Some Cartoons for Saturday Morning #252

 Hello my friends and happy Saturday morning. Welcome back for another selection of classic cartoons. 

Today's cartoon selection begins with Porky Pig in Jeepers Creepers (1939). This cartoon shows director Bob Clampett at his absolute best. The film has a great sense of spooky atmosphere, a great sense of energy, a catchy title song (which premiered in the Warner Brothers movie, Going Places (1938), where it was sung by jazz legend Louis Armstrong) and very strong gags. 

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. 

Up next is the Aesop's Sound Fables cartoon, Sky Skippers (1930). 

Now for Good Deed Daly in Scouts to the Rescue (1956). 

Now it is time for a commercial break. 

Next is Woody Woodpecker in Well Oiled (1947). This short film was directed by former Disney animator Dick Lundy. While working at Disney, he was one of the studio's duck-men, a group of artists who specialized in animating Donald Duck. He would later even direct some Donald Duck cartoons. Between the Donald Duck cartoons for Disney, his various cartoons for Walter Lantz (for whom this cartoon was made) and his Barney Bear cartoons for MGM, he proved himself just as fine of a director as he was an animator. 

Now for Mutt and Jeff in Where Am I? (1925). 

Spooky Swabs (1957) marked the final Popeye theatrical short. This cartoon has Popeye and Olive Oyl aboard a haunted ship. The two characters (as well as Wimpy) had been on a haunted ship before in the cartoon, Shiver Me Timbers (1934). 

Today's cartoon selection ends with The Simpsons in Grandpa and the Kids (1988). This is one of the shorts made for The Tracey Ullman Show before the animated family got their own TV show. 

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 the American Animated Cartoon by Leonard Maltin

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