Cowboy Church #109

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

Today's musical selection begins with Cowboy Copas' 1956 recording of Don't Shake Hands With the Devil, a song that he co-wrote. Next up comes Tennessee Ernie Ford with Just As I Am. This hymn was written by Charlotte Elliott. She had been a writer of funny poems, but at 32 she became seriously ill in a way that would affect her for the rest of her life. This lead her to become angry and depressed. However minister and hymnist César Malan convinced her to replace this anger and pain with the peace of God. This lead her to become a hymnist herself. Years later her brother, Rev. H. V. Elliott had conceived of a plan for a school in Brighton for the daughters of clergymen, St. Mary’s Hall. A bazaar was to be held to raise money. As everyone worked to make this a success, Charlotte was deemed unfit to help with all that needed to be done. She instantly feel into depression and spiritual conflict. Yet she was able to take comfort in what the Lord had done for her and wrote this song inspired by her situation. The hymn was written in 1834 and first published in 1835. It gained greater popularity when it appeared in the1841 edition of The Invalid’s Hymn Book. The song later became associated with evangelist, Billy Graham and was the name of his autobiography.  This recording of the song comes from Tennessee Ernie Ford's 1958 gospel album, Nearer the Cross. Next comes The Sons of the Pioneers with God Speaks. This song was written by Rubylin Pittman and Jean Bond. This recording comes from the group's 1963 gospel album, Hymns of the Cowboy. It reminds us how we can be sure of God's mightiness and love by looking around at his creation and that there is never a moment where God's presence is not with us giving us hope joy and comfort. This is followed by Waylon Jennings singing Precious Memories. Though this is a sweet uplifting song, it was based upon a tragedy. In 1922, John Wright lost his five year old son. Wright would later say about this song, “’Precious Memories’ was born in the midnight hours as I bathed by pillow with tears, likewise all my songs came through life’s severest tests.” Though this is a very famous hymn, John Wright only received $36 for writing it. He would remain a janitor that was always struggling to make ends meet for his entire life. This version comes from Waylon's 1976 album, Are You Ready For the Country. While gospel music only made up a relatively small part of Waylon's output, there is no denying that his versions of these songs are incredible. His powerful yet soulful voice was perfectly suited for gospel music and I find myself feeling completely moved whenever I listen to him singing a gospel song. With that said this may be my favorite version of the classic hymn. Next comes Gene Autry singing Bless This House. This song was written in 1927 by Helen Taylor and  May Brahe. Gene's recording comes from an episode of his Melody Ranch radio show dated 11/21/1948. We continue with Roy Rogers and Dale Evans singing May the Good Lord Take a Likin' to Ya in a scene from the movie, Trigger Jr. (1950). Next is The Carter Family's 1934 recording of I'm Working on a Building. Today's musical selection ends with The Purple Hulls with Higher Ground. This comes from their 2012 album, Close to Home. 

Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation. Isaiah 12:2

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1

For nothing will be impossible with God. Luke 1:37

For we walk by faith, not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5

Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust, who does not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after a lie! Psalm 40:4

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Isaiah 26:3

Know therefore that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments Deuteronomy 7:9

He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much. Luke 16:10

A faithful man will abound with blessings, But he who makes haste to be rich will not go unpunished. Proverbs 28:20

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:17

Sing the praises of the LORD, you his faithful people; praise his holy name. Psalm 30:4

So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good. 1 Peter 4:19

God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? Numbers 23:19

Many claim to have unfailing love, but a faithful person who can find? Proverbs 20:6

I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who will do according to what is in my heart and mind. I will firmly establish his priestly house, and they will minister before my anointed one always. 1 Samuel 2:35 

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23

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

Some Cartoons For Saturday Morning #113

 Hello my friends and Happy Saturday morning. I am glad to have you back for another selection of classic cartoons. 

Today's cartoon selection begins with Porky Pig in Confusions of a Nutzy Spy (1943). This short was directed by Norman McCabe, who while never achieving the fame or recognition of Chuck Jones, Tex Avery or Bob Clampett, is a director whose cartoons I have always had a special fondness for. Much of the reason that McCabe is not as familiar to cartoon fans today is that his work rarely shows on TV. There are three major reasons for this. One is that his output is in black and white, another is that much of it is very topical of the WW2 era and yet another is that most of these films feature racial stereotypes. McCabe's Looney Tunes association did not end with the golden age. He would work as a timing director on the TV series, Tiny Toon Adventures, Taz Mania and Sylvester and Tweety Mysteries. Confusions of a Nutzy Spy was an increasingly rare case of Porky being the star of a cartoon around this time. Though Porky not long ago had been the star of nearly every Looney Tune, this had been changing. Porky's roles would get smaller to the point where though he still appeared in every Looney Tune, he became strictly a supporting player (even in cartoons that featured his name in the title). Just a couple of years before this cartoon, the first Looney Tune in years not to feature Porky was released, The Haunted Mouse (1941). After this there were quite a few more Looney Tunes not featuring Porky as well as ones in which he only had brief cameos. The following are a couple of exhibitor's reviews from the Motion Picture Herald. "CONFUSIONS OF A NUTZY SPY: Looney Tunes Cartoons—Routine stuff. Always goes over big with the kids. Ran Friday, Saturday to good audience of kids and the house shook.—Wilson T. Cottrell, Caro- lina Theatre, Oxford, N. C." "CONFUSIONS OF A NUTZY SPY: Looney Tunes Cartoon—This is only a fairish sort of a black and white cartoon.—W. V. Nevins, III, Alfred Co-Op Theatre, Alfred, N. Y."

Sponsor, 1957


Next comes a great early Mickey Mouse cartoon, Barnyard Battle (1929). This cartoon takes place back when Mickey was a simple country mouse. One thing I love about the early Mickey cartoons is these barnyard settings. They provide the films with a good sense of atmosphere and are full of gags that come from the setting. Like the Our Gang kids these cartoon characters make all sorts of inventions out of simple barnyard objects. This gives the films a charm and creativity that the later Mickey's never fully captured. This was also before Walt came up with the idea to do away with some of the more cartoony gags where characters bodies could do impossible things. While I love many of the Disney studios short of the 1940's and 50's I wish these gags didn't fade away because they are a lot of fun. This cartoon features Mickey going to war with a bunch of cats (that all look like Pete) and in many ways feels like a follow-up to such previous Disney war cartoons as Oswald's Great Guns (1927) and the Alice Comedy, Alice's Little Parade (1926). In fact many of these gags would have felt right at home in those pre-Mickey cartoons. This film would be banned in Germany due to the cat's helmets resembling German army helmets. 

Exhibitor's Herald World, 1929

Next we have a Famous Studios cartoon starring the short lived Blackie the Lamb, Lamb in a Jam (1945). Though Blackie only starred in four cartoons (the other three being No Mutton Fer Nuttin' (1943),  Sheep Shape (1946) and  Much Ado About Mutton (1947)), I personally feel his series had potential and I would not have minded seeing more. 

Now for a very funny cartoon from the National Film Board of Canada, The Cat Came Back (1988). Director, writer and animator Cordell Baker pitched the idea of a short film about an old man and a cat, and the NFBC suggested that the he base the short around the folk song, The Cat Came Back. He spent an incredible amount of time working on this short film. He spent eight hours a day (as well as weekends) for over three years making this cartoon (which he has sole animator credit). The work paid off as the film was extremely well receiving numerous awards. This short ranks at #32 in Jerry Beck's book, The 50 Greatest Cartoons. 

Farmer Al Falfa was typical of early Terrytoons characters. He is pleasant and fun to watch but he is hardly a character who will leave much of a lasting impression. It is appropriate then that not he is not only the earliest star of the Terrytoons but that he had already been a major part of Paul Terry's work before Terrytoons. Paul Terry had been making films with the old gray farmer since 1915, and Terry used the character in cartoons for such studios as the Bray Studios, Paromount, Aesop's Fables and Van Bueren. Here is an early film with the character at Bray Studios, Farmer Al Falfa sees New York (1916) directed by Paul Terry. 

Next comes a classic Fleischer-era Popeye cartoon, The Paneless Window Washer (1937). The following is an exhibitor's review from the Motion Picture Herald, "PANELESS WINDOW WASHER, THE: Popeye the Sailor—An above average Popeye cartoon that pleased everybody; a good addition to any program. Popeye cartoons always seem to please. Running time, seven minutes.—Theodore J. Freidman, Strand Theatre, Suffern, N.Y. General patronage." 

Today's cartoon selection ends with a Daffy Duck and Speedy Gonzales pairing, Moby Duck (1965). As strange of a pair as they seem, in the mid to late 1960's, the team was paired up in quite a few shorts. Many cartoon fans look at these as some of Warner Brothers' weakest cartoon shorts, but I admit there are some of them I quite like and this is one of them. The pair would later be reteamed for the feature film, Daffy Duck's Movie: Fantastic Island (1983). The premise itself is quite good and some gags do make me chuckle.    

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

                                                             

Video: Gene Autry - Poor Little Dogie (from Colorado Sunset 1939)

 

How To Advertise Our Gang

 Do you have a movie theatre? Do you wish to show a bunch of Our Gang films there? Well you might want to check out the following article from a 1925 issue Exhibitor's Trade Review. If you have trouble reading these pages click on them and use your touch screen to zoom in. If this still doesn't work click here.

Video: Buster Keaton - One Week (1920)

 

Movie Review: Burrow

 

Michael's Movie Grade: B+

With this delightful short film, Pixar shows that it is just as good at creating 2D cartoons as their more traditionally 2D.

Like many of the best Pixar shorts this film relies on pantomime rather than dialogue. As someone who is a massive fan of silent film, it makes me very glad to see that this style of storytelling still lives on today. Despite featuring some charming visual humor, no one would ever accuse this cartoon of being laugh out loud hilarious. Instead most of the jokes simply raise a smile instead of an auditory laugh. Despite this the film successeds excellently in doing just what the medium of the short film does best. That is to tell a simple story simply. This film has no pretensions beyond being what it is, a charming little cartoon with a charming little story. As one should except from Pixar, the animation is handled excellently and though these characters may not talk they express everything we could want to know about them with simple gestures that work as a truly universal language. The story itself moves briskly but never feels rushed. The main character is very likable and relatable, something that adds much to the enjoyment of this film. 

If you are a fan of Pixar or just cartoons in general this short is definitely worth a watch. 

Silent Film of the Month: The Whistle (1921)

 

Runtime: 70 Minutes. Studio: William S. Hart Productions. Director: Lambert Hillyer. Writers: May Wilmoth, Olin Lyman, Lambert Hillyer. Main Cast: William S. Hart, Frank Brownlee, Myrtle Stedman, Georgie Stone. Cinematographer: Joseph H. August. Art Director: J.C. Hoffner. 

Like many of you when I hear William S. Hart, I think of one of the great screen cowboys. The Whistle however shows him out of cowboy grab. Yet the movie has many of the themes that are present throughout Hart's filmography. 

Hart plays Robert Evans, a factory worker who loses his son (Will Jim Hatton) due to the poor working conditions at the factory. When his boss (Frank Brownlee) refuses to fix the problem, Robert can only think of one thing revenge. Robert kidnaps the boss' son (Georgie Stone) and raises the boy as his own.  In his westerns, William S. Hart normally played an anti-hero. We always rooted for his character but at the same time, his character would do things that were far from moral. This is definitely true of the character in this movie. We learn to really care for this character, but at the same time we can not stand behind his revenge.

Despite the strong similarities between his character here and his more famous cowboy characters, this film did not catch on with audiences despite great critical reviews. Truth be told Hart's popularity had already been slipping by this time. By 1921 his popularity as a cowboy star was being overshadowed by that of Tom Mix and Hoot Gibson. Mix and Gibson's westerns which much more lighthearted affairs when compared to Hart's dramatic and often quite dark westerns. Perhaps audiences of the time simply preferred  something silly and lighthearted over something dramatic and dark. At the same time this probably is not helped by William S. Hart having made multiple films around this time that were not westerns probably didn't help him overcoming this slipping of popularity (including such films as The Cradle of Courage (1920), John Petticoats (1919) and O'Malley of the Mounted (1920)). One exhibitor's review for this film in Exhibitor's Trade Review stated, "Although the matinee attendance did not seem to pick up any, the night business registered better than for some time. Hart in Western roles in this city always seems to draw better." In The Exhibitor's Herald one exhibitor stated "Not the sort of picture they except from Bill and they are disappointed." Another liked the film but stated, "...would have been better if Hart could have had a horse to ride." One exhibitor however noted "Expected our patrons would be disappointed at Hart in this new role. On the contrary it pleased all." 

Exhibitor's Herald, 1921

                                                                     Exhibitor's Herald, 1921


Director and writer,  Lambert Hillyer had been a collaborator with William S. Hart since 1917. His work with the cowboy story started wrote two William S. Hart westerns, The Desert Man (1917) and Wolf Lowery (1917) (both of which Hart directed himself). Hart himself would promote Hillyer to director for his first Paramount movie, The Narrow Trail (1917). After this Hillyer would work on every Hart movie through Hart's last self produced film, Travelin' On (1922). Hillyer would direct quite a few westerns after parting with Hart, these films would star such western stars as Tom Mix, Buck Jones, Tim McCoy and Bill Elliott. Superhero fans might know him for directing the 1943 Batman movie serial.  

The boss in this movie is played Frank Brownlee, who comedy fans might recognize for his appearances with Laurel and Hardy in such films as The Second Hundred Years (1927), Sailors Beware (1927), Do Detectives Think (1927), Love and Hisses (1927), Call of the Cuckoos (1927), Pack Up Your Troubles (1932) and The Midnight Patrol (1933). Brownlee spent much of his career in supporting uncredited roles and does a good job with a larger role here. The boss' son was played by Georgie Stone, a child actor who's career never reached beyond the silent era. The year before The Whistle was released he would play a lead role in John Ford's Just Pals (1920). 

In my opinion The Whistle is one of William S. Hart's finest films. It has all the charms of Hart's westerns and proves that Hart was more than just a cowboy. William S. Hart's acting is fantastic. As always he brings out the emotion in ever scene in a way that is completely believable and real. The story line is gripping and once it gets a hold of you it never lets go. The story is also expertly told with not one wasted moment. In other words this is a must watch movie for all silent film fans. 

If you want to watch this film it is available on YouTube.