Some Cartoons for Saturday Morning #271

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

Today's cartoon selection begins with a black and white Looney Tunes short that I have always had a real fondness for, Porky's Bear Facts (1941). This cartoon was directed by Friz Freleng and while it is not as completely crazy as the black and white Looney Tunes directed by Tex Avery, Bob Clampett or Frank Tashlin it does certainly have moments that show what was quickly becoming the studio's signature sense of humor. Characters break the fourth wall and silly visual gags certainly find their way in at times. Yet at the same time the film feels more grounded, and story driven than some of the studio's other efforts at this time. The story itself is somewhat of a takeoff on The Grasshopper and the Ants (which Disney had made a Silly Symphony based around in 1934). In typical Warner style the ending here goes completely against the moral of the story. Like many Porky cartoons of this era, Porky's role is very minimized. The truth was most of the directors were getting tired of working with the pig and this made him become a supporting character in his own cartoons for a while. A reviewer in The Film Daily was not that impressed with this cartoon stating, "Rate it just as fair." A reviewer in the Motion Picture Daily found the true main character of the film quite likable stating, "An engaging character that shiftless bear." The following is an exhibitor's review from The Motion Picture Herald, "PORKY'S BEAR FACTS: Looney Tunes — Fine. Vitaphone is our best bet for good cartoon fare. Running time, nine minutes. —Fred C. Allen, Princess Theatre, Piedmont, Ala. Small town patronage."

Next comes the Terry Toons cartoon, Saw Mill Mystery (1937). 

Next comes the New 3 Stooges cartoon, The Bigger They Are the Harder They Hit (1965). Unfortunately, this series of TV cartoon did little for the Stooges finically. Cambria Studio's distributor was supposed to forward quarterly statements to the Stooges' production company Normandy Productions (owned by Moe's son-in-law and the team's manager Norman Maurer). They did not receive these statements and The Stooges sued but the judge ruled in favor of Cambria. The decision was appealed in 1975 but by that time Moe and Larry had passed away.

Today's cartoon selection begins with a classic Mickey Mouse film, Mickey's Rival (1936). The titular character is a mouse named Mortimer. Those of you who know your Disney history will know that Mortimer was a name that was considered for Mickey. This was Mortimer's first appearance though he bared more than a little resemblance to Mr. Slicker a character that appeared in the Micky Mouse comic strip. Though Mickey's Rival was his only appearance in a theatrically released short film, it was not his only appearance in animation. He became a reoccurring character in the television shows, Mickey Mouse Works (1999-2000) and House of Mouse (2001-2003). He also has a role in the direct to video movie, Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas (1999) and has appeared briefly in Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (2006-2016) and Mickey and the Roadster Races (2017-present). Outside of animation he has been used very often in the Disney comic strips and began to appear in them around the same time he made his debut in movie theaters. Mortimer's design is said to be based off of Walt Disney and those who have seen pictures of a young Walt, will find this easy to believe. The ending to Mickey's Rival has Mickey and Minnie simply shaking hands. However, it was originally planned for Mickey to have a buzzer on his hand to play a Mortimer type prank on Minnie. Though this would have been out of character for Mickey at this time it would have fit perfectly in with the Mickey Mouse of the late 1920's. A review in The Motion Picture Herald stated, "The subject is less complex than many of the recent Disney fabrications but wholly entertaining." The following is an exhibitor's review from The Motion Picture Herald, "Mickey's Rival: Mickey Mouse - We find that the bad characters often frighten our small children and they go out into the foyer until it is passed over. - Harland Rankin, Plaza Theatre, Tilbury, Ontario, Canada, General Patronage." The following is another exhibitor's review from the Motion Picture Herald, "Mickey's Rival: Mickey Mouse—Played this the second time as it is one of the best of the Mickeys.— C. L. Niles, Niles Theatre, Anamosa, Iowa. General patronage." A review in The Motion Picture Daily stated, "Clever animation and fast-moving, but there have been better Mickey's. For instance, 'Alpine Climbers.'" The following is from a 1936 issue of The Film Daily, "United Artists' latest Walt Disney release, 'Mickey's Rival', introducing Mortimer Mouse, will open at the Radio City Music Hall with 'Swing Time' on Thursday, and at the Rivoii Theater with 'The Last of the Mohicans.'"

Now it is time for a commercial break. 

Now for the Fleischer Screen Songs cartoon, Chinatown, My Chinatown (1929). The title song was written by William Jerome (lyrics) and Jean Schwartz (music). This team also wrote the songs My Irish Molly-O, Handle Me With Care, Over the Hills and Far Away, Meet Me in Rose Time, Rosie, Shooting the Bull Around the Bulletin Board and I'm Going Back Home and Have a Wonderful Time. Other songs Jean Schartz worked on include Tell That to the Marines and Rock-a-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody, both hits for Al Jolson. Chinatown, My Chinatown was first published in 1910. A 1915 recording by the American Quartet with Billy Murray was the number one record in its day. Artists that recorded this song over the years include Fletcher Henderson, Louis Armstrong, Louis Prima, and Lionel Hampton. The song is considered an early jazz standard.

Next comes the first Daffy Duck cartoon directed by Chuck Jones, Daffy Duck and the Dinosaur (1939). Today many cartoon fans associate Chuck with being one of the main people who changed Daffy from his early high energy crazy self into a more vain, jealous and greedy character. This film however features Daffy in his early crazy high energy mode. A review in The Motion Picture Herald even stated, "The gags and situations are appropriately matched to the zany personality of the duck." Another review in The Motion Picture Daily stated, "Leon Schlesinger delivers good color cartoon work in this "Merrie Melody," but the striving for whimsy hits only in spots." The following is an exhibitors' review also from The Motion Picture Herald, "Daffy Duck and the Dinosaur: Merrie Melodies—Very few laughs in this one. Not up to standard of most cartoons in this series. Running time seven minutes. - Don Bloxham, Place Theatre, Exira, Iowa, General and rural patronage."

Now for Mutt and Jeff in Ups and Downs (1926). 

Now to close with a song. 

Thank you for joining me. Be sure to come back next week for more classic cartoons. Until then may all your tunes be looney and your melodies merry. 

Resources Used

Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse: The Ultimate History by David Gerstein and J.B. Kaufman

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

https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/Mickey%27s_Rival

https://mediahistoryproject.org/

  

 

  

Movie Review: The Bride!

 

Michael's Movie Grade: B+

An ambitious, original and fun thrill ride. 

With how hard it is to find movies today that feel truly original (admittedly not an easy task when cinema has been around for over a century), it is amazing that a reimagining of James Whale's 1936 classic, Bride of Frankenstein manages to be just that. This film may borrow quite a bit from films from the past, but it does so with twists that make even these moments feel completely fresh. This movie has a very stylish look and feel to it. The film's use of color and sets simply creates an atmosphere that invokes a bit of the feel of the old monster movies, while still feeling like a film from the 21st century. The soundtrack similarly blends elements of the 1930's along with modern pop elements, which perfectly matches a film like this. Even at its most tragic the movie features a quirky sense of humor with a willingness to go as strange and bizarre as it can for a laugh. While not every one of these comedic moments land but the ones that do are truly hilarious. Even when the humor does miss though, you have to respect director/writer Maggie Gyllenhaal for not holding back from her very creative and singular vision. 

Yet despite all of this film's unique style it does not overlook the story in favor of this. The story is a classic tragic romance. I was amazed at how moved I was by many of the romantic moments here. While the characters may be revived from the dead and appear monstrous, there is a real sweetness to many of the scenes between these characters. Because of this we grow to care about them and want nothing more than for them to live happily ever after. Much of this is due to the wonderful chemistry of Jessie Buckley (one of my favorite current actresses) and Christian Bale, both of whom convince us that these characters are truly in love. If this movie simply relied on gimmicks and stylish moments, it would be fun but instantly forgettable. It is that underneath all of this there is a real sense of heart that makes this so successful. 

This film has its flaws as well. For instance, I am not sure that the inclusion of Mary Shelly as a character, ever completely worked from a narrative standpoint, though it did provide some fun moments. Though I know it seems silly to complain about believability in a monster movie, I found things like a modern-day dance club with strobe lights and a 3-D zombie movie existing in 1936 to feel more than a little distracting. I also found the detectives to be less interesting than the "monsters" and the film could drag when they were on screen. 

Despite its flaws though this is an excellent film. 

Movie Review: Scream 7

 

Michael's Movie Grade: C+

A decent entry into this horror franchise. 

What actually worked surprisingly well here was the relationship between Sidney and her daughter. While this relationship falls into clichés, it is also quite well fleshed out and kind of touching. This is helped by Neve Campbell and Isabel May, simply having great chemistry. While the teenage daughter at first comes off as a brat, she actually grows into a really likable character as the film goes on. Sidney herself is the great character that fans of this franchise have loved since 1996. The film also benefits heavily from some excellently executed suspense scenes, the gory but creative kills the franchise is known for and some effective meta humor. 

Unfortunately, despite all this the movie is never actually scary. You can see each jump scare coming from a mile away. I am usually someone is quite startled by jump scares. However not a single one of them worked on me in this movie full of them. This movie also suffers from some rather bland new supporting characters. I can guarantee you that even diehard fans of this franchise will forget most of these supporting characters exist in a year from now. 

However, the biggest flaw of this movie is the reveal of who is behind the ghost face mask. At first it doesn't make much sense at all. Then the character explains the motives behind the killing. The problem is that this is the first time we are hearing of any of these motives. As much as this is a horror franchise, it has also become a murder mystery franchise, where we try to guess who this Ghostface's identity is and what the motives are. Trying to guess the who and why is an important part of movies like this. While you may be able to guess who, simply from a process of elimination, you cannot guess the why because you are not given specific clues. The reveal also makes one of the kills make no sense. The filmmakers try to explain this kill with a very brief line of dialogue. However, this reasoning feels completely forced and comes out of nowhere. This reveal will certainly ruin the whole movie for many people, even if they enjoyed what came before.

Despite its flaws including a truly horrible ending, this is still a fun little horror flick. 

Movie Trailer: Scary Movie 6

 

Movie Review: GOAT

 

Michael's Movie Grade: C+

An enjoyable but forgettable animated film. 

This movie is pretty much your average underdog sports film only with animated talking animals. This movie may follow every cliché these stories are known for, but the film still works pretty well. The main reason for this is the two main characters. One is Will Harris, a goat, who is told he can't be a roarball (an all-animal version of basketball) player because he is too small. This is your typical movie underdog in many ways. While he is not a complex character, he is a likable one and it is easy to find yourself rooting for him. The other is Jett Filmore, a panther, who is considered a legend yet is afraid as she gets older, she may never actually win a championship. The insecurities this character has are perfectly conveyed and it is hard not to empathize with her fears and anxieties. Despite the action-packed sport scenes and the corny jokes, this movie really comes to life in the quiet smaller scenes between these two characters. One scene where Will takes Jett to the cafe he used to work at has a surprising amount of emotional poignancy to it. The relationship between these characters is very well thought out and actually kind of touching. It grows and changes over the course of the movie in a completely believable way. Because these characters feel real, even though we know how the film will end, the ending still kind of works. 

Like many animated family films today, this movie tries to throw gags at us for most of the film's runtime. As can be expected in this case, some of these gags are quite funny while others fall completely flat. 

I did feel the roarball games themselves were wasted opportunities. This differs from typical basketball as the stages represent various environments and therefore can provide different obstacles for the players. Sadly, this twist on basketball was quite underused. If better utilized this could have given this movie a unique feel that was quite different from your average sports film. 

This is one of those movies that you enjoy watching but, in a few weeks, will forget about.  

Cowboy Church #258

 Hello my friends and welcome back for another service of Cowboy Church. 

Today's musical selection begins with Roy Rogers and Dale Evans with Jesus Loves the Little Children.  Jesus would state, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me." There is no doubt that Jesus did love the little children and he loves us big children too. If we will humble ourselves and become like little children, the blessings he has for us are immeasurable. 

This is followed by Ricky Scaggs and The Whites with Blessed Assurance. This hymn came about when songwriter Fanny Crosby visited composer Phoebe Palmer Knapp. Knapp played a tune for Crosby and asked what came to her mind with that tune. Crosby said, "Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!" She then immediately followed it with more lyrics that would be in the finished song. The song was published in 1873 and first appeared in a monthly magazine for which the editors were Joseph Fairchild Knapp and Phoebe Palmer Knapp (who were husband and wife). When it later appeared in 1887's Gospel Songs, No. 5 by Ira Sankey, this we lead it to greater fame as it would be commonly sung in the revivals of Dwight L. Moody and Sankey. By 1889, the hymn commonly appeared in Methodist hymnals. 

Afterwards is The Carter Family's classic 1927 recording of Can the Circle Be Unbroken. This song was based off of the 1907 Christian hymn (written by Charles H. Gabriel and Ada R. Habershon), Will the Circle Be Unbroken. Uncle A.P. Carter reworked this song changing the lyrics to be about the death of a mother. Though this version would be covered by an incredible number of artists, many of them would change the title back to Will the Circle Be Unbroken as well as changing that one word in the chorus. However, these cover versions would use A.P.'s lyrics for the rest of the song. This is one of my all-time favorite songs, because it is a sad song, but one which also finds hope within its darkness. This is a song about trusting in God in times when it is very difficult to, which is something many gospel songs don't cover but which many Christians struggle with. 

Then comes Susan Raye with Farther Along. This comes from her 1973 gospel album, Hymns by Susan Raye. 

Next comes the Sons of the Pioneers with their 1937 recording of The Touch of God's Hand. This song was written by Bob Nolan, one of the group's founding members and one of my favorite songwriters. Nolan also takes lead vocals on this song. Lloyd Perryman plays rhythm guitar. Karl Farr is on guitar. Sam Koki is playing Steel Guitar. Pat Bradey (later Roy Rogers' TV sidekick) plays bass. Hugh Farr is on the fiddle. 

Then comes Rex Allen with his 1953 recording of I Thank The Lord. 

Today's musical selection ends with Johnny Cash and Billy Graham with Preacher Said, Jesus Said. Johnny and Billy were great friends and John often appeared at the Billy Graham crusades and played a major role in leading many people to Christ. This song has Johnny singing with inserts of Billy Graham quoting Jesus. The message of this song was not only timely then as well as timely now. It will always be timely. When things are darkest and we don't know who to believe or trust, we know that we can always count on the words of Jesus Christ to be as true as they ever were. This recording comes from John's 1971 album, The Man in Black. 

Now for a sermon from S.M. Lockridge.

Now for the second episode of the Lone Ranger TV series. 

Psalm 57

For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam. When he had fled from Saul into the cave.

1 Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me,

    for in you I take refuge.

I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings

    until the disaster has passed.

2 I cry out to God Most High,

    to God, who vindicates me.

3 He sends from heaven and saves me,

    rebuking those who hotly pursue me—

    God sends forth his love and his faithfulness.

4 I am in the midst of lions;

    I am forced to dwell among ravenous beasts—

men whose teeth are spears and arrows,

    whose tongues are sharp swords.

5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;

    let your glory be over all the earth.

6 They spread a net for my feet—

    I was bowed down in distress.

They dug a pit in my path—

    but they have fallen into it themselves.

7 My heart, O God, is steadfast,

    my heart is steadfast;

    I will sing and make music.

8 Awake, my soul!

    Awake, harp and lyre!

    I will awaken the dawn.

9 I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;

    I will sing of you among the peoples.

10 For great is your love, reaching to the heavens;

    your faithfulness reaches to the skies.

11 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;

    let your glory be over all the earth.

Thanks for joining me. Come back next week for another service of Cowboy Church. Happy trails to you until we meet again. 

Silent Film of the Month: White Fawn's Devotion (1910)

 

Run Time: 11 minutes. Studio: Pathé Frères. Director: James Young Deer. Writers: James Young Deer.  Main Cast: Lucille Young

Despite being little remembered today, White Fawn's Devotion has a significant historical importance as the first known film directed and written by a Native American and starring a mostly Native American cast.   

This short borrows much of its story elements from the 1905 stage melodrama, The Squaw Man (which would be adapted for the screen multiple times by Cecil B. DeMille). In this film a young girl is the child of a white man and a Native American Woman. When her father inherits a fortune out East, the mother believes that he is going to leave her. She then attempts suicide. The daughter walks in and thinks that her father has killed her mother. She tells the tribe about this, and they come after the father to kill him. 

This is more than a simply historic curio. It is a solid melodrama that still holds up pretty well today. Though it may not have the advanced technical filmmaking you might see in a D.W. Griffith Biograph short, it manages to tell a concise and easy to follow story in only 10 minutes with very few intertitles. A lot happens in this short little movie, but it never once loses its audience. More than this the story is quite engaging and the action scenes (while simple and straightforward) are pretty exciting.   

  Pathé had made a series of westerns in Europe, however they were often criticized for their European, especially in the clothing. The response to this was to create something more authentic by hiring a Native American director and shooting in the U.S. (though it was still filmed in the East). The director and writer would be James Young Deer. Born in Nebraska of Winnebago ancestry, Deer had quite a career. He started had toured with Wild West shows and circuses. He would eventually land a career appearing in movie westerns, sometimes alongside his wife Lillian St. Cyr (who sometimes used the stage name Princess Redwing). As well as starring in films, Deer would also write for them. Despite how little known he is even among cinephiles, he is believed to have directed approximately 120 films between 1910 and 1913. Sadly, he was never credited for any of these films. 

   The interracial marriage was quite daring for its time. What is more incredible is the ending. I usually wouldn't discuss spoilers on this blog but since the last few feet of film are missing, I feel that it is important to do here. Still if any of you haven't seen the film, I recommend watching it before reading further. The girl's mother has attempted suicide but only wounded herself. Luckily it is found out that she is actually alive just before the tribe can kill the father. This is where the film now ends. Luckily Pathé publicity tells us what happens after this. "The Combs take their departure and return to their home, for he feels he will be happier with his family on than if he goes out East to claim his legacy." This type of happily ever after ending for an interracial couple was unheard of in fiction at this time, making this quite remarkable. 

When in a later film (which is unfortunately lost today) called Red Deer's Devotion (1911), Deer switched the sexes of the interracial couple, this was met with much criticism. Moving Picture World wrote, "Another feature of this film would not please a good many. It represents a white girl and an Indian falling in love with each other. While such a thing is possible, and undoubtedly has been done many times, there is still a feeling of disgust which cannot be overcome when this sort of thing is depicted as plainly as it is here." 

James Young Deer was not the only American filmmaker making films about Native Americans. In fact, from 1908 to 1912 there were a slew of pictures about Native Americans. Unfortunately, by 1913 Moving Picture World stated, "Indian dramas ... are played out." They were not alone in this sentiment. Film Companies were now hanging signs stating, "No Indians Wanted." Sadly, this meant that James Young Deer's movie career was coming to an end.    

For anyone interested in watching this film, you can do so below. 

Resources Used

Liner notes for the DVD box set, Treasures from American Film Archives by Scott Simmon