Some Cartoons for Saturday Morning #191

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

Today's cartoon selection begins with Donald Duck in Bee at the Beach (1950). This short film pits Donald Duck against Spike the bee. Though Spike is a rather forgotten Disney character, this film is not the only time him and Donald went up against each other. Staring with Inferior Decorator (1948) and ending with Let's Stick Together (1952), the two made a series of 7 shorts centered around the two fighting. Bee at the Beach would make its TV debut on the Walt Disney Presents episode, This is Your Life, Donald Duck (1960).

Next comes Sylvester and Tweety in Catty Cornered (1953). In this cartoon Tweety is kidnapped by gangster Rocky. Rocky was a character who was only used by director Friz Freleng. He had earlier been the villain in the Daffy Duck cartoon, Golden Yeggs (1950). Most cartoon fans associate Rocky with his dumb partner in crime Mugsy. However this cartoon was made before the character was created. Mugsy first appeared in the Bugs Bunny short, Bugs and Thugs (1954). This short would later be edited into the feature-length compilation film, The Looney Looney Looney Bugs Bunny Movie (1981). 

Next comes the 6th Hoot Kloot film, Stirrups and Hiccups (1973). This short film is a play on the story of Dr. Jeckel and Mr. Hyde. 

Next is Willie Whopper in Insultin' the Sultan (1934).  Willie Whopper was the second starring character to come out of Ub Iwerks' own cartoon studio. The first character is Flip the Frog, who did not prove to be that popular and had to be replaced. Unfortunately, Willie did not catch on with audiences either and his movie career only lasted 13 short films. Before leaving to make cartoons for his own studio, Ub had worked at Disney playing an incredibly important role in the Disney shorts of the 1920's and early 30's. He even played a large role in the creation of Mickey Mouse. After his own studio work did not pan out, he returned to Disney where he would do special effects work on many of the Disney's best feature films. The following is an exhibitor's review from the Motion Picture Herald, "Insultin' the Sultan: Willie Whopper - This is a good cartoon comedy that pleased all who saw it. Willie is not so popular here, but with better story material he will improve and the patrons will be pleased. Running Time, 9 minutes. - J.J. Medford, Orpheum Theatre, Oxford, N.C. General Patronage." 

It is time for a commercial break. 

Next is Cubby Bear in The Nut Factory (1933). This is one of my favorite Cubby Bear films.

 
Now for the second Casper the Friendly Ghost cartoon, There's Good Boos To-night (1948). Though many of the Casper cartoons aimed for sentiment, few of them were as effective as this short film. The film's ending is surprisingly quite touching. 

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After the success of The Pink Panther (1964) and A Shot in the Dark (1964), Mirisch Films was interested in a third Inspector Clouseau movie. Unfortunately, director Blake Edwards and star Peter Sellers both declined. The studio still wished to make another film and cast Alan Arkin as Inspector Clouseau and put Bud Yorkin in the director's chair. The result was Inspector Clouseau (1968) and was definitely one of the weakest Pink Panther feature films. One of the few highlights was the opening credits sequence, which was as with the previous movies is essentially a cartoon short. This sequence featured The Inspector. This character starred in a wonderful series of theatrical cartoon shorts from 1965 to 1969 for the DePatie-Freleng studio and was based off of the character of Clouseau. The DePatie-Freleng studio (which had also done the opening credits sequences for the previous two Inspector Clouseau films) is credited with creating and designing this sequence, while TVC London is credited with animating it. Fortunately for fans of these movies, Blake Edwards and Peter Sellers would later return to the Pink Panther franchise with The Return of the Pink Panther (1975). 

Today's cartoon selection ends with one of the best post golden age Looney Tunes cartoons, Little Go Beep (2000).

Resources Used

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

I Tawt I Taw a Puddy Tat: Fifty Years of Sylvester and Tweety by Jerry Beck.

https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/The_Disney_Wiki

https://lantern.mediahist.org/

 

Some Cartoons For Saturday Morning #186

 Hello my friends and happy Saturday morning. It is time to get yourself ready for another round of classic cartoons. 

Today's cartoon selection begins with a classic Mickey Mouse film, The Delivery Boy (1931). This short film, like all of the 1930's Mickeys, features a wonderful cast of animators. Johnny Cannon animates the opening scene with Mickey riding the delivery wagon and the scene with the dog playing the accordion. Rudy Zamora, who would later direct many of the Hanna-Barbera TV cartoons of the 1980's, animates Minnie washing her clothes. Jack Cutting animates the underwear washing itself. Norm Ferguson (who as an animator helped define the character of Pluto) animates the first scene of Mickey and Minnie's dance, Pluto getting his feet caught in the tar and doing his little dance and the two workers with the dynamite.  Frenchy de Trémaudan animates the gag with the goat. David Hand, who would later be the supervising director on the feature films Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) and Bambi (1942) animates Mickey climbing into the pants, the scene with the hornets and the birds whistling and dancing. Future Donald Duck, Woody Woodpecker and Barney Bear director, Dick Lundy animates the second scene of Mickey and Minnie's dance. George Lane animates the instruments nearly falling on the animals and them running away. Tom Palmer, who would later direct a few cartoons for Warner Brothers and Van Beuren, animates Mickey and Minnie on the Piano. Les Clark, one of the best Mickey Mouse animators, animates Mickey and Minnie playing the trombone, trumpet and drum as well as the gag with the turtle and the mule. Future Looney Tunes and Donald Duck director, Jack King animates the ending sequence from when Pluto picks up the dynamite to the end. 

Movie buffs know Jack Hannah best for directing Donald Duck cartoons and Jack Kinney best for directing Goofy cartoons. However, there were times when Hannah would direct Goofy and Kinney would direct Donald. They're Off (1948) has Hannah directing an excellent Goofy short. This film is still very much in the style of Kinney's Goofy cartoons though. 



 

Next up is the 1st Hoot Kloot film, Kloot's Kounty (1973).

Next comes a classic Porky Pig cartoon, Injun Trouble (1938). This short film would later be remade in color as Wagon Heels (1945). The title would later be reused as the name of another Looney Tunes cartoon, a 1969 Cool Cat short that would mark the last of the original Looney Tunes shorts.

Now it is time for a commercial break.

 

Next comes one of the wonderful Fleischer Superman cartoons, The Artic Giant (1942).

Boxoffice, 1940


Now for a silent movie starring Mutt and Jeff, A Kick For Cinderella (1925).



 

Next comes a wonderful later Looney Tunes cartoon, Daffy's Rhapsody (2015). Despite this movie being made after Mel Blanc's death, Daffy's voice is still obviously Mel. This is because Daffy's song comes from a 1950 children's record Mel Blanc made that was also entitled Daffy's Rhapsody. This short film was released in movie theaters before the feature film, Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (2012). 

Today's cartoon selection ends with some Saturday Morning Minions. 

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 Disney Films by Leonard Maltin

https://mediahistoryproject.org/

http://afilmla.blogspot.com/search/label/Shorts_Columbia?max-results=20