Some Cartoons for Saturday Morning #276

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

Today's cartoon selection begins with Magoo Goes Skiing (1954). This short film was directed by Pete Burness. Burness had previously been an animator on MGM's Tom and Jerry shorts as well as some classic Looney Tunes. At this time, he was the main director of the Magoo series. 

 

Now for an Aesop's Sound Fables cartoon, The Fly's Bride (1929). So, enjoy this sugar-coated pill of wisdom. 

Up next comes Woody Woodpecker in Ace in the Hole (1942). This is a wonderful early Woody Woodpecker short. 

Next comes a real classic, the Bugs Bunny cartoon, The Wacky Wabbit (1942). As many of you know all the major Looney Tunes directors had their different take on Bugs Bunny. Bob Clampett's Bugs was very much a fun-loving prankster. Unlike Chuck Jones' version of the character, this Bugs did not always need to act in self-defense but could just pick on someone to have a little fun. That is true of the way he treats Elmer here. Elmer in this film is not hunting wabbits, but simply minding his own business, when Bugs decides to let the poor fellow have it. Elmer in this cartoon looks different from how many movie fans picture him looking. This is because he was briefly redesigned to look like his voice actor Arthur Q. Byran. The following is a review from The Film Daily, "Fourteen carrot entertainer this 'Wacky Wabbit.' There's a laugh in every foot. The wise guy rabbit in this instance tries his trick on a gold prospector. He drives the poor guy crazy confounding him and keeping him constantly on the jump. Bugs Bunny grows in stature with every new Merry Melody release. He bids fair to become as funny as any character now in animated cartoons. The smart showman should grab this short." 

Now it is time for a commercial break. 

And now here's something we hope you'll really like.

Now comes a wonderful silent Alice Comedy, Alice In The Big League (1927). This is the last Alice Comedy film and features Lois Harwick as Alice. She was the fourth and final child actress to play the character. 

Up next is the Max Fleischer Color Classic, The Fresh Vegetable Mystery (1939). One of the best of the series this plays like a much darker version of a Disney Silly Symphony. The film also benefits from a wonderful cast of animators (many of whom are not well known even among animation buffs). Eli Brucker animates the opening with all the vegetables sleeping. Tom Golden animates the introduction to the police potato as well as the villain dropping the forks and the villain crawling into the root beer bottles. Bill Sturm animates the officer drinking the beer as well as the scene with him and the carrot and the villain chasing the officer. Bob Bently and Irv Spector animate the introduction of the villain. Bob Bemiller animates the cop running away from the bottle tops. Edith Vernick animated only one scene in the picture, the potatoes leaving the bag. Tom Golden then animates all these potatoes raiding the "Hole in the Wall Cafe." The highlight of this picture is the grilling of the various vegetables by the potato police officers. Bob Bemiller animates the grilling of the corn and the orange. Eli Brucker animates the grilling of the onions. John Walworth animates the grilling of the egg. Nelson Demorest animates the villain interrupting this scene. Bill Strum animates the wonderful final sequence beginning with the officers chasing the villain with an eggbeater. The uncredited writers of this film were Jack Ward and Bill Turner.

Now to end 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

https://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/the-fresh-vegetable-mystery-1939/

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

https://mediahistoryproject.org/

Movie Review: Poolman

 

Michael’s Movie Grade: F

Chris Pine’s directorial debut is an embarrassment to everyone involved. 

There are bad movies and then there are movies that leave you in shock of just how bad there are. This film is completely the latter. This movie may be advertised as a comedy but not only does the humor fall flat but you are left scratching your head wondering how it is supposed to be funny. The majority of the humor comes from the characters being self-centered and idiotic beyond the level of believability. The main problem though is that that is the extent of much the humor. The jokes don’t just revolve around these character traits, these character traits are the jokes themselves. The little bit of humor that doesn’t come from this is equally bad. There are a few “funny” moments that come from simply being strange to be strange. The main character has dreams that involve a talking lizard and a tree, and this is supposed to be a major running gag. The film also tries to be a takeoff of Chinatown. However, it does not parody Chinatown or make any astute points about that movie. Instead, it just has characters mention that movie and that there are some minor plot similarities. Acknowledging that Chinatown exists is simply not funny in and of itself. 

It is hard to say what is worse, when this movie tries to be a silly comedy or when it wants you to take it somewhat seriously. The characters are hard to care about at all, yet this film expects you to feel a certain amount of sympathy for them. The plot itself is a complete mess and doesn't even make enough sense for a silly comedy. Yet even with being a comedy this film views its mystery as if it was clever, something that it never is. 

This is simply painful to watch. 

Movie Review: Kingdom of the Planet Apes

 

Michael's Movie Grade: B+

Another smart and engaging addition to this franchise. 

I was hesitant coming into this film. The previews did not look that appealing to me and the change of director made me think that this would be a major downgrade from the last few films. Luckily director Wes Ball (director of the Maze Runner movies) does a wonderful job picking up where Matt Reeves left off. This movie has all the intelligent writing (thanks in part to a great script from Josh Friedman) and incredible visuals that we got from Matt Reeves' films. What really makes this stand out from many other big budget franchise movies is the moral complexity of the main characters. Though we root for and like our main protagonists, we cannot view their actions as purely right or purely wrong. There are many times in which their actions will leave us wondering if what they are doing is the moral course of action. Yet despite this moral ambiguity we never have a doubt that they view what they are doing as the moral course of action. This creates more complex and intriguing characters without ever sacrificing their likability. The moral complexities are helped by very intelligent and well written dialogue that leaves you with food for thought as you leave the theater. Despite this being more complex than the average blockbuster, this does not come at the expense of movie's entertainment value. The action set pieces here are fantastic and incredibly exciting. Many of them will leave you on the edge of your seat. The climatic action scene is a sure fire crowd pleaser. The visuals truly transport you into a different world. They not only serve as a feast for the eyes, but they also make this world feel all the more real to us. There are even some good comedy moments here. 

This film does have its flaws though. The movie takes a while to get going. The first act goes on a bit too long and tends to drag at times. Also, while the main characters are fascinating, the supporting characters are quite bland, and we never get to truly know them. 

This is a very intelligent film that also works as mainstream entertainment. 

Movie Review: Thabo and the Rhino Case

 

Michael's Movie Grade: B

A very charming family film. 

In the best Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew vein this movie centers around a group of kids, who set out to solve who committed a crime when the uncle of one of them is falsely accused. This movie fully understands just what makes this type of story so appealing. For kids this serves as wish fulfillment. When we are kids, this is the type of thing we daydream about. Essentially saving the day, while the adults are incapable of doing so. As adults this brings us back to the mindset that we had as kids. Because of this for an hour and a half, we become kids once again. That this story is told with a wonderfully straightforward childlike simplicity only makes this charm work even better. The movie also benefits from the kids simply being great and charming characters. It is hard to not like and relate to these kids. We see a little of ourselves as kids in each of them. Because of this we experience everything with them. This leads to some really well-done suspense scenes that are more effective than one might expect. This gives the film a real sense of excitement. The suspense, characters, humor and mystery make this a lot of fun from start to finish. 

This film does have its flaws though. For one, it is much too easy to see the big twist coming. The messages about animal rights and racism are delivered in a very heavy-handed way. I appreciate what the film is trying to say, but the delivery comes off as didactic.

This is simply a delightful film for the whole family.   

Movie Review: Mars Express

 

Michael's Movie Grade: A+

An incredibly intelligent animated sci-fi movie from France. 

The most important aspect of any sci-fi movie is the world building. Luckily this film builds its world brilliantly. In only a matter of the first few minutes, you already find yourself drawn into the dark but irresistible world of this movie. And as the film goes on, the world only feels more and more real. There is so much attention to detail and thought that goes into how this world works. What makes this even more impressive is that little of this is conveyed through long bits of exposition. Instead, the way we learn about this world comes directly from watching the story unfold. What also makes this world so intriguing and fascinating is the many parallels to the world we are living in today. Because of this it is easy to form an emotional connection to what is happening on screen. This also allows the film to provide very intelligent commentary on such important topics as the rise of AI, racism, prostitution, alcoholism, class distinction and our reliance on technology. This film never dumbs down any of the deep topics it delves into. In fact, it often digs right into the complexities of the many moral dilemmas addressed. There are no easy answers to be found anywhere in this movie and the filmmakers are not afraid to make you leave the theatre asking yourself the big questions. Yet as this film addresses important topics, it never becomes preachy or didactic because everything flows naturally from the story and characters. 

This movie also benefits from some very complex characters. While our protagonists are likable, they are not without their demons. The filmmakers show no fear of delving headfirst into these characters' demons. Yet it is the combination of their more admirable traits and their darker traits that make them so real to us. The complexity of the characters is another reason the sci-fi world feels so real to us. Because when the characters feel real than so does the world they inhabit. 

As smart and thought provoking as this movie is, it also works as great mainstream entertainment. This is an action packed and suspenseful film that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The action scenes here are brilliantly done and as exciting as anything Hollywood has to offer. 

This movie is further proof that animation is truly a great artform that is equal to (or perhaps greater than) live action filmmaking.  

Cowboy Church #174

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

Today's musical selection begins with Roy Rogers and Dale Evans with a wonderful version of the classic hymn, How Great Thou Art. In the book, Happy Trails: Our Life Story, Roy tells of a story that had to do with this song. "I'll tell you about one time we nearly got into a real war with the promoters: at the World Championship Rodeo at Madison Square Garden in 1952. During the first rehearsal I started to practice 'How Great Thou Art,' a religious song I wanted to make the centerpiece of our musical act. There's a line in that song that goes, 'Then sings my soul my Savior God to Thee...' Someone in the front office heard the rehearsal and came to me that night to tell me I wasn't allowed to mention Christ at the rodeo. 'It might work for the kids in Houston, Texas' he told me, 'But this is New York. You can't preach to kids here.' I told him I wasn't preaching but that the Savior was a part of the song and I fully intended to sing that song in New York or anywhere else we performed. They suggested that I could change the words of the song, so it didn't mention Him. I'm not one for grandstand plays but I told those fellas that if I couldn't sing 'How Great thou Art' just how it was written, Dale and I would pack up and leave town. The song stayed in the show. That year we did forty-three performances over twenty-six days and broke all Madison Square Garden attendance records."

Up next is Connie Smith with He Set Me Free. This song was written by Albert E. Brumley (I'll Fly Away, Turn Your Radio On) and first published in 1939. Many consider this song to be the inspiration for Hank William's I Saw the Light and anybody familiar with that song will surely notice the similarities. This recording of the song comes from Connie's 1966 gospel album, Connie Smith Sings Great Sacred Songs.

Afterwards is The Chuck Wagon Gang with their 1941 recording of I'll Be No Stranger There. 

Now for Anne Wilson with Southern Gospel. This recording comes from her 2023 album, Rebel.

This is followed by a very early recording for Bob Dylan. This is a 1960 recording of the Woody Guthrie song, Jesus Christ. As many of you know Woody Guthrie was one of Bob's heroes and his influence can be heard all over Bob Dylan's first few years as a singer. In this recording he is not only doing a Woody Guthrie song but is obviously trying to emulate the folk singers' singing and playing style. 

Then comes The Blue Sky Boys with their 1946 recording of When I Reach That City On The Hill.

Next comes George Jones singing Leaning on the Everlasting Arms. This hymn began with a man named Anthony Showalter. As a fan of gospel music and an elder in a Presbyterian church, he held many "singing schools" at various churches in the south. One day he received two letters from former students who were struggling after their wives had passed. To respond to these letters, Showalter consulted scripture. He came across Deuteronomy 33:27, "The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms." After reading this verse lyrics for a song chorus went through his head and he wrote down, "“Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms; Leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms.” After using this in the letters to his former students he sent this chorus to his friend hymnist, Elisha Hoffman. In the letter he also wrote, “Here is the chorus for a good hymn from Deuteronomy 33:27, but I can’t come up with the verses.” Hoffman then wrote the rest of the lyrics to which Showalter put to music. The hymn was published in 1887.

Today's musical selection ends with The Sons of the Pioneers with The Boss is Hanging Out a Rainbow. This song comes from their new 2024 gospel album, Campfire Spirituals.  

Today's movie is the Buster Crabbe B-western, Fuzzy Settles Down (1944). Comedic sidekicks were a staple for B-westerns. Every kid who watched these films knew Smiley Burnette, Gabby Hayes, Snub Pollard and Pat Buttram just as well as they knew the stars of the movie. Fuzzy Settles Down is a rare occasion when the sidekick takes center stage. This sidekick is Al St. John as Fuzzy Q. Jones. This was a character he played that not only served as a sidekick to Buster Crabbe but also to such B western stars as Bob Steele, Fred Scott and George Houston (The Lone Rider). Al St. John is a name that should be familiar to my fellow silent comedy fans as well. He was the nephew of Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle and got his start appearing in many of his uncle's best short films. This includes the Arbuckle shorts which featured Buster Keaton (just starting his movie career). 

Now for a message from the Rev. Billy Graham.

 Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10

The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him. Exodus 15:2

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 1 Corinthians 13:4-5

And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. 1 John 4:16

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Ephesians 5:15-16

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Colossians 3:23-24

Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2

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 #275

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

Today’s cartoon selection begins with the Fleischer Superman cartoon, The Arctic Giant (1942). These short films are not only great cartoons but have inspired many much later superhero cartoons. The creators of the beloved Batman: The Animated Series and Superman: The Animated Series have stated this as one of their main inspirations for both shows. Paramount (the distributors of the Fleischer cartoons) brought the screen rights to the famous superhero in 1940, and gave it to the Fleischers to make a cartoon series out of. The studio was not quite sure about this venture after all animated cartoons had not yet done anything similar to a pure action film. They tried to dissuade Paramount by asking for four times the usual budget for one of the studio's cartoon shorts ($100,000) thinking Paramount would refuse. Shockingly they accepted and the series began production. 

Up next is a short film starring everyone’s favorite cartoon bears. No not Yogi and Boo Boo. Of course I mean the Terry Bears. So, enjoy Papa’s Day of Rest (1952).

Next comes the Aesop's Sound Fables cartoon, Radio Racket (1931). 

Now for Slyvester and Tweety in Tweet and Sour (1956). 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 it is time for a commercial break. 

Now for Woody Woodpecker in Finger in the Pie (2022). 

Now it is silent film time. So, enjoy Mutt and Jeff in Roman Scandal (1926).

One thing that sets the Disney cartoons apart from what other cartoon studios were doing in the 1930's is the sheer number of major characters that appear in one film. For instance, in Hawaiian Holiday (1937), Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, Pluto and Minnie all appear. This cartoon is the first Mickey film to be distributed by RKO after Disney left United Artists. The Disney studio certainly started their RKO run on the right foot with this short. This is a delightful cartoon in every way. This film also shows the mastery Disney had over character animation by this time. This is probably best shown through Pluto's run om with a crab. Though Shamus Culhane was not new to animation at this time (having worked for Fleischer and Ub Iwerks before), with this film he made a name for himself at the Disney studio. He wouldn't stay long at Disney as he would animate for Fleischer, Warner Brothers and most importantly Walter Lantz. At Lantz he would direct some of that studio's funniest films. The following are some exhibitor reviews from The Motion Picture Herald, "HAWAIIAN HOLIDAY: Mickey Mouse—These Disney cartoons so far out-shadow the other producers in drawing power and workmanship that there is no comparison. This one is great. Running Time, Seven Minutes. - A.J. Inks, Crystal Theatre, Ligonier, Ind. Small town and rural patronage."  "HAWAIIAN HOLIDAY: Mickey Mouse—This was the first RKO Disney we have played. The kids and adults eat them up and ask for more. Running time, 10 minutes.—R. W. Crickmore, Rainbow Theatre, New- port, Wash. General Patronage." "HAWAIIAN HOLIDAY: Mickey Mouse—I am decidedly a Disney fan. Walt has always given us something to sell that we were sure would click. This was up to the standard of all Disney subjects. Our audiences watch for his subjects like they do weather reports. They are the top money getter of all cartoons, no doubt. Weekend with 'Everybody Sing.' Running time 9 1/2 minutes. - R.D. Leatherman, Rialto Theatre, Denison, Texas, Railroad town patronage."  "HAWAIIAN HOLIDAY: Walt Disney Cartoons- Just a fair Mickey Mouse cartoon. Running time, 7 minutes.—Richard C. Welch, Comique Theatre, Camden, Me. General Patronage." 

Now let us close by singing a song we all know. 

Thanks for joining me. Come back next week for another selection of 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

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

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

https://mediahistoryproject.org/