Some Cartoons for Saturday Morning #283

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

Today's cartoon selection begins with Mighty Mouse in The Sky is Falling (1947). Directed by Mannie Davis, this cartoon is a take-off on the classic story of Chicken Little. 

Up next comes the Walter Lantz produced cartoon, Mouse Trapped (1959). This short film stars the two mice Hickory and Dickory as well as the cat Doc. Originally planned as a trio, Doc would have a longer career than his rodent co-stars. The trio would appear in only three theatrical cartoons (of which this is the second). However, Doc would go on to star in six cartoons without Hickory and Dickory. Three of those six cartoons would team him with a dog named Champ. 

Now we join our good friend Scrappy in Scrappy's Television (1934). It is fascinating to see this depiction of television, well before TV would becoming the household staple it would later become. 

Next comes Donald Duck in Donald's Gold Mine (1942). This short film made its theatrical debut on  July 24, 1942. It would make its TV debut on an episode of The Mickey Mouse Club that aired on October 15, 1956. 

Now it is time for a commercial break. 

Next we join Sylvester and Tweety in The Jet Cage (1962). Though this film gives Milt Franklin credit for the music, much of the music was done by William Lava. This is because Milt Franklin died of a heart attack before finishing the musical score and had to be replaced by William Lava. About the Sylvester and Tweety cartoons, director Friz Freleng stated, "Tweety doesn't do anything. He can't even put a hat on because his arms are too short. And he's got such a bug head. The comedy comes out of Sylvester and his determination, his stubbornness to get the bird no matter what happens to him. Still everybody says 'Oh I love that Tweety.' Audiences are funny. They never love the characters that really get the laughs."

Now for The New 3 Stooges cartoon, Three Jacks and a Beanstalk (1965). The Stooges voice themselves in this TV cartoon. 

Now for one of the rare instances of very dark satire in one of Walt Disney's Silly Symphonies, Who Killed Cock Robbin? (1935). This film shows cartoon birds at the mercy of an unjust legal system. Satire, dark humor, celebrity caricatures and slapstick abound. The most significant of the celebrity caricatures is Jenny Wren, a caricature of Mae West. Most of her animation here is handled fantastically by Ham Luske and her voice comes from Martha Wentworth who does a really good impression. This character would later appear in the Silly Symphony Toby Tortoise Returns (1936). Two of Walt's future Nine Old Men animate on this film, Eric Larson and Clyde Geronimi. Eric animates the scene where Cock Robbin falls and the cops rushing in. Clyde animates the scenes involving the blackbirds and the cops, Legs Sparrow with the cops and then going into the witness box, and the cops' raiding the area. For the year of 1935 the National Board of Review named this as one of the Ten Best American Films (not just cartoons but films as a whole). According to JB Kaufman and Russell Merrit's excellent book, Walt Disney's Silly Symphonies: A Companion to the Classic Cartoon Series, the idea for making this film had been around the Disney studio as early as October 1933 but work truly began in March 1934. Wilfred Jackson was originally going to be the cartoon's director, but he was replaced with Ben Sharpsteen, who was replaced with Dave Hand, who actually directed the cartoon. Dave Hand would later be the supervising director for the Disney feature films, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) and Bambi (1942). My fellow Alfred Hitchcock fans will recognize that a clip from this cartoon was later used in Hitch's classic movie, Sabotage (1936). The following is a review from The Film Daily, "Ye olde master, Walt Disney, has produced another cartoon which makes a swell approach to the entertainment values he provided in 'Three Little Pigs.' It's class A stuff, effectively done in color. A mysterious shadowy figure 'kills' the fabled Cock Robbin, who, by the by, is the sweetie of a May Western type of bird. Then come the Keystonian cops, also birds, and later the trial. Finally, a birdy version of Dan Cupid admits to having shot Robin, but May brings him to with a Big Kiss. Catchy music helps enliven the proceedings." The following is from a 1935 issue of Modern Screen Magazine and was a letter sent in by a reader. "A short time ago I took my five-year-old son with me to a local theatre. When a colored cartoon was shown, he was immensely pleased, as were several other children near us. The cartoon was 'Who Killed Cock Robin?' I may be wrong but I'm under the impression that those pictures are primarily to amuse children. If that is true than it failed. I heard several half-grown boys snickering as 'Jenny Wren' a parody of Mae West, with a high bust, wiggling hips and a sexy voice, flirted with the judge and later indulged in a kiss with Cock Robin. The smaller children merely looked puzzled and disappointed with the whole thing. Please have more cartoons like 'The Three Little Pigs,' 'Water Babies,' etc., unless of course, I'm wrong and those comedies are for grown-ups and not for little children. - Mrs. E. DeLamater, Charleston, S.C."   

Now to close with a song.

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

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

Donald Duck: The Ultimate History by J.B. Kaufman and David Gerstein

https://mediahistoryproject.org/

 

Some Cartoons for Saturday Morning #282

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

Today's cartoon selection begins with the Terry Toons cartoon, The Golden Hen (1946). This short film stars Gandy Goose and Sourpuss. The goose and cat duo were teamed in a series of cartoons and like many of cartoon characters of the era, their voices were inspired by famous personalities of the time. Gandy Goose was based off the radio comedian Ed Wynn and Sourpuss is based off of Jimmy Durante. The two provide a great contrast with each other making their shorts still a lot of fun today. The film was directed by Mannie Davis. Mannie Davis was not only a prolific Terry Toons director, but he was also the big brother of Looney Tunes director Art Davis. 

Next comes the Merrie Melodies cartoon, I Like Mountain Music (1933). This short film is the first in a series of Warner Brothers cartoons where objects come to life in a store at night. Like many Merrie Melodies of the time, this cartoon was based off a song that Warner Brothers owned. The title song was written by James Cavanaugh and Frank Weldon. These two also collaborated on such songs as Christmas in Killarney and Thirty-Two Feet and Eight Little Tails. James Cavanaugh was also a writer on the song You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Loves You, which was a hit for both Nat King Cole and Dean Martin. 

Now for the Famous Studios cartoon, The Bored Cuckoo (1948). This short film was directed by Bill Tytla, a former Disney animator who had done some fantastic work on the Disney features Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), Fantasia (1940) and Dumbo (1941). 

Up next is one of the best post golden age Looney Tunes cartoons, Box Office Bunny (1991). This short film played before the feature film The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter (1991) in movie theaters. 

Now it is time for a commercial break. 

Now for the Fleischer Screen Songs cartoon, Little Annie Rooney (1931). Be sure to sing along with the bouncing ball. 

Next, we join Little Lulu in Beau Ties (1945). This delightfully cynical cartoon is one of my favorite Little Lulu shorts. 

Now for a charming Disney Silly Symphony cartoon, Lullaby Land (1933). Like most Disney films of this era, Lullaby Land benefits from a very strong cast of animators. Ham Luske animates the baby at home in his cradle and the baby and the dog with the Sandman. Art Babbitt animated the baby and his dog in the Land of Nowhere. Dick Humuer animates the baby with the matches and the Bogey Men.  As was often the case at this time Ben Sharpsteen lead a crew of junior animators, some of whom would go on to do great things. These junior animators included Leonard Sebring (medium close up of the parade), Roy Williams (bottles of castor oil; potty chair; curling irons), Louie Schmitt (baby and do playing leapfrog; baby breaking the watch), Ed Love (the knife and pruning shears; the scissors family; the fountain pens), Marvin Woodward (the baby and do watching a fight; the dog with a pincushion) and Bob Kuwahara (the flowers going to sleep). The story outline was done in March 1933. The layout work (by Charles Philippi, Hugh Hennesy and Ferinand Horvath) was done from April 10 to May 11, 1933. The animation was done from May 2 to June 27, 1933. The film was copyrighted on July 29, 1933. The negative cost of this film was $13,071.52. To show how these shorts film became increasingly more expensive to make, The Skeleton Dance (1929), Disney's first Silly Symphony's negative cost was $5,485.40. At the New York Radio City Music Hall Lullaby Land ran from August 31 to September 6, 1933, with the feature film One Man's Journey (1933) starring Lionel Barrymore. An issue of The Film Daily (dated October 6, 1933) stated, "United Artists worked out an effective tie-up with Gimbel Brothers and the Radio City Music Hall during the showing of Walt Disney's Silly Symphony, 'Lullaby Land' at the Music Hall. Gimbel's devoted a window display to a series of original drawings from 'Lullaby Land,' together with a blow-up in color of one of the scenes from the picture. This blow-up was used as a background for nursery merchandise. The department store also used a newspaper advertisement that was virtually an advertisement for 'Lullaby Land' and the Music Hall. 'Roxy' used several of the originals from 'Lullaby Land' in the Music Hall lobby, and a card calling attention to the display at Gimbel's. This marks the first time the Roxy has ever given a store credit in the lobby of the Music Hall." The film made its TV debut on an episode of the Mickey Mouse Club that aired on February 26, 1956. I never saw this cartoon as a kid, but I think it is quite possible it would have given kid me bad dreams. Hopefully you all sleep well tonight. 

Now to close with a song.

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

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

https://mediahistoryproject.org/

 

Some Cartoons for Saturday Morning #275

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

Today's cartoon selection begins with a classic Popeye short, Customers Wanted (1939). This film is a bit of a cheater using clips from previous cartoons. These clips are from Let's Get Movin' (1936) and The Twisker Pitcher (1937). This would cartoon be remade as another Popeye cartoon, Penny Antics (1955). Though this is a cheater cartoon, it is easily one of the better cheaters, because the new footage is just as good (if not better) than the clips. 

Next comes the Aesop's Fables cartoon, Feathered Follies (1932).

From 1976 to 1982 Warner Brothers made a series of 16 TV specials featuring the Looney Tunes characters. Some of these specials were brand new half hour stories, others featured clips for or whole classic cartoon shorts and still others featured a set of brand-new cartoons. Daffy Duck's Easter Special (1980) featured three brand new cartoons with bridging sequences inspired by Duck Amuck (1953). Here is one of the new cartoons from that special, The Chocolate Chase (1980). This short is very much in the mold of the mid to late 1960's cartoons which pitted Daffy Duck against Speedy Gonzales. 

Now for The New Three Stooges short, Mummies Boys (1965). The real Stooges not only star in the live action opening and closing scenes but the voice themselves in the cartoons. This is of course what makes these made for TV cartoons essential for all Stooge lovers. 

Now it is time for a commercial break.

Since Easter is tomorrow, what would be better to watch than a classic Easter cartoon. Up next is a classic Silly Symphony called Funny Little Bunnies (1934). This cartoon does not feature much of an actual story beyond the idea of bunnies getting ready for Easter. However, people at the time did not seem to mind this at all. The following is a review from The Film Daily, "This is a likely entry for the best short of 1934. While it may appear that its vogue would be more or less limited to the Easter season because it's purely imaginative substance deals with the manufacture and decoration of Easter eggs and bunnies by a colorful rabbit crew, the splendor and variety of coloring and the highly diverting action lift it far above any seasonal appeal. Musical accompaniment is pleasing." The following is a review from The Motion Picture Herald, "Unusually clever, highly entertaining, especially for the youngsters but potentially equally enjoyable for adults, this number of the Walt Disney Silly Symphonies pictures in the inimitable Disney cartoon fashion the manner in which the bunnies, in their woodland workshop, carve out Easter statues of themselves, paint the Easter eggs, with various colors obtained from the end of the rainbow. In this spring season despite the fact that Easter has passed, the subject is highly appropriate and cannot fail to meet with the favor of the entire audience, anytime, anywhere." The cartoon also won the gold medal for "Best Animated Film" at the Venice film festival in 1934. Still as is always the case not everyone was impressed. An exhibitor's review from The Motion Picture Herald was not very positive stating about Walt Disney, "He'll never make another 'Three Little Pigs.' In 1935 this movie was part of a four-week run of Disney cartoons. Here is The Film Daily talking about that, "Starting April 4, Walt Disney productions, released through United Artists, are being featured on the Trans-Lux Theater program for four consecutive weeks. Opening with 'The Tortoise and the Hare,' the next three programs feature the following Disney productions: 'Mickey's Man Friday,' 'Funny Little Bunnies,' and 'The Band Concert,' Disney's first Mickey Mouse subject in Technicolor." Like all of the Disney cartoons of this era, this film has an all-star cast of animators. Cy Young animates the opening scenes as well as the bunnies harvesting the colors from the rainbow. Ben Sharpsteen leads a crew of Jr. animators including Archie Robin, Joe D'Igalo, Ed Smith and Woolie Reitherman. Woolie Reitherman would later become one of Walt's fame Nine Old Men and would direct the Disney features The Sword in the Stone (1963), The Jungle Book (1967), The Airstocats (1970) and more. This is the first known Silly Symphony Woolie worked on. Ben Sharpsteen's group of Jr animators would animate bunnies in the supply room, the eggs rolling down the shoot and the bunnies filling the baskets. Ugo D'Orsi animated the bunnies at the pot of chocolate. Louie Schimdt animates the bunnies filling the molds. Leonard Sebring animates the solider bunnies. Future Donald Duck, Barney Bear and Woody Woodpecker director, Dick Lundy animates the sculptor bunnies. Dick Huemer animates the hens, the painters, the grandpa rabbit and the cross-eyed bunnies. Art Babbit animates the blind bunnies and the first long shot of the bunnies filling the baskets. Ham Luske animates the film's finale. One thing I love about the color Symphonies is that they never take color for granted but instead always make sure it is used to full effect. That is definitely true of this cartoon. This movie was reissued to theaters on April 21, 1950. It made its TV debut on an episode of Mickey Mouse Club that aired on April 19, 1957. 

Next is the silent Out of the Inkwell film, Balloons (1923). This film is full of all the creative, imaginative charm that makes this series so special. The film's producer Max Fleischer appears in live action in this and many other Out of the Inkwell shorts.

Now for the Terry Toons cartoon, The Billy Goat's Whiskers (1937). 

Tonight's cartoon selection ends with a full episode of The Super Mario Brothers Super 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

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

Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to Warner Brothers Cartoons by Jerry Beck and Will Friedwald

https://lantern.mediahist.org/

 

Some Cartoons For Saturday Morning #273

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

Today's cartoon selection begins with Sylvester in A Kiddie's Kitty (1955). It is worth noting that after Tweety and Sylvester first teamed up in Tweetie Pie (1947), Tweety would not again appear apart from Sylvester (apart from small cameos), yet Sylvester would make many cartoons without Tweety. This is one of Sylvester's solo cartoons where he is not trying to catch the little yellow bird. Also, unlike most classic cartoon characters Sylvester was a fully formed character from his first appearance on movie screens and has not really changed since. Looney Tunes director and animator, Robert McKimson later said of Sylvester, "He had a juicy voice, you know. He's the closest, I would say, that Mel [voice artist Mel Blanc] would come to have an original voice and then fitting the character to it. Of course, Daffy Duck's voice is the same as Sylvester's only sped. So, I guess when Mel recorded Daffy it sounded like Sylvester." Looney Tunes director Friz Freleng [who directed this movie] talked about how he and layout artist Hawley Pratt designed this character, "I designed Sylvester to look subtly like a clown. I gave him a big red nose and a very low crotch, which was supposed to look like he was wearing baggy pants." Despite the little girl, Suzanne only appearing in this one cartoon, she would go on to appear as a back-up feature in many Looney Tunes themed comic books from Dell Comics. (Thanks to Top Cat James for bringing this to my attention in the comments for a previous post). 

Next is Mighty Mouse in The Silver Streak (1945). 

Now for the early color Merrie Melodies cartoon, The Cat Came Back (1936). While it may be far from what would later become the Warner Brothers cartoon style, this Friz Freleng directed short is very charming and fun. The film would be reissued to theaters twice. The first time was July 15, 1944, and the second time was June 5, 1954.

Up next comes the Terry Toons short, Why Mules Leave Home (1934). This cartoon is based off the Brothers Grimm story Town Musicians of Bremen. This was not the only cartoon based off that story. Walt Disney directed a silent version, The Four Musicians of Bremen (1922), Ub Iwerks directed the Comi-Color cartoon The Bremen Town Musicians (1935) and there would be a Soviet animated short film entitled The Bremen Town Musicians (1969).

Now it is time for a commercial break. 

Next is the last black and white Silly Symphony, Bugs in Love (1932). This is a rather typical Silly Symphony of its time, following the well-established formula of animated characters having a grand time to music until the villain of the piece appears and tries to wreck their fun. As you can guess by the title this film's story involves various bugs. Bugs were a common site in the early Silly Symphonies and the newspaper comic strip. In fact, the newspaper comic strip featured a complete remake of this cartoon. Animation of this film was done from March 30 - May 3, 1932. The Silly Symphonies were a series that at this time was constantly improving and audiences and exhibitors quickly took note of this improvement. For evidence here is an exhibitor's review from 1934 (two years after the film's original release), "BUGS IN LOVE: Silly Symphonies—An old Silly Symphony. Not as good as the new ones. Running time, one reel. —A. B. Jefferis, New Piedmont Theatre, Piedmont, Mo. Small Town Patronage." Of course, the Silly Symphonies were quite appropriately one of the most popular cartoon series of the time. The following is an exhibitor's review from The Motion Picture Herald, "BUGS IN LOVE: Another great Silly Symphony. Give it extra billing. —Charles Niles, Niles Theatre, Anamosa, Iowa." Not everybody was so impressed with the series though as shown through the following exhibitors review from The Motion Picture Herald, "BUGS IN LOVE: Silly Symphony—This is just an- other Walt Disney cartoon comedy. Nothing good about it; just ordinary and is only fair entertainment. We have only played one good comedy of this series and every time we hope the next one will be better. Disappointed in these. Running time, nine minutes. - J. J. Medford, Orpheum Theatre, Oxford, N.C., General Patronage." The film had its New York opening from December 11-16, 1932, at the Roxy playing alongside the feature length movie Me and My Gal (1932). This cartoon made its TV debut on an episode of the Mickey Mouse Club that aired on January 26, 1956. 

Now for The New Three Stooges cartoon, Call of the Wile (1965). In this cartoon, a mountain lion pretends to be a stuffed head hanging on the Stooges' wall. The same thing happened in Elmer Fudd's house in the Warner Brothers cartoon, What's My Lion (1961). 

After Saludos Amigos (1942) and The Three Caballeros (1944), the Disney studio planned to make a third South American themed feature film with Donald Duck. Known at the studio as the Carnival feature. That film really began production during the spring and summer of 1945. Like the previous movies, this would have been an anthology film that would have been separated into four different segments, that would essentially resemble Disney's cartoon shorts. When World War 2 came to an end, there would be no longer be a reason for such a film and the project was quietly abandoned. However, one portion of this film would reach the screen. This was Blame it on the Samba, which would become part of Melody Time (1948). As previously mentioned, this short would feature a live action, Ethel Smith. During the 1940's the U.S. government pushed its Good Neighbor policy by having many entertainers on both sides of the border serve as Goodwill Ambassadors and one of these was U.S. born Ethel Smith. Born in Pittsburgh (on November 22, 1902), at a young age Smith discovered Latin music and became a huge fan. In the mid-1930's she discovered the electric organ, a relatively new instrument and used it to play the Latin music she loved. By the late 1930's she was performing in Latin America. With this in mind, she became a perfect good will ambassador. In 1940 she gained an engagement at the Cassino Copacabana in Rio de Janeiro. She was so popular that she would be repeatedly held over, and she was there when the Disney studio visited Rio de Janeiro in August 1941 for the making of Saludos Amigos. While there is no definitive proof that anyone working at Disney came into contact with Ethel Smith, the Disney artists did often have meetings at the Copacabana and in December 1941 Smith sent a custom designed Christmas card to Walt and his wife Lillian. In the summer of 1944, she was in Hollywood working for MGM and performed Tico-Tico (which was a very popular song for her) for the Ester Williams movie, Bathing Beauty (1944). In late 1944, Disney artist Norm Ferguson was trying to bring together musicians for the Carnival feature, and he felt that with Ethel Smith now in Hollywood, she would be a perfect choice. The studio contacted her in early 1945. Mary Blair began working on various costume sketches for her with different costumes representing different countries. This was because it was considered to have appear in each segment and have her music connect the various segments. In February 1945 a Hammond organ was installed on the sound-effects recording stage. She recorded the Mexican song, La Parranda and the Cuban number Cachita paran pan pin. Norm Ferguson had hoped to use the Brazilian song Cavaquinho, yet the copyright status seemed a mystery. Ethel recorded various other songs as possible substitutes for Cavaquinho, but the studio was able to get the rights in May 1945. Disney lyricist Ray Gilbert would be assigned to write new English lyrics for this tune, and the result was Blame it on the Samba. Though this segment would eventually be put on a shelf when the Carnival feature was shelved as a whole, it would later see the light of day again. Ethel Smith was becoming an even bigger star due to supporting performances in live action movies and the option of Disney studio to use her services lasted up until spring 1947. In late 1946 production on the Blame it on the Samba sequence was revived. There was a proposed version of the sequence that at least made it to the storyboard stage, that would have featured both Ethel Smith and Carmen Miranda. In that version, Donald Duck and Joe Carioca went to a theater where both artists were performing. The two crash backstage where Smith is performing and end up in Miranda's dressing room. Later both artists go on stage to perform Blame it on the Samba. Donald and Joe Carioca are still backstage, where Donald is still lovestruck by a kiss from Carmen Miranda. Joe tells Donald romantic tales of Rio and Donald's mind transports the duck to a surreal fantasy world. This lovely dream would morph into a nightmare involving matchboxes and a performance of the Bonfire Ballet. This in turn would turn into a celebration of Brazil's Festa de sao Joao Brazil festival. It is not known if this plan was from before the project was originally shelved or after. There were also plans to have all three Caballeros appear in this segment but eventually Panchito was dropped due to the sequence having nothing to do with Mexico. This is when the Aracuan Bird would be added to the action.

Now let us close with a song. 

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

South of the Border with Disney by J.B. Kaufman.

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.

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

https://mediahistoryproject.org/

https://looneytunes.fandom.com/wiki/The_Cat_Came_Back

https://looneytunes.fandom.com/wiki/Suzanne

 

  

Some Cartoons for Saturday Morning #270

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

Today's cartoon selection begins with a true classic starring Porky and Slyvester, Claws for Alarm (1954). This was the second of two cartoons (both directed by Chuck Jones) featuring Sylvester as the cowardly cat that must protect his owner Porky for murderous mice (the first being Scaredy Cat (1948)). Unlike other appearances of Sylvester, here the cat is treated more like a real cat and has no ability to speak. Chuck Jones would use this basic formula again for Jumpin' Jupiter (1955). That film would again feature Sylvester as a cowardly cat that must protect Porky. However, in that cartoon he would protect his master from a space alien rather than mice.  Claws For Alarm would later be used in the feature length compilation movie, Daffy Duck's Quackbusters (1988).

Next is the New 3 Stooges cartoon, Tee for Three (1965). These cartoons feature the voices of the real Stooges who also appear in the opening and closing live action segments. About the live action segments Curly Joe Derita would state, “There were 156 cartoons and we made only 40 live-action segments. So, after they ran the whole 40, they’d just start over by using these same introductions on new cartoons. This turned out to be misleading because viewers would say, ‘Oh, I’ve seen this one before.’ and they’d turn off the television. They didn’t know it was a new cartoon."  In the cartoon here the Stooges play a game of golf. They had previously played golf in the classic live action short film, Three Little Beers (1935). However, no gags are borrowed from that previous short, and the story is completely different. 

Now for the Talkartoons short, Silly Scandals (1931). This film marks the first cartoon in which Betty Boop has her first name. 

It is now time for an early Silly Symphonies cartoon, The Merry Dwarfs (1929). For Disney buffs one of the most appealing things about the Disney films of the 1920's is that many of them were directed by Walt Disney himself. While these cartoons may not be a polished or sophisticated as the Disney films of the mid to late 1930's and 40's, they give us a peek into the creative mind of one of the most important names in film history. Though there are no animation credits on this cartoon J.B. Kaufman and Russell Merritt's indispensable book about the Silly Symphonies states that Ub Iwerks, Les Clark, Johnny Cannon and Wilfred Jackson worked on this film. The background art is by Carlos Manriquez, who worked on many of the Silly Symphonies of the late 1920's and early 1930's. This film opened in New York, December 11-17, 1929, with the feature film, The Sky Hawk (1929) at the Gaiety theatre. It played at Hollywood's Grauman's Chinese Theatre running from January 17- April 11, 1930, with the feature film The Rouge Song (1930), which features one of the earliest feature film appearances of Laurel and Hardy. The short made its TV debut on an episode of The Mickey Mouse Club that aired on February 3, 1956.

Now it is time for a commercial break. 

Now we join our friend Mighty Mouse in Gypsy Life (1945). This marked the only Mighty Mouse cartoon to be nominated for an Academy Award. The other cartoons nominated that year included Donald's Crime (Disney, 1945), Jasper and the Beanstalk (George Pal, 1945), Life With Feathers (Warner Brothers, 1945, the first appearance of Slyvester), Poet and Peasant (Walter Lantz, 1945), Quiet Please (MGM, 1945) and Rippling Romance (Columbia, 1945). The winner was Quiet Please marking the third time a Tom and Jerry cartoon won the Oscar. 

Up next is the Walter Lantz produced cartoon, The Big Cat and the Little Mousie (1938). I personally have a fondness for these black and white Walter Lantz cartoons. This is a really charming and fun film. It may not be exactly hilarious, but it does have a real charm to it. The whole sequence with the drunk mouse is similar to a famous sequence in the Disney cartoon, The Country Cousin (1936) and was perhaps inspired by it. While the character animation here may not be as impressive as that of the Disney film, it is still quite well done. A review in The Film Daily stated, "Kids and grownups alike will find this yarn amusing." A review in the Motion Picture Herald calls this film "unnecessary" and states, "The background commentary with its 'teeny weeny little mousie,' has a burlesque ring in light of the theme of this Oswald Rabbit subject." 

Now Mickey and friends in Potato Land (2013).

Now to close with a song. 

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.

The Three Stooges Scrapbook by Jeff Lenburg, Joan Howard Maurer and Greg Lanburg

https://mediahistoryproject.org/

Some Cartoons for Saturday Morning #265

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

Today's cartoon selection begins with Heckle and Jeckle in The Intruders (1947). The Heckle and Jeckle shorts are some of the best cartoons to come out of the Terry Toons studio and this cartoon shows why perfectly. It is fast paced, creative and a lot of fun. 

Up next comes probably the most popular and well known of Disney's Silly Symphonies, Three Little Pigs (1933). This cartoon is considered to be a breakthrough in personality animation. No less than Chuck Jones would say, "That was the first time that anybody ever brought characters to life. There were three characters, who looked alike and acted differently; the way the moved is what made them who they were. Before that in things like Steamboat Willie [1928], the villain was a big heavy guy, and the hero was a little guy; everybody moved the same. Even in the Fleischer's stuff, the basic difference between Popeye and Bluto was the size difference not the action difference." The animation of the three pigs is mostly handled by Fred Moore and Dick Lundy. Dick Lundy animated all of the dancing scenes. Jack King animated one excellent scene in which Practical Pig is playing the piano. Norm Ferguson animated the majority of the Big Bad Wolf. Art Babbitt animates only two scenes, one in which the wolf catches the pig's by their tails and one in which he falls into a boiling pot. These were some of the best Disney animators of the time and their work here perfectly shows why. This is not just a milestone for its time, but remains a hugely entertaining cartoon today, heavily because of the work of these animators. Walt Disney later remembered this film's premiere, "It caused no excitement at its Radio City premiere. In fact many critics preferred Father Noah's Ark [1933], which was released at the same time. I was told that some exhibitor's and even United Artists considered The Pigs a 'cheater' because it only had four characters in it. The picture bounced back to fame from the neighborhood theatres." Three Little Pigs would become not only a hit cartoon but a sensation with movie goers everywhere. The short also gave the Disney studio its first of many hit songs, Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf (written by Frank Churchill), a song that is still instantly recognizable to Disney fans today. Time Magazine referred to the song as "the tune by which 1933 will be remembered." Despite all this Walt would later discuss the making of the cartoon stating, "It was just another story to us, and we were gaging it up just like any other picture." The following is from a 1933 issue of Modern Screen Magazine, "Here's some good news for you 'Three Little Pigs' fans: This Silly Symphony has met with such tremendous success that Walt Disney is going to feature them (plus the Big Bad Wolf) in several other Mother Goose rhymes. In other words, they're going to become regular stars like Mickey Mouse. Incidentally folks are seeing 'Three Little Pigs for the umptieth time and still enjoying it." There would only be three sequels (The Big Bad Wolf (1934), Three Little Wolves (1936) and The Practical Pig (1939)), none of which would be as successful as the first leading Walt to infamously say, "you can't top pigs with pigs." This cartoon reached the number 11 spot in Jerry Beck's book, The 50 Greatest Cartoons. Before the studio embarked on Snow White (1937), silent movie queen Mary Pickford approached Walt Disney about making an Alice in Wonderland feature film where she would play a live action Alice and would enter completely animated Wonderland. Mary Pickford had great admiration for Walt Disney's work, and she was the main force driving this planned film. In early 1933, an acquaintance of Mary's named Frank Reily suggested that Mary make an adaption of Alice in Wonderland with the aid of the Disney studio. Some of Mary's associates warned her against such an expensive venture during the midst of the great depression. Mary came to visit the studio when the project and overheard from story artist Ted Sears and composer Frank Churchill about a project in the works involving three little pigs and heard the song, Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf. As well pitching her idea to Walt, she also told Walt, "If you don't make this cartoon about the pigs, I'll never speak to you again." Even if the proposed feature never happened, Mary was right about this cartoon short. 

Now for The New Three Stooges cartoon, Gagster Dragster (1965). The Stooges voice themselves in this made for TV cartoon. The real Stooges also appear in the opening and closing live action segments. The live action segments would often be repeated even when the cartoon was new. Curly Joe DeRita felt that this hurt the show. He thought that people would see a live action segment they had seen before and assume the show was a rerun and change the channel not knowing the cartoon was new. 

Next comes the Screen Song cartoon, Put on Your Old Grey Bonnet (1929). The title song was written by Percy Wenrich in 1909. Percy Wenrich also wrote such songs as I'll Meet You When the Sun Goes Down, Moonlight Bay, When You Wore a Tulip and I Wore a Big Red Rose and Sail Along, Silv'ry Moon. 

Now it is time for a commercial break. 

Next comes a wonderful Daffy Duck film, The Daffy Duckaroo (1942). This cartoon was directed by Norman McCabe, who I always feel was underrated as a Looney Tunes director. Some of his Looney Tunes shorts are truly excellent, but because most of his cartoons were in black and white and feature a lot of topical gags about World War 2, his cartoons rarely get the exposure that other Looney Tunes directors do. He would return to the Looney Tunes universe well after the golden age as a timing director on such TV shows as Tiny Tunes Adventures, Taz-Mania and The Sylvester and Tweety Mysteries. I personally love McCabe's version of Daffy. He is as wild and crazy and energetic as Bob Clampett and Tex Avery's version of the character is, but he also has a few traits of the later Daffy that Chuck Jones and Friz Freleng would use. 

Now for an MGM Happy Harmonies short, The Little Bantamweight (1938). This is a rather typical entry in the Happy Harmonies series. It is very visually appealing, though it has much less gags than the typical cartoon from another studio. With the lack of gags, it is strange to think that this is the studio that in the 1940's would be giving us the Tom and Jerry and Droopy cartoons. 

Now for the Pink Panther in Pink in the Woods (1979). In this short film, The Pink Panther gets a job as a lumberjack. He had previously been a lumberjack in Pink Is a Many Splintered Thing (1968). 

Let us close by singing a song we all know. 

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

Mary Pickford: America's Sweetheart by Scott Eyman

Walt Disney's Silly Symphonies: A Companion to the Classic Cartoon Series by Russell Merritt and J.B. Kaufman The 50 Greatest Cartoons Edited by Jerry Beck Hollywood Cartoons: American Animation in its Golden Age by Michael Barrier https://mediahistoryproject.org/

Some Cartoons for Saturday Morning #264

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


Today's cartoon selection begins with Magoo's Three Point Landing (1958). This short benefits from some strong animation. Maurie Faigin animates the opening scene. Ed Freidman animates a lengthy scene (which is also one of the movie's highlights) were Magoo hitchhikes. Barney Posner also gets some great scenes animating Magoo driving through the airplane garage and arguing with the people therein, as well as the two pilots. Speaking of the two pilots notice that one is named Sully and is known for his "emergency landings." One of them also is voiced by Daws Butler doing a voice that sounds like The Huckleberry Hound Show's Mr. Jinx. 

Up next is Mighty Mouse in The First Snow (1947). About Mighty Mouse, producer Paul Terry would state, "If you go back through history, when a person is down and there's no more hope you say, 'It's in God's hands now.' ... So, taking that as a basis, I'd only have to get the mice in a tough spot and they say, 'isn't there some one who can help?' 'Yes, there is someone; its Mighty Mouse!' So down from the heavens he'd come ... and lick the evil spirit, or whatever it was, and everything was serene again. It was a pattern-made thing." Mighty Mouse didn't always just protect mice though. In this film, he protects some bunny rabbits. In his landmark book, Of Mice and Magic: A History of American Animated Cartoons Leonard Maltin writes, "Thus, any idea that was really good had to seem as if it came directly from Terry. So, when Klein proposed a spoof of the newly popular Superman character using a fly, Terry heard him out and dismissed the idea. A short time later he brought it up again, as if he conceived the whole thing, but in Terry's version the fly became a mouse." To be fair the idea of a super powered mouse is more endearing than that of a super powered fly. 

Now for the Fox and the Crow in Foxy Flatfoots (1946). This short film was directed by Bob Wickersham, a former Disney animator who had worked on some of the classic Mickey Mouse and Silly Symphonies cartoons of the 1930's as well as some of the studio's early animated feature films. 

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. Animation for this film was done from July through August of 1929. The sound was recorded on August 12, 1929. The film was delivered in September 1929. The cartoon had its theatrical debut at the George M. Cohan (in New York) on September 13, 1929, where it played alongside the Frank Capra directed feature, Flight (1929). 

Now it is time for a commercial break. 

Animation fans know director Friz Freleng as a master of timing and very few comedy cartoons have come close to the perfect comedy timing of his films. This can especially be seen in his cartoon, Yankee Doodle Daffy (1943). This in my mind is one of his funniest films and just a pure delight. Despite the title, this film does not have a parotitic theme or revolve around U.S. history. With the James Cagney feature, Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942) having come out the year before, this pun was probably just too good for the filmmakers to pass up.  As I have spoken about Friz earlier look for a portrait of him in Porky's office. A review in The Motion Picture Daily calls this film a "Pleasant little subject." The following are Exhibitor's reviews from The Motion Picture Herald. "YANKEE DOODLE DAFFY: Looney Tunes Cartoons—This studio's cartoons lately seem to be either exiciptionally good or exceptionally bad. This is downright terrible. - W. Verricks Nevins, III, Alfred Co-op Theatre, Alfred N.Y." "YANKEE DOODLE DAFFY: Looney Tunes Cartoons—Good cartoon, but where does it get its name? - Ralph Raspa, State Theatre, Rivesdale, W. Va." "YANKEE DOODLE DAFFY: Looney Tunes Cartoons - Average color cartoon. - E.M. Freiburger, Paramount Theatre, Dewey, Okla." 

Next comes The New Three Stooges cartoon, Bee My Honey (1965). The Stooges voiced themselves in this TV cartoon. 

Now for the Talkartoons cartoon, Sky Scraping (1930).

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

Thanks for joining me. Come back next week for more animated treasures. Until then may all your tunes be looney and your melodies merry. 

-Michael J. Ruhland

Resources Used

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

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

https://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/upas-magoos-three-point-landing-1958/

https://lantern.mediahist.org/