Hello my friends and happy Saturday morning, once again it is time for some classic cartoons.
Today's cartoon selection begins with a wonderful Daffy Duck cartoon, Wise Quackers (1949). The opening gags of this cartoon would be reused in the feature film, Bugs Bunny's 3rd Movie: 1001 Rabbit Tales (1982). The ending gag of this short would later be reworked in the Bugs Bunny cartoon, Southern Fried Rabbit (1953).
Now for the Pink Panther in Pink Pistons (1966).
Now Woody Woodpecker and Wally Walrus battle it out in Smoked Hams (1947). This short film was directed by Dick Lundy, who had formerly been a Disney animator. At Disney he worked on many of the studios best Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Silly Symphonies shorts of the 1930's and early 40's and he even worked on the beloved feature film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937). He even directed a few wonderful Donald Duck cartoons. In the 1950's he would direct some of the Barney Bear cartoons for MGM and eve receive director's credit on the Droopy cartoon, Caballero Droopy (1952). This makes him the only director besides Tex Avery or Michael Lah to receive director's credit on a classic Droopy short. I have a real soft spot for Lundy's Woody Woodpecker cartoons and with their fast pace and delightful slapstick humor they always bring a smile to my face. One of the credited animators on this movie is Grim Natwick. Natwick was also a former Disney animator, best known for his work on the title character in Snow White. Natwick was also very important to the Fleischer Brothers' studio and helped bring the character of Betty Boop to life there. With these accolades his wonderful work at the Walter Lantz studio (which made the Woody Woodpecker cartoons) often goes overlooked.
As I have stated many times on this blog, the Goofy cartoons Jack Kinney directed for Disney are some of my all-time favorite cartoons. Here is a great example of why with Victory Vehicles (1943).
Now it is time for a commercial break.
Now for a silent movie from the Fleischer Studio, Koko’s Balloons (1923). The live action animator KoKo is fighting with is producer Max Fleischer himself.
Up next is the Silly Symphony, Moth and the Flame (1938). This film began creation in the summer of 1935. However it was shelved and not picked up again until spring of 1937. In 1935, Dave Hand (supervising director for the Disney features, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) and Bambi (1942)) was set to direct. However after Burt Gillett (who directed the most famous Silly Symphony, Three Little Pigs (1933)) returned to Disney from the Van Beuren Studio, Gillett was placed as director. However when Gillett left Disney again midway through production, Dick Huemer (who would work on such Disney feature films as Fantasia (1940), The Reluctant Dragon (fol1941), Dumbo (1941), Saludos Amigos (1943), Make Mine Music (1946) and Alice in Wonderland (1951), and had done great work at the Fleischer Studios during the silent era and worked on some of the Scrappy cartoons at Columbia in the early 1930's) would become the film's director. Russell Merritt and J.B. Kaufman's book on the Silly Symphonies credits Gustaf Tenggren with "Inspiration art." Tenggren played an important role in the Disney studio at this time and had designed backgrounds for the Disney features, Snow White and Pinocchio (1940). All the Disney films he worked on were pure visual delights and had a real sense of atmosphere that I find irresistible. Win Hoskins, who would work on both of the Fleischer Brothers' feature films, Gulliver's Travels (1939) and Mr. Bug Goes to Town (1941), animated the opening of the film. Archie Robin animated the moths eating the costumes. Izzy Klein, who would later write many of the Popeye and Casper the Friendly Ghost cartoons for Famous Studios, animated our heroes entering the shop. Milt Schaffer, who would go on to write some great cartoons for both Disney and Walter Lantz, animated the boy getting burned, the girl being caught in the web, the boy trying to trap the flame and the boy rescuing the girl. Ed Love, who would later animate for Tex Avery at MGM, animates the scenes with the girl and the flame as well as ending scene. Louie Schimdt animated the boy pouring water on the flame. Don Williams, who worked on many cartoons for Warner Brothers and DePatie-Freleng, animated the moths filling the bagpipes. This cartoon premiered at the Radio City Music Hall on September 22, 1938 with the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers movie, Carefree (1938). Its television debut was on October 22, 1956 on an episode of The Mickey Mouse Club. The following are some exhibitors reviews from the Motion Picture Herald, "Moth and the Flame, The: Walt Disney cartoons - This was particularly good - Harland Rankin, Plaza Theatre, Tilbury, Ontario, Canada. General Patronage." Moth and the Flame, The: Walt Disney Cartoons - Still tops among cartoons or have you heard? - C. Fismer, Lyric Theatre, Hamiliton, Ohio. Family Patronage." "Moth and the Flame, The: Walt Disney Cartoons - A real humdinger! Very clever. - L.A. Irwin, Palace Theatre, Penacook, N.H. General Patronage."
Film Daily, 1931
Now we join our good friend Scrappy in The Beer Parade (1933).
Now to close with a song.
Thanks for joining me. Come back next week for another selection of classic cartoons. Until then may all your tunes be looney and your melodies merry.
Resources Used
Walt Disney's Silly Symphonies: A Companion to the Classic Cartoon Series by Russell Merritt and J.B. Kaufman.
Of Mice and Magic: A History of American Animated Cartoons by Leonard Maltin
https://lantern.mediahist.org/
