, he went to California to see how his talents could be used in Hollywood. Yet music always remained a major passion for him. As he worked in a warehouse, he would spend his weekends and time after working going around to all the country music radio shows, getting to know all the people he could. This is how he met fellow founding members of the Sons of the Pioneers, Bob Nolan and Leonard Slye (later Roy Rogers). The Sea Walker as well as being written by Tim also features him as the lead singer. The great Bass vocals in this song are courtesy of Hugh Farr.

Now for Willie Nelson and Bobbie Nelson with Revive Us Again. Bobbie Nelson was Willie's sister and is the piano player on this track. 

 

Now for the C.S. Lewis essay, Myth Became Fact. 

Now for an episode of Gene Autry's TV show.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 1 Peter 1:3 

 We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 1:3

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:23

But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love. Psalms 33:18

Thanks for joining me. Come back in a couple weeks  for another service of Cowboy Church. Happy trails to you until we meet again. 

Some Cartoons for Saturday Morning #202

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

The Cat Concerto (1947) was the fourth Tom and Jerry film to win the Oscar for best animated short film. It was also the fourth consecutive win for the series as Tom and Jerry cartoons had won the Oscar the previous three years as well. Its competition was Chopin's Musical Moments (1946, Walter Lantz, starring Woody Woodpecker and Andy Panda), John Henry and the Inky Poo (1946, a George Pal Puppetoon), Squatters Rights (1946, Disney, starring Mickey Mouse, Pluto, Chip and Dale) and Walky Talky Hawky (1946, Warner Brothers, the first Foghorn Leghorn). One thing you may notice about all these films is that they were released in 1946, while this Tom and Jerry cartoon was released in 1947. However, while it was released to movie theaters in 1947, it was finished and submitted to the Acadamy and screened for the Acadamy in 1946. One element that really makes this cartoon stand out is the music. Many people have had classic cartoons as their introduction to classic music and a film like this is a wonderful introduction. This cartoon uses Franz Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody no. 2 (as well as an excerpt from On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe (from the MGM feature film, The Harvey Girls (1946)). The performance is simply fantastic. This piece was used in many cartoons; however, this (to my untrained ears) is the best sounding version of it in any cartoon. Joe Barbera would later remember, "The idea of having the cat play the piano was fascinating to me. So, we decided to go ahead with The Cat Concerto and do the Second Hungarian Rhapsody. We happened to have under contract one of the best pianists in the United States at the time, a famous concert pianist. His name eludes me at the moment, but he loved doing it." The pianist was Calvin Jackson, who had also worked on some live action MGM feature films such as Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) and Anchors Aweigh (1945, which featured a live action Gene Kelly dancing with an animated Jerry) as an assistant director of music. This film also sparked a major controversy that lasts to this day in the cartoon fandom. This is that it is incredibly similar to the Bugs Bunny cartoon, Rhapsody Rabbit (1946), directed by Friz Freleng. In the film Bugs is giving a piano concert (playing the same piece used in this cartoon) and gets into a fight with a mouse. It is still if one of these cartoons borrowed from the other or whether it was a coincidence. There are parts of both cartoons that seem almost out of place in each respective series. Bugs Bunny seems like a more natural fit as a concert pianist as he feels like a more natural fit in a DeFacto human role. However, it feels more natural for Tom to face off against a mouse than it does for Bugs Bunny. Joseph Barbera would later state in an interview, “It was at a screening for the Oscar nominees. We [the Tom and Jerry short] played first. When it came on, people were laughing like hell, and when the lights came on, Freleng was mad as hell. Then it [the Bugs short] played, and the action was similar: Bugs walked up in the tailcoat, flipped it up, sat down, warmed up the hands, looking arrogant, all exactly the same. In ours, Tom, the cat, disturbs the mouse, and in his, Bugs, the rabbit, disturbs the mouse. Ours ended up as one of the five [Oscar] finalists, and people had the feeling that he [Freleng] was ripping off our cartoon, but he said, ‘No, no, no, I never saw your goddamned lousy cartoon!’ I really believe that [it was a coincidence]. Freleng had a sense of humor, we just thought the same, and our gags were the same. 'What’s a rabbit doing with a mouse?” Friz Freleng would later state, “When they drew the rotation out of a hat, my cartoon was run after theirs, unfortunately for me. And the audience thought I stole from them. They got a nomination for it, and I didn’t. But I felt that was one of the outstanding things I had done. I enjoyed doing it.” It is worth noting that the chances of either cartoon directly copying the other seems unlikely, due to their productions overlapping (though Rhapsody Rabbit began production first). Perhaps though it is this similarity, that caused Rhapsody Rabbit not to make it to the 5 Oscar finalists. Still, both of them are truly excellent cartoons. There is also that despite similar stories and the same music, the gags are completely different. If one studio was stealing from the other, it would only make sense for them to have stolen gags as well. Also, it is worth noting that the mouse's role is quite different too. Jerry simply wants some sleep, while the unnamed mouse in the Bugs cartoon wants to play piano himself. It is also worth noting that they were not the only cartoons released around this time that involved cartoon characters as classical music pianists. Most famously was the Walter Lantz cartoon, Musical Moments from Chopin, which featured Woody Woodpecker and Andy Panda as dueling pianists. The Cat Concerto was the only Tom and Jerry film to make it into Jerry Beck's book, The 50 Greatest Cartoons, where it landed at #42. The list in this book was compiled from a survey asking over 1,000 animation experts.

Now let's go on a Seaside Adventure (1952) with a classic Terry Toons short. 

Now for a classic UPA cartoon, Madeline (1952). This short film is inspired by Ludwig Bemelmans' classic children's books and captures much of the simple charm of those classic books. This cartoon was nominated for an Oscar for Best Animated Short Film. The other films nominated were Johann Mouse (1953, MGM starring Tom and Jerry), Little Johnny Jet (1953, MGM directed by Tex Avery), Pink and Blue Blues (1952, UPA) and The Romance of Transportation in Canada (1952, National Film Board of Canada). Johann Mouse won the Oscar. 

Now for the Fleischer cartoon, Yip Yip Yippy (1939). This short was released as part of the Betty Boop series, making it the last cartoon in that series. However, Betty does not even appear in this film.   

Now it is time for a commercial break. 

Next comes the first of Walt Disney's Alice comedies, Alice's Wonderland (1923). Before this film was even close to done with production, Walt was already writing distributors stating, "We have just discovered something new and clever in animated cartoons!" He was speaking of the idea of having a live action character enter into an animated cartoon world. This was actually a reversal of what the Fleischer Brother were doing with their Out of the Inkwell films, were animated characters entered our live action world. For the live action little girl Walt hired four-year-old Virginia Davis. Walt had seen Virginia on an advertisement for Warneker's Bread. Virginia later spoke of this stating, "It was just a picture of me smiling and looking like 'Oh, yum, yum!' and eating this piece of Warneker's Bread with a lot of jam on it." At the time of making this film, Walt and his studio were struggling financially. While many producers would take this as a reason to make a cheap film, Walt plugged into the project with everything he had. This short was downright lavish compared to much of Walt's previous work and still looks great today. Unfortunately, the film was not enough to save his company, but it did catch the attention of Margaret J. Winkler, who was also distributing the Felix the Cat and Out of the Inkwell cartoons. His studio went under, and Walt moved to Hollywood without his crew. Yet he had this film and was able to secure a deal for 12 more Alice films with Winkler.  

Now we join Donald Duck in Donald’s Happy Birthday (1949). This short film made its TV debut on an episode of the Disneyland TV show entitled At Home with Donald Duck (1956). It later appeared on an episode of Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color entitled Kids is Kids (1961). 

Next comes a classic Warner Brothers cartoon, A Corny Concerto (1943). This cartoon is very much a parody of Disney's recent animated feature, Fantasia (1940) with the unrefined Elmer Fudd taking over the Deems Taylor role. Earlier the same year this cartoon was released another Merrie Melody parodied Fantasia with an unrefined wolf doing the Deem Taylor role. That cartoon was called Pigs in a Polka (1943). A Corny Concerto was directed by Bob Clampett (who also made some of the vocal sound effects here) and written by Frank Tashlin. It is odd to have Tashlin write a Warners cartoon he didn't direct. Tashlin had in fact just returned to Warners after a stint at Disney, making him a perfect candidate to write this Disney parody. This film features another rarity for a Warners cartoon. That is the fact the Bugs Bunny and Porky Pig share the screen. This is the only time Porky hunts a fully formed Bugs Bunny, though he did hunt a prototype of the character in Porky's Hare Hunt (1938). It has been debated whether or not the Duck that appears in the second part of this cartoon is or isn't Daffy. I like to think of him as Daffy, myself. Despite having Porky, Bugs and probably Daffy, Mel Blanc doesn't do a single voice in this short. That is because the character he usually voices don't talk for the whole film. The only speaking voice heard is Arthur Q. Bryan as Elmer Fudd. Also notice that Bugs makes Porky and his dog into a couple of boobs. This cartoon appropriately appears in Jerry Beck's book, The 100 Greatest Looney Tunes.

Now to end with a song whose lyrics may or may not have a subtle message. 

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

Walt in Wonderland: The Silent Films of Walt Disney by J.B. Kaufman and Russell Merritt.

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

The 50 Greatest Cartoons edited by Jerry Beck

https://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/pianist-envy/

https://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/a-note-of-comedy-the-75th-anniversary-of-the-cat-concerto/