Some Cartoons for Saturday Morning #254

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

Today's cartoon selection starts with a delightful early Mickey Mouse short, The Gorilla Mystery (1930). This short film was somewhat spoofing the 1925 play The Gorilla which also involved a dark house and a sinister gorilla. This play had been made into a silent feature film, The Gorilla (1927). The same year as this cartoon was released a talkie remake, The Gorilla (1930). A more comedic approach to this story was the later Ritz Brothers feature, The Gorilla (1939). The gorilla used in this Mickey cartoon (according to studio documentation) is the same one who would appear in the future Mickey Mouse shorts, Mickey's Mechanical Man (1933) and The Pet Store (1933). This movie benefits from some great atmospheric touches that show just how advanced the Disney studio was even at this point. Those of you who have seen the Mickey Mouse short film, Get a Horse (2013), should note that that Mickey's shout of "Minnie" in this cartoon was reused in that film. Mickey's cry of "Bring her back Mr. Ingagi" is a reference to the movie, Ingagi (1930), which also featured an evil gorilla.

Up next is the Terry Toons cartoon, A Truckload of Trouble (1949). I really like the three main characters in this short and wish they could have been used in more cartoons.  

Now for the Aesop's Sound Fables cartoon, Foolish Follies (1930). The following is a review from an issue of Motion Picture News, "Van Beuren's stock of pen and ink animal characters provoke a load of laughter with their version of 'Foolish Follies' on the stage of the Casino, where they burlesque the more popular types of vaude acts. Running time, 6 minutes. Good stuff for heavy feature."
 

Next is the early Porky Pig cartoon, Plane Dippy (1936). This is the film in which we learn Porky's full name, Porky Cornelius Washington Otis Lincoln Abner Aloysius Casper Jefferson Philbert Horatius Narcissus Pig. I'm sure you all will memorize that name. As well as Porky this film also has some other characters that also premiered in the Merrie Melodies cartoon, I Haven't Got A Hat (1935) such as Little Kitty (who plays an important role here). Comic fans may also notice that the character of Professor Blotz looks extremely similar to a character from the Mickey Mouse comic strip, Professor Ecks. Though this movie is directed by Tex Avery, don't except the pure insanity of his later cartoons, as this was still early in his directorial career and he hadn't fully developed his style yet. Still this cartoon has many very funny gags in it, I especially love Porky writing his name. The following is an exhibitor's review from the Motion Picture Herald, "PLANE DIPPY: Looney Tune—This is a very comical cartoon. Above the average.—Paul J. Pope, Avon Theatre, Geneva, Ala., Small Town and Rural Patronage." 

Now it is time for a commercial break. 

Now for a silent classic, Mutt and Jeff in The Globe Trotters (1926). The more of these Mutt and Jeff cartoons I watch, the more I am convinced that they are some of the best cartoons of the silent era. 

Motion Picture News, 1917

Now we join Andy Panda in Crow Crazy (1945). This is the first of two cartoons to feature Andy's dog Milo. The other was Mousie Come Home (1946). Andy would have different dogs in other cartoons, but I think Milo is the most memorable. 

Now for Dudley Do-Right in The Centaur (1969). 

Today's cartoon selection ends with The Simpsons in Jumping Bart (1987). This is one of the shorts made for The Tracey Ullman Show before the animated family received their own TV show.

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

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

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

https://mediahistoryproject.org/