Some Cartoons For Saturday Morning #78

Happy Saturday morning my friends. Let's watch some cartoons.

Since today is the 4th of July, today's cartoon selection begins with two films centering around this holiday. The first is a later Famous Studios Popeye, Patriotic Popeye (1957). The second is a silent short with Earl Hurd's Bobby Bumps character, Bobby Bumps 4th (1917). While neither of these cartoons are the best of their respective series, they are quite entertaining and work well for this holiday.

 




The following is an excerpt from a 1917 issue of Moving Picture World Magazine, "Of course Bobby Bumps, like any other youthful American considers every day but a fill-in between the three most important days of the year - Thanksgiving, Christmas and the Fourth of July - and probably the best of the three is the glorious fourth. In Paramount-Bray pictographs, release no.75, Earl Hurd will show Paramount Audiences, how Bobby and his pup celebrate the day of days."

The Exhibitor, 1945

In 1997 legendary cartoon director, Chuck Jones wrote a children's book entitled Daffy Duck For President. The making of this book purposely coincided with Bugs Bunny's postage stamp. It was an educational book featuring the famous Duck and Rabbit, that taught young readers about the three branches of the U.S. government. After Chuck passed away, producers, Tony Cervone, Spike Brandt, and Linda M. Steiner, made this into a short animated film with the same name. The movie was dedicated to Chuck Jones and released in 2004.



  

Last but not least is a great two reel Disney cartoon, Ben and Me (1953). This film features the Disney studio at its best.




Happy fourth of July and may all your tunes be looney and your melodies merrie.

-Michael J. Ruhland

Some Cartoons For Saturday Morning #53 - Silent Edition

Hello my friends and happy Saturday morning. Once again that means it is time for some classic cartoons. This week's selection is dedicated to cartoons from the silent era. 

To those unfamiliar with silent cartoons, it may come as a surprise how many of them combined animation and live action and how well this was done. In fact there were whole series completely built around this. The most famous examples being The Fleischer Brothers Out of the Inkwell films and Walt Disney's Alice comedies. However another one of these series was by Walter Lantz (later of Woody Woodpecker fame), these were the Dinky Doodles cartoons. In these films Walter Lantz played himself in live action. A live action Walter Lantz interacting with his cartoon characters looks forward to TV's The Woody Woodpecker Show. Here is a typically enjoy Dinky Doodles cartoon, Dinky Doodle's Bedtime Story (1926). Unfortunately this video is from a later TV showing with not very funny narration added, but I am grateful to see this film at all. 

In my mind one of the best cartoon series of the silent era was Earl Hurd's excellent Bobby Bumps cartoons. Here is an example of why. So enjoy Bobby and His Hypnotic Eye (1920).

Next up is an excellent cartoon starring Walt Disney's Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, Oh, Teacher (1927). This cartoon is full of the very creative and funny gags that made this series so memorable. 

Many cartoons of the silent era centered around characters made famous in newspaper comics. Since I grew up reading newspaper comic strips that stopped existing well before I was born, I have a special fondness for these cartoons and the characters seen in them. One of the most famous and best cartoon series based on these strips were the Mutt and Jeff cartoons. So enjoy the always delightful Mutt and Jeff in Domestic Difficulties (1916). Notice how this film has fantastic looking art work and use of shading rare for animated cartoons of this era. Similarly notice the expert filmmaking in the scene after the two get drunk. There is no doubt the visual filmmaking there is miles ahead of some other cartoons made in the 1910's. Notice how the storytelling in this cartoon in many ways resembles a newspaper comic strip. With a clear set up leading to a simple but very funny punchline at the end. This was quite common for animated cartoons of this era and a style of storytelling I enjoy very much.

Ending today's selection of silent era cartoons is a Bray Studios film featuring the one and only Colonel Heeza Lair. The cartoon is the delightful Colonel Heeza Lair Foils the Enemy (1915).
























Thanks for joining me come back next week for more animated treasures.

-Michael J. Ruhland

Some Cartoons For Saturday Morning #17

Hello again my friends and happy Saturday morning. Of course we all know that means time for more cartoons. 

To start off we have a classic Donald Duck cartoon, Donald's Dilemma (1947). This cartoon was directed by Jack King. King was hired as an animator at the Disney studio in 1929. During that time he mostly worked as an animator. He would leave the studio in 1933 and would become a director at Warner Brothers. What is interesting about his Warner Brothers cartoons is that they were less filled with humor than most of the other Warner Brothers cartoons where. A cartoon like Shanghaied Shipmates (1936) starring Porky Pig couldn't be called a comedy at all. What is more fascinating is that when he came back to Disney and became the director for many Donald Duck shorts, his cartoons would become some of the most slapstick filled Disney was putting out at the time. These Donald Ducks took nothing seriously and instead everything in them was just for the sake of making one laugh. This is especially strange considering that Disney made a greater number of serious cartoons than Warner Brothers ever did. This cartoon was written by Roy Williams who would go on to become a regular cast member on The Mickey Mouse Club (1955-1956) TV show. In his book The Disney Films Leonard Maltin would describe this cartoon as "Perhaps the best Donald Duck of all..." I don't know if I would go that far, but this certainly is an excellent cartoon. 

Next up comes a Hokey Wolf cartoon from The Huckleberry Hound Show (1958-1961) called Hokey's Missing Millions. The story involves a billionaire giving Hokey a billion dollars. This story makes me think of the Top Cat (1961-1962) episode The Tycoon, in which a billionaire gives TC a million dollars. Interestingly both episodes were released in 1961. Hokey Wolf trying to sneak past a butler to see a rich man, makes me think of the Daffy Duck cartoon, Daffy Dilly (1948). I always love in these Hanna-Barbera cartoons when a character references another Hanna-Barbera character and here Hokey references Snagglepuss.



Next comes one of the classic Bugs Bunny cartoons, Fresh Hare (1942). One thing you may notice quickly about this cartoon is that Elmer Fudd is fatter than we usually see him. This was done for a brief time during the early 1940's. The came from director Bob Clampett, who felt Elmer should look more like his voice actor, Arthur Q. Bryan. This new design appeared in a few cartoons not only directed by Clampett, but Friz Freleng as well (this one was directed by Friz). This cartoon features an impolitically correct gag that has been cut out from TV showings. This cut was done very poorly and left the ending feeling abrupt. For those of you who have only seen it on TV, you can now see how the film actually ends and no this ending would not fly today.

 

I have stated before on this blog that I think Earl Hurd's Bobby Bumps cartoons are some of the finest animated films during the silent era. Well here is another classic Bobby Bumps cartoon, Bobby Bumps Starts for School (1917).







   
Let us end with an episode from The New Three Stooges (1965-1966) TV show. This series would feature cartoons staring the famous trio, where they would provide their own voices and star in live action segments introducing the cartoons. So enjoy, Flatheads.



So stay tooned for more animated treats next Saturday morning. Until then peace, love and cartoons.

-Michael J. Ruhland

Silent Films on TCM for May

Hello again my friends. As I am sure many of you like me are fans of silent movies and TCM, here is a list of every silent film to be on TCM this May.

Friday May 3rd

The Scarecrow (1920) Directors: Buster Keaton, Eddie Cline. Starring Buster Keaton and Luke the Dog. 4:30am Pacific, 7:30am Eastern.

Two Arabian Knights (1927) Director: Lewis Milestone. Starring William Boyd and Mary Astor. 5:00am Pacific, 8:00am Eastern.

Sunday May 5th

The Noise of Bombs (1914) Director: Mack Sennett (?). Starring Josef Swickard and Harry McCoy. 9:30pm Pacific. 12:30am Eastern.

Shot in the Excitement (1914) Director: Rube Miller (?). Starring Alice Howell and Al St. John. 9:40pm Pacific. 12:40am Eastern.

A Life in the Balance (1913) Director: Mack Sennett. Starring Ford Sterling and Dot Farley. 9:55pm Pacific. 12:55am Eastern.

His Bitter Pill (1916) Director: Fred Hibler. Starring Mack Sennett and Mack Swain. 10:05pm Pacific. 1:05am Eastern.

Comrades (1911) Director: Mack Sennett. Starring Mack Sennett and Del Henderson. 10:25pm Pacific. 1:25am Eastern.

The Great Toe Mystery (1914). Director: Charles Avery (?). Starring Charley Chase and Alice Howell. !0:36pm Pacific. 1:36am Eastern.

Tuesday May 7th

 Within Our Gates (1920). Director: Oscar Micheaux. Starring Evelyn Peer and Flo Clements. 1:00am Pacific. 4:00am Eastern.

Sunday May 12, 2019

Gribiche (1925). Director: Jacques Feyder. Starring Jean Forrest and Franoise Rosay. 9:30pm Pacific. 12:30am Eastern.

Sunday May 19th

Bobby Bumps Starts For School (1917) Director: Earl Hurd. 9:30 pm Pacific. 12:30am Eastern.

Bobby Bumps and Fido's Birthday Party (1917) Director: Earl Hurd. 9:35pm Pacific. 12:35am Eastern.

Bobby Bumps Adopts a Turtle (1917) Director: Earl Hurd. 9:41pm Pacific. 12:41am Eastern.

Bobby Bumps' Fly Swatter (1916) Director: Earl Hurd. 9:45pm Pacific. 12:45am Eastern.

Bobby Bumps in Their Master's Voice (1921) Director: Earl Hurd. 9:49pm Pacific. 12:49am Eastern.

Bobby Bumps Helps out a Book Agent (1916). Director: Earl Hurd. 9:55pm Pacific. 12:55am Eastern.

Bobby Bumps' Last Smoke (1919) Director: Earl Hurd. 10:02pm Pacific. 1:02am Eastern.

Bobby Bumps at the Dentist (1918) Director: Earl Hurd. 10:06pm Pacific. 1:06am Eastern.

Bobby Bumps Caught in the Jamb (1918) Director: Earl Hurd. 10:10pm Pacific. 1:10am Eastern.

Bobby Bumps Gets a Substitute (1916) Director: Earl Hurd. 10:15pm Pacific. 1:15am Eastern.

Bobby Bumps and His Pointer Pup (1916) Director: Earl Hurd. 10:21pm Pacific. 1:21am Eastern.

Bobby Bumps in Hunting and Fishing (1921) Director: Earl Hurd. 10:28pm Pacific. 1:28am Eastern.

Bobby Bumps, Surf Rider (1917) Director: Earl Hurd. 10:32pm Pacific. 1:32am Eastern.

Bobby Bumps, Chef (1917) Director: Earl Hurd. 10:36pm Pacific. 1:36am Eastern.


Monday May, 20th

The Trail of '98 (1928) Director: Clarence Brown. Starring Dolores Del Rio and Ralph Forbes. 11:45pm Pacific. 2:45am Eastern.

Sunday May 26th

A Bird's A Bird (1915) Director: Walter Wright. Starring Grover Ligon and Harry Ward. 9:00pm Pacific. 12:00am Eastern.

Gussle's Day of Rest (1915) Director: F. Richard Jones. Starring Slim Summerville and Cecile Arnold. 9:13pm Pacific. 12:13am Eastern.
 
Dirty Work in a Laundry (1915) Director: Ford Sterling. Starring Ford Sterling and Dan Albert. 9:35pm Pacific. 12:35am Eastern.

A Lover's Lost Control (1915) Director: Charles Avery. Starring Frank Alexander and Joy Lewis. 9:53pm Pacific. 12:53am Eastern.

Dizzy Heights and Daring Hearts (1915) Director: Walter Wright. Starring Dave Anderson and Claire Anderson. 10:15pm Pacific. 1:15am Eastern.

Do-Re-Mi-Boom (1915) Director: Walter Wright. Starring Charles Larkin and Charles Arling. 10:36pm Pacific. 1:36am Eastern.

Monday May 27th

The Big Parade (1925) Director: King Vidor. Starring John Gilbert and Reene Adoree. 8:45pm Pacific. 11:45pm Eastern.

-Michael J. Ruhland.  
   

Some Cartoons For Saturday Morning #6

Hello again my friends it is once again Saturday Morning, the morning of all things cartoony. So what do you say we look at some more classic cartoons? 

For Saturday morning where better to start with than the kings of Saturday morning, Hanna-Barbera. And if we are going to start with Hanna-Barbera where better to start than with what is possibly my favorite Hanna-Barbera TV series, The Quick Draw McGraw Show (1959-1962). Like The Huckleberry Hound Show (1958-1962) before it, a Quick Draw episode was made up of three cartoon shorts, these would include a cartoon with Quick Draw himself, a cartoon with Snooper and Blabber and a cartoon with Augie Doggie and Augie Daddy. Also like Huck's show, this series also featured short little segments between the main cartoons. Here are some of those.



Like The Quick Draw McGraw Show, The Bugs Bunny Show (1960-1968) was made up of multiple short cartoons, the difference being that these shorts weren't new, but cartoons that had already been shown theatrically. This show also had little short segments between the main cartoons and these were made specifically for the show. Here are a few of those. Notice that some of the dialogue between Porky Pig and Charlie Dog is taken directly out of the theatrical cartoon short Often an Orphan (1949). According to Jerry Beck and Will Friedwald's indispensable book, Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to the Warner Brothers Cartoons the Porky Pig and Charlie Dog bumpers come from the 11th episode of the show (original air date: 12/20/60) which was directed by Looney Tunes legends Chuck Jones and Friz Freleng themselves. The short cartoons in that episode included Two's a Crowd (1950), All-a-Bird (1950) and Hasty Hare (1952). The bumpers with Bugs animating are from the 19th episode of the show (original air date: 2/14/61), also directed by Chuck and Friz. The classic shorts in that episode included Mutiny on the Bunny (1950), Punch Trunk (1953) and Fast and Furry-ous (1949). So without further ado enjoy these great bumpers.  

 

UPA was one of the most unique and artistically daring studios of the golden age of animation. They were a studio that refused to follow the other studios' reliance on funny animals and slapstick violence but instead set out to create short films that showed how animation could do more things than the average cartoon short was doing. In my opinion one of the best films from the studio is The Unicorn in the Garden (1953). This short was an adaption of a short story by James Thurber. Stephan Bosustow (head of the studio) wanted to make a feature film adaption of a Thurber story, but couldn't get the funding. He asked director William Hurtz to make a short film based on a Thurber story. Hurtz chose The Unicorn in the Garden because it relied on human characters instead of animals. Hurtz studied the work of Thurber extremely closely for this film, but Bosustow was still disappointed and refused to enter it for an Academy Award. I respectfully disagree feeling that this film is a fantastic adaption. I am not the only one as it ended up as #48 in Jerry Beck's excellent book The 50 Greatest Cartoons.




Next up let's look at a classic Popeye cartoon, Shiver Me Timbers! (1934). It is a common criticism to say all Popeye cartoons were the same storyline over and over. However when one looks at all the classic cartoons, they find many that plain old don't fit into the formula of Popeye and Bluto fighting over Olive. This is one of those and it sure is a unique and creative cartoon, as well as tons of fun. It is important to note as you watch these early Popeye cartoons, despite Dave Fleischer being credited as director, the title is not completely true. True he was the overall supervisor and his imprint can be felt. However what we would consider today as the actual directing was usually done by the first animator listed, in this case that is Willard Bowski.  This cartoon features Popeye, Olive and Wimpy aboard a ghost ship. Popeye and Olive would later board another ghost ship in the final theatrical Popeye short, Spooky Swabs (1957). Still I argue that this 1934 black and white short did the idea better.

 


Next up is a Peter Potamus cartoon from The Peter Potamus Show (1964-1965) called Hurricane Hippo. This show only ran one season, but I admit to having a fondness for it.

 


Let us finish with one of Earl Hurd's great silent Bobby Bumps shorts. So here is Bobby Bumps and the Stork (1916). Earl Hurd was one of the creators of cel animation, and though not well remembered his Bobby Bumps cartoons are certainly some of the great animated films of the silent era. During the talkie era, Hurd would serve as a writer on Walt Disney's feature Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937).



Thank you for joining me. Stay tooned next week for more classic cartoons. Until then peace, love and cartoons.


-Michael J. Ruhland