"Donald and Pluto" (1936)

At the time this cartoon was released the Disney Studio was only making two cartoon series. These were the Silly Smymphonies and the Mickey Mouse cartoons. The Donald Duck series would start later with Don Donald. Because of this, despite not featuring Mickey Mouse, Donald and Pluto was released as a Mickey Mouse cartoon.The following is from an article in Motion Picture Daily (dated November 7, 1936).

"They say its a lot of hard work. Granted. It must also be carloads of fun for Walt Disney and his gang to turn out those Mickey Mouses and Silly Symphonies. And while that observation may carry with it elements of speculation, there can be none about the reaction of those who sit comfortably in the projection room to observe, to chuckle and to guffaw at the incomparable results of this Hollywood enterprise.

"Five displayed themselves yesterday. They were 'Donald and Pluto' but Walt should have screen credit to the magnet which provides the chief reason for riot; 'The Three Blind Mouskeers' or picnics among the mice a la broad Alexandre Dumas; 'Mickey's Elephant' introducing a new and jolly character raising havoc with Pluto; 'Mother Pluto' which reveals the famous canine as far more maternal than you might have suspected, and 'The Country Cousin' replete with cheese, champagne and the adventures of a country bumpkin mouse amidst the perils of the big city.

"All in color and loaded with genuine wit and charm, we should hate to be driven into a corner and told to pick the best. Therefore we won't."

AnimationAl Eugster (A satchel - tools attracted out; Duck on pilce [I know this is not a real word but it is written on the draft I used as a resource] of props - gets tools with magnet - sees Pluto o.s.; Duck with magnet extends towards Pluto; Duck gets sledge - magnet knocked from pipe - falls out of scene)
Shamus Culhane (Pluto - bone in pan - sledge hammer under him; Sledge attracted by magnet - goes up out of scene - Pluto surprised; Roof - Pluto in a whirl; Roof - Pluto whirls - flies off to left; Cellar door - duck and Pluto fall in)
Fred Spencer (Magnet falls on bench - attracts bone in pan, magnet catches Pluto's nose in pan - pan thrown out of scene; Long shot - Pluto, pan, magnet and magnetic waves; Pluto swallows magnet - pan on rear - tries to shake off pan; Pluto in crashes into trunk; Duck upset - falls out of scene; Duck into tub - blubbers; Sun room - C.U. - Duck with wrench hurts Pluto; Duck jerked along ceiling; Kitchen ceiling - duck into fan; Kitchen ceiling - more whirling in fan; Kitchen ceiling - Duck pulled into lamp cord electric shock; Kitchen ceiling - duck drops almost hits floor; Duck hits ceiling - angry - pulls; Duck bumping along ceiling; Duck below on ceiling; C.U. Magnet clumps duck to furnace - misc. props in - Pluto in licks bone - IRIS OUT)
Norm Ferguson (Dinning room table - Pluto and alarm clock; Living room - Pluto through rocker - clock rolls out; Pluto in corner - cornered by clock; C.U. Pluto - clock in f.g. - big; Pluto and rolling pin)

Bill Roberts (Stairway - Pluto up and out; Kitchen - Pluto in - circles and backs up; Doors of kitchen cabinet open - Pots and pans out; Pluto - Pots and Pans hit him - he runs out through swinging door; Dinning room - Pluto through swinging door - bone dish in - hits him in mouth; Pendulum dining room - Pluto smacked by clock; Living room - Pluto - alarm clock - bear rug; Dinning room - Pluto skids on rug - pan and bone attracted to Pluto; C.U. - kitchen - cleaver menaces; Pluto in kitchen - sees cleaver - takes it flops; C.U. knives bust out of drawer;  Kitchen - Pluto pursed by knives - rug hit by knives; Entry way - Pluto pursued; Pluto and knives circle to right; Pluto and knives circle to left; Trap door - Pluto through - knives stuck in door; L.S. basement - Pluto in - backs towards ladder - duck; C.U. Nails come out of ladder; Nails hit Pluto - he takes it- runs out through foreground - Bog; C.U. Duck falls as ladder disintegrates; Duck into washer - through ringer into basket; Pluto sneaks off - Duck attracted - Pluto runs out; Basement stairway - Pluto up and out - Duck falls; L.S. - Sun room - Pluto skids on rug - goes upstairs; M.L.S. - roof - Pluto through door on roof; Roof - Pluto relieved - sits down; Sun room - duck attracted up; Sun room ceiling - duck hits; Roof - Pluto struggles - starts moving along on fanny; Pluto dragged along roof; Still Roof - C.U. Pluto takes shock - up in air; Roof - Pluto knocks down ladder; Pluto above on ladder; Roof edge - Pluto and duck out on ladder - ladder falls; C.U. - Pluto hits cellar step - magnet flies out)

Story: Donald is a plumber fixing some pipes in a basement. He accidently drops a magnet which attracts Pluto's food dish. Trying to get the magnet off his food dish, Pluto accidentally swallows it and attracts every metal thing around him. Pluto's fanny eventually attracts the nails in Donald's ladder and Donald's wrench. The magnet is eventually knocked out of Pluto but it catches Donald in an uncomfortable spot.


   

  -Michael J. Ruhland

Superman Thrill Show

The following is from an article in the Motion Picture Herald dated October 31, 1942.

"United Detroit Theaters originated a new idea in cartoon parties Saturday at the Rosedale Theatre when they combined three 'Superman' cartoons into a 'Superman Thrill Show'; added two other animated shorts for an hour's cartoon program plus the regular 'Proven Hits' features, 'Ghost Breakers' and 'Man's Castle.' Kid attendance at the theater tripled.

"The 'Superman Thrill Show' was advertised a week in advance by the theater in special screen trailers; lobby easels were displayed and by making a publicity tie-up with the Detroit News, which runs 'Superman' comics daily and Sunday. The 'Superman Thrill Show' idea will be used shortly in several other neighborhood United Detroit Theatres.

"The cartoons shown were 'Superman,' 'The Mechanical Monster,' 'Broadway Limited,' 'Crazy Cruise,' and 'Saps in Chaps.'"

Ghost Breakers was a 1940 comedy movie starring Bob Hope and directed by George Marshall. Man's Castle was a 1933 drama starring Spencer Tracy and Loretta Young and directed by Frank Borzage. Superman and The Mechinical Monster were Superman cartoons. I am unaware of any cartoon short called Broadway Limited. However since the article stated three Superman cartoons were shown, I feel it is safe to assume the writer meant Billion Dollar Limited which is a Superman cartoon. Crazy Cruise is a 1942 Merrie Melodies cartoon. Saps in Chaps is a 1942 Looney Tunes cartoon.

-Michael J. Ruhland  

       

Movie Review: Midnight Sun

Review Written By Michael J. Ruhland




















Michael's Movie Grade: F

Review: This is as bad as it gets folks. Even with the terrible tearjerker teenage romance movies out there, this is the bottom of the barrel.

The main problem with this film is that it is a romantic movie and the romance is never believable. The two main characters are bland and boring movie stereotypes. we have seen them in too many movies before and they are less interesting here. There is also the fact that the characters have no chemistry together. The side characters are equally completely boring. This is not helped by the hopelessly forced dialogue they are given. Despite the characters saying they were meant for each other, I was never fully convinced of this. The main character having xeroderma pigmentosum is about the only thing that makes this movie different from any other movie of this same type. Some critics have attacked this film as being offensive to those with this disease by not portraying it accurately, and using it for an obviously emotional manipulative story. The disease does feel like it is being used simply for reasons of creating tear-jerking moments. Regardless of your feelings about this controversy, dramatically this is not enough to make this movie feel like anything new or different. It feels like the same tearjerker movie we have seen a million times before, only much blander. The ending is even worse than the rest of this horrible movie. Without giving anything away there is nothing romantic about this. Instead it feels like a character being completely selfish and thinking about nobody other than him or herself. The ending is so bad, it is tough to even sit through. Still there is nothing good I can say about the rest of this movie, as this is pure bottom of the barrel bad. Simply put, avoid this movie.

-Michael J. Ruhland
     
 

Movie Review: Sherlock Gnomes

Review Written by Michael J. Ruhland

Michael's Movie Grade: C+

Review: Surprisingly enjoyable movie even if it is far from great.

What makes this movie work is the main characters. Gnomeo and Juliet are especially very likable. The relationship between them, feels very sweet and genuine. Their relationship also provides a good comparison to the partnership of Sherlock and Watson. This movie also provides us with an action filled climax that is actually quite exciting and suspenseful. The mystery while nothing too shocking is fun and played out quite well. The animation is also very good. It shows the characters' emotions perfectly without ever being too over the top. 2D scenes inside Sherlock's head are some of the best moments in the film.

This movie certainly has its share of faults though. The biggest of these is all the side characters. None of them are even slightly interesting. The villains are not much stronger. Another big problem with this movie is the humor. While there are few clever jokes in here, much of the humor misses the mark. Little of it is groan worthy (in fact the worst jokes in the trailer are not present in the actual movie) but also little of it is laugh out loud funny.

Ok this may not be a great movie but I enjoyed it for what it is.

-Michael J. Ruhland

Seeing Buster Keaton and Laurel and Hardy at the Old Town Music Hall.

Again I must praise the Old Town Music Hall. It is one of my favorite places in the world. Again if any of my fellow classic movie lovers are in Southern California, they should not miss an opportunity to go here.

Today I was treated to a complete delight. I saw Buster Keaton's classic silent feature, College as well as the great Laurel and Hardy short Dirty Work.

These are both films I have seen many times. However seeing them with an audience in a theater is the ideal way of watching these movies. They feel fresher, funnier, more spontaneous, faster paced and just all around more entertaining in this environment. For me part of the joy of watching classic comedies in this setting is hearing people who have not seen these pictures as many times as I have, laughing like these jokes are brand new. I awaited to hear how audiences would react to some of my favorite scenes. To hear them react to the surprise extra brick that hit Ollie in Dirty Business or the brilliant gag that ends College makes me laugh as if I had not seen these films dozens of times. The laughter feels as fresh as the first time I watched these great comedies. While I still find them very funny and they never seem to drag if I watch these films aloe on DVD, they never feel like fast paced movies. However watching them with an audience makes these comedies feel like they move at a rapid pace. They move so fast that it seems just after the audience is done laughing at one gag they are laughing at the next. As anyone who has seen the classic movie comedies of the 1920's and 30's in this way will tell you there is no better way to see the movies then like this.

We were also treated to the very talented Bill Field on the Mighty Wurlitzer Pipe Organ. He played a melody of classic songs from the 1920's before either picture started. He also played completely through the silent feature. While some "purists" will tell you that silent movies should not be watched with any music (I have no problem with the fact that some people enjoy the film this way, but I would never recommend it to someone new to silent movies), the truth is these films were meant to have musical accompaniment. It is incredible how much good music can add to a silent movie. Having this music live adds even more. With live music, you can feel the music moving underneath you drawing you further into the action of the movie. This makes watching a silent film, feel more like an experience than almost any other movie going experience.

-Michael J. Ruhland
       

MLP:FIM School Daze Parts 1 & 2

Season 8 of My Little Pony begins with this two part episode about the ponies opening a school for friendship. This excellent start to the season was written by Michael Vogel and Nicole Dubuc. These are Michael Vogel's 10th and 11th episodes. He also wrote the recent feature film, My Little Pony: The Movie (the good one not the one from the 80's). Nicole Dubuc co-wrote the two part season finale for last season. Part one was storyboarded by Aynsley King (who has been boarding for the show since season 4) and Karine Charlebois (who started boarding for the show in season 6). Part two was boarded by Kaylea Chard (who has been boarding for the show since season 3) and Nicole ‘Lil’ Wang. This is an excellent episode. Like many of the best episodes of this show what makes it so good is that the characters feel so real and believable. The Mane Six, Starlight and Spike are as likable as ever. It is also again great to see Twilight in full nerd form which is always delightful. As well as this though the students are very well fleshed out. Each one feels like a real character and is completely believable. This is honestly quite an accomplishment for an hour, and something many two-hour feature films fail to do. The story is also very charming and works perfectly with the length. It never feels stretched out or rushed. -Michael J. Ruhland

Movie Review: I Can Only Imagine

Review Written By Michael J. Ruhland


















Michael's Movie Grade: A-

Review: Powerful and inspiring film that does justice to the great worship song that inspired it.

What really makes this movie so effective is how much respect this movie gives to its subject. There is never a moment when this film feels like it is talking down to its audience. The drama is real and believable. You never feel you are watching a dramatization but rather like you are seeing the real person on screen. I am familiar with the band Mercy Me, and I have even seen them in concert. However I was not very familiar with this story. With this in mind I was completely drawn into this story, and found myself becoming extremely emotionally involved with what I was seeing. Much of this is due to J. Michael Finley's incredible performance. He performance is so human, that it is hard not to get involved in the humanity of the movie. On top of this his singing voice is incredible. John Erwin, Brent McCorkle and Alex Crammer's human and very involving script adds to the powerfulness of this movie.

Being a Christian naturally didn't hurt how much I enjoyed this film, but I don't think that you need to be a believer to be pulled into the powerful filmmaking here.

-Michael J. Ruhland