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579,084
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182,576
4
Occasionally has something funny , but largely derivative and rarely clever
I will say this for Family Guy-it's better than American Dad-but so is almost everything else ! The animation is marginal , most of the jokes are stale and predictable , the material that's become the staple humor wasn't always funny even when they started ( the jokes about Meg weren't funny in the first season and the...
579,609
583,640
103,104
4
Tina Bockrath aside , it's not that interesting
This movie is leaden , slow , dull , labored , obvious to the extreme , poorly scripted and tedious . Were it not for the fact that Tina Bockrath is in this abuse of celluloid , it would be absolutely worthless , and even with her , it's still awful ! Granted , Tina Bockrath is not a terribly good actress . But she is ...
578,917
583,640
9,105
4
Consider this a dry run for parts of King Kong and it becomes worthwhile
This short hasn't aged well-and I don't simply mean film stock aging either . The plot , the script and the idea are now creaky . Given that Willis O'Brien was part of the technical crew on King Kong some 15 years later , the stop-motion work in the last fourth or so of the film is really training for what he did on th...
578,896
583,640
63,577
4
Even Speedy can't save this disaster !
A great many Warner Brothers cartoon fans consider the cartoons produced in the mid to late 1960s to be lousy beyond description as a class . While I don't tend to agree with that blanket judgment ( or with most blanket judgments , come to that ) , I feel that , for this one particularly , lousy is an understatement . ...
579,466
583,640
26,726
4
If I judged this solely on the look of the cartoon , I'd give it decent marks-but one cannot live on animation and backgrounds alone .
This is a beautiful bore of a cartoon . The story would have bored me to tears when I was five . Visually , it's very nice , with striking backgrounds and nice color . It's this type of cartoon that led an animator who worked for Van Beuren to do a comic strip modeled after the head of the studio and call it " Van Bori...
578,788
583,640
59,322
5
Why was this cartoon made ?
While I've seen worse , I kept thinking that this cartoon would have no reason to exist save for the fact that Warner Brothers had a contractual obligation to supply a certain number of shorts to movie theaters , so they fiddled around with film stock , yawned and sent this one out on an unsuspecting and somewhat indif...
579,024
583,640
152,030
5
Disappointing cartoon , to say the least .
This cartoon has its moments , but most of them are the ones found in the old Fleischer Studios footage that comprises about seven minutes out of the running length , but less than half of the original cartoon . The original most of this was cribbed from is infinitely better than the framing material and the re-looped ...
579,964
583,640
23,832
5
Bosko is pretty much an extra in his own cartoon
This is , at best , an average short which has a few good moments , but is mostly a rather dull and flat affair . It's kind of predictable in spots , yet it's not sufficiently interesting to overcome that deficiency all that often . As I want to discuss some details , this is a spoiler warning : For the first three min...
579,625
583,640
95,506
5
One joke that is beaten into the ground by the time this ends .
When this begins , it's amusing , particularly if you know the ad campaign this lampoons . But the problem is , the premise isn't strong enough to support the length of the cartoon . It's a joke with one punchline repeated far too often and after a while , it becomes tedious , at least it did to me . The first one and ...
579,230
583,640
262,480
5
This one just didn't work for me .
This one did not impress me very much . I don't care for the Beat movement at all , the animation was marginal at best , the POINT was so obvious that I felt that the writer / director was beating me over the head with it most of a very short film and this just didn't work for me on any level . If your tastes run to Be...
579,829
583,640
21,612
5
A Sing-Along where the animation seems perfunctory and irrelevant
The Sing-Along cartoons were often almost cheaters in that large segments of the running time were simply song lyrics running across the screen with a cue ( usually a bouncing ball ) pacing the audience as it sang along . They were quite popular for a number of years . The animation ranged from forgettable to excellent...
579,467
583,640
151,608
5
Only a studio like Van Beuren could have developed a series like Molly Moo Cow
This short was one of a series of shorts starring Molly Moo Cow . They were done toward the end of the Van Beuren studios existence and are uneven , ranging from just okay to awful . But Van Beuren's output was generally in those ranges . It was probably the weakest studio regularly producing short animation in what is...
579,245
583,640
30,300
5
This one will never air , but it isn't all that good in any case .
I suspect that even if there weren't stereotypes and caricatures that would be viewed as unacceptable today , this one probably wouldn't air today because it simply isn't all that funny . It starts off okay , but then we meet the " hero " , who's about as stupid as they come ( I've seen better heads on a glass of root ...
579,461
583,640
150,232
5
A pretty much standard formula Mighty Mouse notable primarily for the dog guarding the sheep
This short is a fairly predictable short , with the only really notable aspect being the appearance of one of the two dogs who act as foils for Heckle and Jeckle as the shepherd ! Though there really isn't much to spoil , I will be discussing some detail , so here's a spoiler warning : This is pretty much " The Boy Who...
578,962
583,640
148,455
5
Well drawn and animated but trite and uninteresting .
There's a funny thing about this cartoon-not that it's funny ( it really isn't ) but the characters all tend to look familiar . The teacher is the character Iwerks used as everything from a landlady to Flip's wife ( ! ) in Flip the Frog , the kids all resemble each other like a B-grade horror flick ( Village of the Dam...
579,828
583,640
150,451
5
The ending's cute , but there's nothing special here
Famous Studios had been a by-the-numbers studio for years by the time this was made in 1960 . They made cartoons designed almost solely geared towards the tastes and attention spans of young children . The backgrounds and animation were basic and rather bland ( nice colors , though ) and plots were simple . This cartoo...
579,363
583,640
62,166
5
By this point , they were mostly going through the motions .
This cartoon is nothing special-routine and average at best . Not too bad for the period , but that's not saying much . By 1967 , it was fairly obvious that the only thing expected from the animation department was the production of enough material to fulfill contractual obligations . Speedy is a high point and althoug...
578,799
583,640
141,866
5
Very short on animation and basically just following the cue for the lyrics of the song .
You may enjoy this one more than I did , particularly if you are a fan of the original version of Karaoke-the old time sing along that used to be a staple of the night out at the movies decades ago . Though there isn't much to spoil , this is a spoiler warning : The animation at the beginning is perfunctory and if you ...
579,487
583,640
152,768
5
As you watch this , you may ask yourself , " Is this trip really necessary ? "
This isn't the worst Famous Studios Popeye short , not by a long shot . Far worse came several years down the road , when the staff seemed to stop really even trying to be even mildly entertaining . The problem with this one is that it isn't very funny-or much fun either . In spite of the three best voice actors the pr...
579,968
583,640
22,710
5
Except for a running gag featuring an eagle in the last part of the short , this one is pretty unmemorable .
There's not much to this short apart from one running gag and a few sight gags . You get a general feeling about the whole , but very little stands out and makes a lasting impression . I will discuss one or two things here , so this is a spoiler warning : The cartoon has some cute gags in the first couple of minutes , ...
578,972
583,640
22,707
5
Bosko and Bruno as hobos in an average short where not much happens
This is , at best , an average short in the Bosko series . It isn't awful , but it isn't memorable for much , either , as there isn't a great deal going on here . Here there be mild spoilers : Bosko is seen in the beginning carrying what was called a " bindlestiff " , or a stick with a bundle on the end , tied in a pie...
578,974
583,640
22,679
5
Not much to this particular short , which is limited , even for a Bosko
Though there are a few nice bits in here , there really isn't much substance to this one overall . It's just an average short , with little to interest or bore the general viewer . If you really like Bosko , you'll enjoy it enormously . There will be spoilers from here on out : This short can basically be summed up as ...
579,621
583,640
251,027
5
Good animation , but the concept is tedious and grating here
The Hubleys used a technique a number of times where the simply recorded their children at play and then constructed the animation around whatever they did and said . Often , this worked out fairly well , Moonbird and Windy Day , for example . Here it did not work . The short is well animated , but the dialogue here be...
578,865
583,640
23,413
5
This one would have been better if they'd dropped the live-action and the sing along and added more animation , but it wouldn't have been a Screen Song then , now would it ?
The songs that Rudy Vallee sings in this are not terribly well known almost 70 years later . This is understandable , because there isn't anything special or memorable about them . The cartoon is first-rate , but the rest is a boring waste of time . There is a cute interaction between Betty Boop and Rudy Vallee , but t...
579,786
583,640
151,951
6
The title character is aptly named and , to me , thoroughly unappealing
Not a bad cartoon , but one of two ( starring the same character ) that I don't like much . Good use of limited animation , but Pete Hothead is a most unlikable character , which is the point , I suppose . For UPA completeists , though others might not find the character so irritating . Think Donald Duck without feathe...
579,462
583,640
153,944
6
Out of Terrytoons , by Longfellow ( with a happier ending )
This short is mostly memorable for the narration , which is primarily taken from the Henry Wadsworth Longfellow poem it's entitled after . It takes the poem , adapts it in spots to incorporate plot changes and to allow for Mighty Mouse to be included in the ending . I want to discuss some details here , so here there b...
578,929
583,640
152,006
6
Starts out well , but the one gag premise isn't substantial enough to keep this all that entertaining
There's basically one joke here-this lion is hungry ! Unfortunately , when the bulk of the gags bounce off of a single premise , there's a danger that they'll fall flat after a while and that's largely what happens here . I will be talking about some of the gags , so consider this a mild spoiler warning : When we meet ...
579,877
583,640
26,310
6
Cute , if somewhat trite , little short .
This is a cute ( almost too cute ) little cartoon with only a few Fleischer touches and some reasonably good visuals . Catchy title tune , sung by an elephant , naturally . If you like the early Betty Boops , this one will leave you cold for the most part . But it is a pretty cartoon and is well worth watching , at lea...
579,961
583,640
23,835
6
See Bosko . See Bosko build a robot .
This short is reasonably decent , even if it basically copies a trend among other studios which did similar shorts based on the same premise and springing from roughly the same inspirational source . It was the last Bosko done for Warner Brothers , as Harman and Ising left there to go to MGM , where they used the chara...
579,966
583,640
23,829
6
Even as a little dutch boy , Bosko is still Bosko .
This is ( good and bad ) a typical Bosko short-it isn't all that special , but it isn't horrible either . I will be discussing some details , so this is a minor spoiler warning : If you've seen many Bosko shorts , you'll recognize quite a bit that's familiar here in this one , for all that it's set in Holland . With a ...
578,784
583,640
62,983
6
Larry Storch is the best thing in this one .
This is not a terribly imaginative or interesting cartoon , with flat characterizations , marginal animation and a repetitive story . Larry Storch breathes some life into this with his voice work , but he's the only thing much worth the effort in this one . Unless you're a real fan , pass on this one .
579,444
583,640
56,545
6
This would have been helped greatly by less Ludwig and more music .
This cartoon was nominated for an Oscar and the only reason that I can see is because it was released by Disney . It's at least 2-5 minutes too long , has not nearly enough music and too much Ludwig von Drake ( a character I normally like , but here , for some reason , he's like fingernails on a chalkboard ) . Disney's...
579,659
583,640
118,747
6
Not even nearly as good as the first one as a movie , but , oh that music !
As far as the movie goes , it is pretty lame . The main problem is obvious-Dan Ackroyd and John Goodman don't have the comic timing or rapport that Ackroyd and Belushi did . Not even close . But when yu look at the musicians involved-the Blues Brothers Band , Aretha Franklin , James Brown , the line-up that fills out t...
579,387
583,640
56,483
6
Without a doubt , the most unremarkable Bugs Bunny ever made
This is by no means a bad cartoon . It is just not a terribly notable or interesting one either . Apart from the fact that Sam is a royal chef ( ! ) , there isn't much terribly novel here . The gags are well-worn and the tread is coming off . Nothing really creative , unless the reference to the German dish " hassenpfe...
579,499
583,640
63,433
6
I found the camel most annoying !
This is a marginal short partially salvaged by an interesting ending . There will be mild spoilers in the portion which follows : The Pink Pather is looking for artifacts and / or jewels in Egypt . He goes to buy a camel , but has little money and has to settle for a small camel that behaves as if it were a dog . The o...
579,504
583,640
63,434
6
most of the funny bits don't involve the Pink Panther
This short is very hit and miss , at least for me . The Pink Panther isn't even terribly important to this one and most of the good bits don't even involve him . I want to discuss this , so there are spoilers below : Entirely too much of this cartoon feels like a retread of Pinto Pink , as the gags center around the Pi...
579,502
583,640
63,431
6
The hospital is no place to be sick . !
This short takes place in my least favorite locale-a hospital . That makes the gags a bit more pointed for me and makes it a bit less funny in spots . Because I want to discuss specifics gags , here there be spoilers : The Pink Panther winds up getting hurt and ends up in the hospital with the world's most obnoxious ro...
579,194
583,640
21,689
6
This short is okay , but nothing special
I'm not going to spend a whole lot of time discussing this short in detail , as I want to discuss the character in general and his place in the history of the studio and in animation history . I will , however , discuss some details here from this specific short , so there are minor spoilers : This cartoon is cute and ...
578,977
583,640
21,688
6
Bosko goes hunting for a fox and brings home a dog .
An average Bosko short notable for basically one thing-Bosko's dog Bruno comes onto the scene . The short is largely unmemorable otherwise . I will discuss this in a little detail , but not much , so this is a mini-spoiler warning : When it comes to fox hunting , my sympathies are wholly with the fox , so the fact that...
578,855
583,640
32,933
6
So-so Porky Pig short . with Porky not doing much-the focus is on a cat
This is a black and white Porky Pig short which doesn't really have a whole lot to do with Porky himself . As I want to talk a bit about the cartoon and some of the gags , this is a spoiler warning : This short has Porky Pig as the proprietor of a pet store which specializes in selling fish . It opens , though , with a...
579,751
583,640
21,590
6
Bosko shows his love for nature but nature ( for the most part ) does not reciprocate
This cartoon is a largely routine and exceedingly forgettable short . There are one or two fairly decent bits that I'll likely discuss , so consider this your spoiler warning : This short is set in the great outdoors , with Bosko going fishing . Bosko decides that he can't put the worm on the hook and use it for bait ,...
579,657
583,640
46,008
6
Visually stunning , but whoever wrote the narration had absolutely no shame !
This documentary won a very deserved Oscar for Documentry Feature . The cinematography and visuals are beautiful . But some of the narration is atrocious . The narrator isn't the problem-not much , anyway . I am thankful for the ' mute ' button when I watch this . I know scorpions have a public relations problem anyway...
579,574
583,640
146,868
6
Fascinating , unusual short from Iwerks .
While Iwerks was a technical genius in many respects , his strong suit was not plotting or scripting and it seems as though he couldn't care less about any aspect that wasn't visual . Thus , the series of shorts based on tall tales , fables and legends provided ready-made stories that worked to varying degrees . Here ,...
579,193
583,640
22,506
6
Bosko makes music in the " forest primeval "
This short is a fairly interesting early Bosko , with a lot of the typical types of gags found in these shorts . I will discuss some specifics from this cartoon , so this is a spoiler warning : Bosko starts out with the intention of chopping down a tree , but decides instead to spare it when a lot of baby trees plead w...
579,050
583,640
20,018
6
A dated curio that is not without its ' charms , but of somewhat limited interest and appeal .
This film has been of interest to me for some time now , for a number of reasons . I finally managed to get a copy and saw it yesterday . I now understand why it is not currently generally available-it is dated , of , at best , average quality , not without charm or appeal , to be sure , but the interst here is for a r...
579,667
583,640
22,405
6
Foxy's swan song , memorable mainly for the title song and little else
This is the third of the three Foxy cartoons , an obnoxiously , relentlessly cheerful short that probably hastened the retirement of the lead character . Notable for the title tune and for Friz Freleng serving as an animator , this is a curio more than anything else . A few cute bits , but not terribly special or memor...
579,265
583,640
35,646
6
Marginal short which serves as a launching pad for some great characters
This cartoon tries , but it just misses the mark . Something about it simply doesn't quite gel , which is a shame . It has some good moments , but the whole is less than the sum of its parts . Because I want to discuss a few details , this is a spoiler warning : The short starts out promisingly enough , with the pamper...
579,107
583,640
148,040
6
Some very effective and rather creepy sight gags are all that save this short .
This is Flip at his sleepwalking best . For all of Ub Iwerks ' obvious technical expertise , his studio , in a bare five years was the birthplace of two of the most tedious , uninteresting continuing characters ever to grace the screen ( up until Pauly Shore and " Dice " Clay came along ) in Flip the Frog and Willie Wh...
579,509
583,640
58,445
6
Pancho Vanilla robs the bank and Speedy gets the money back-that's the " plot " of this one
This short was one of the earliest ones produced by Depatie-Freleng under its agreement with Warner Brothers-I think it may be the first one . Because I want to discuss some of the details , this is a spoiler warning : Pancho Vanilla , a bandit , comes into town to rob the bank and Speedy decides to get the money back ...
579,169
583,640
161,707
6
A short starring the Van Beuren team called Tom and Jerry .
This short stars a Mutt and Jeff-like pair named Tom and Jerry , who came and disappeared before the more famous pair debuted for MGM somewhat later . This is one of their shorts-not one of their best , but also not one of their worst either . Because I want to discuss this with some details , this is a spoiler warning...
579,812
583,640
81,280
6
For fans of Paul Simon's music and Blair Brown
This movie is an okay time-killer , particularly if you like Paul Simon's music and / or you are a fan of Blair Brown . Sam and Dave , the B-52s and Lovin ' Spoonful don't hurt either . Joan Hackett does a good job in her role . At the risk of sounding heretical , while I aways admired Paul Simon's songs , I have alway...
578,968
583,640
20,798
6
For me , a most annoying cartoon ! ( Rant ahead )
This cartoon almost neatly encapsulates a large part of the problem Iwerks studio had in their work : there is an absolute and almost total disregard for anything not involved with the technical part of animation and backgrounds . Plotting and story are afterthoughts at best ! I don't consider the next commentary to be...
579,807
583,640
150,755
6
Only thing noteworthy about this is some stereotypes that would make some people's heads implode !
This is a marginal Willie Whopper short that is largely forgettable , save for about a minute and a half or so at the start that features Boy Scout stereotypes of a mostly ( though not exclusively ) racial nature . Given that the short is nearly seventy years old , a bit of perspective is necessary here . I wouldn't sh...
579,762
583,640
20,829
6
Notable only as a formative Betty Boop cartoon
While Fleischer cartoons are generally well-animated and thus worth watching from that standpoint , the only real point of interest is the comparatively brief look at Betty Boop-version 1 . 0 . Originally , Betty Boop was conceived as a dog and gradually evolved into the Betty Boop most recognizable today . There isn't...
579,377
583,640
82,509
6
The soundtrack and animation are the best parts of a wildly uneven , episodic movie
To say this movie is uneven is putting it mildly . Tied together very loosely by a framing sequence that provides what little plot there is , this is a series of episodes , some of which are great ( the WWII bomber ) to very good ( Harry Canyon ) to just there ( too much of the rest of the movie ) . To any Steely Dan f...
579,195
583,640
22,584
6
The highlight of this one isn't Bosko , but a mouse
This is a rather marginal short-not terrible , but not very memorable for the most part either . I will discuss some scenes from this short , so what follows contains spoilers : Two of the most disturbing words to be combined in a sentence are " Bosko yodeling " ( I shudder at the memory . He's no great shakes at yodel...
579,952
583,640
27,468
6
Visually nice , but not terribly memorable
This Disney short is well-executed visually ( as you might expect from Disney in the 1930s ) but isn't really all that memorable or impressive for all that . I'm frankly somewhat puzzled at its nomination for an Academy Award and more puzzled that it won . Perhaps it was more impressive in 1936 than it is today . It is...
579,198
583,640
22,528
6
Average short with a few decent gags and some cute bits
This short is mildly amusing , with a main premise which has been done more or less in other shorts , in some cases to far better success . I want to discuss one or two scenes to some degree , so consider this a spoiler alert : Bosko starts out as a hot dog vendor and this actually is probably the best part of the shor...
579,818
583,640
109,758
6
An OK movie nowhere near as good ( or bad ) as it's defenders or detractors think
This is a movie that is okay and has a decent performance by Delaney and Ackroyd and the best role O'Donnell has had yet . There are those who hate this film and some who love it . Since it contains neither Pauly Shore nor Adam Sandler and not a trace of Bo Derek or Pia Zadora , it can't be as bad as so many think . It...
579,846
583,640
150,869
6
One of the Sing Along series Paramount / Famous Pictures did
As cartoons go , these are average , with some being good and some being poor . They tend to be very formulaic in nature . I will be discussing some details , so technically this is a spoiler warning ( though I'm not spoiling much ) : This particular short is a pretty basic example of a Sing Along cartoon . They start ...
579,197
583,640
20,699
6
Bosko goes down to the farm in an okay , if unspectacular short .
This is the fourth Bosko short and it has some engaging moments . Since I'll be discussing in a bit of detail one or two scenes , consider this a spoiler warning : Bosko continues to get music out of fairly atypical places , such as a horse's tail played like a violin and a pitchfork played like a guitar or banjo . Lik...
579,969
583,640
22,712
6
Bosko should have stayed in bed !
This is an average short for the Bosko series , in spite of the presence of Wilber , an obnoxious little brat who recurs from time to time in various Bosko shorts . Since I want to discuss some details from this short , let this serve as a spoiler warning : The short opens with Honey trying to teach Wilber to play the ...
578,966
583,640
121,771
6
Willie Whopper YAWN
After Flip the Frog had proven to be less than what Iwerks ( and more fatally , MGM ) hoped for from a cartoon series , Iwerks turned to Willie Whopper and tried to make him a star . Trouble was , Willie is even duller and less fascinating than Flip ! The basic premise was part of the problem : Willie is a little boy w...
579,464
583,640
152,597
6
Two mice , a bull , a bad guy and a train
This short is rather limited , even for a Mighty Mouse . Though there isn't much that can be spoiled , I will be discussing some details , so here's a spoiler warning : Mighty Mouse and Pearl Pureheart spend over half the short tied to opposite ends of a bull . The bull is running around on a train track . A train engi...
579,535
583,640
149,200
6
A later entry in the Heckle and Jeckle series with a few funny gags
This is a short that came out toward the end of the Heckle and Jeckle series . I will be discussing details , so there will be spoilers : Heckle and Jeckle are stunt men who have been told to administer a screen test for one Flint Locke , a cowboy actor who says that he can do his own stunts . They decide to try and ma...
579,725
583,640
120,885
6
An OK film that could have and probably should have been great
I watched this film after real-life events overtook and passed its thematic content and went into it expecting good things given Barry Levinson Directed and with that cast ! But apart from a stellar performance from DeNiro and a good one from Dustin Hoffman , nothing seemed to click . The supporting cast is more or les...
579,558
583,640
23,374
6
Chiefly of interest because it's the only film that Ethel , John and Lionel Barrymore made together
This is a reasonably decent movie , well acted ( particularly by Lionel , who practically chews the scenery as Rasputin ) and the sets and costumes are fairly nice . But the main selling point is that this is the only time the three Barrymores - Ethel , John and Lionel did a movie together . It's a good movie but could...
579,463
583,640
153,862
7
Who knew the West was settled by mice ?
This early Mighty Mouse short is actually pretty good , at least by Terrytoon standards . The formula was already fairly well established by this point and this short follows the formula for the early shorts in the series . Since I want to discuss some details , this is a spoiler warning : The short opens with a war da...
579,494
583,640
105,089
7
Well-done , if obviously biased , and thought-provoking .
First it must be stated that it is quite apparent that those involved in the production of this documentary have an agenda and that makes the documentary somewhat obviously biased . It also must be noted that , no matter what the reasons were for the invasion , the people of Panama are certainly no better ( or worse ) ...
579,986
583,640
66,107
7
Average short in the brief series , but well worth watching and now in print
The Ant and the Aardvark was a brief series of 17 shorts which was done in the late 1960s to early 1970s . The animation was limited and they were basically similar in nature-Aardvark is hungry , Aardvark chases Ant , Aardvark experiences grievous bodily injury . Basically Friz Freleng's version of the Roadrunner and t...
579,545
583,640
33,037
7
Average patriotic short , this does have some moments
This short , nominated for an Academy Award , is not a stellar piece of work . The script is average , acting too obvious in spots and there is at least one character who irritates so glaringly that it's clear that the audience is supposed to dislike him . Still , this is somewhat interesting , given that its productio...
579,863
583,640
54,477
7
An average cartoon using an old device or two to satirize modern life
This cartoon , which has some funny moments , but isn't really terribly novel , uses an old gag about finding an old reel of film that it purports shows " life as it was " , way back whenever . The narrator is a spoof on Dave Garroway , a television personality back in the 1950s and 1960s . If memory serves , he was on...
579,510
583,640
54,467
7
Comedy , thy name is vivisection !
This short once again matches Speedy Gonzales against Sylvester , with Sylvester once again coming out the worse in the end-rather painfully at times ! As I want to discuss the short in at least a little detail , this is a spoiler warning : Sylvester is guarding the mice being held in an experimental laboratory and one...
579,805
583,640
147,615
7
Very pretty short , but done more effectively before .
This is Iwerks just biding time until closing down . A typically beautiful short , but it was nothing special or original . Tom Thumb was old hat by the time this was released , so something a bit different than the garden variety adaptation is needed to make this worthwhile . This was not what the studio did well , to...
578,786
583,640
140,862
7
Likable enough , I suppose , but without the magic of the black and white silents .
Although this is a decent enough cartoon , the later , color , shorts done by Van Beuren studios lack the magic and charm of the black and white silents done almost 15-20 years earlier . The studio did the best they could , but production values and a lack of cohesion make these curios rather than gems . Worth watching...
579,419
583,640
39,043
7
Something of a historical curiousity now , interesting but dated .
This documentary , nominated for an Academy Award , is a look back in time at the traffic problems in and around Los Angeles circa 1946 . Interesting but qute dated , it does show that Los Angeles had problems with traffic flows even 55 years ago . Turner Classic Movies runs this occasionally and invariably runs it in ...
579,788
583,640
152,028
7
Okay , but nothing special about this one .
This one is proof that nobody does great work all the time . UPA did wonderful work most of the time . But everyone can have an off day . Though this is cute in spots , it's not a terribly good ( or bad ) cartoon . It's just there most of the time , with a marginally interesting , ultimately silly plot . Worth watching...
578,806
583,640
26,358
7
Decent short directed by Jack King , a mostly forgotten figure in Warner Brothers animation history
This short was directed by Jack King , who has been overshadowed by the bright lights cast by later directors , such as Chuck Jones and Bob Clampett , as well as contemporaneous ones , like Friz Freleng and the incomparable Tex Avery . It's perhaps appropriate that King directed many of the Buddy cartoons ( though the ...
578,903
583,640
41,772
7
Not one of Disney's best , but I have a soft spot for this short
This is an average short , nothing special , but Tucson AZ is often referred to as The Old Pueblo , so I have a soft spot , likely one in my head , for this short . Not terribly novel or creative , with some amusing moments . Excellent cactus work though . Worth watching .
578,770
583,640
32,603
7
Has its moments , but this is my least favorite Tex Avery cartoon .
This cartoon is really atypical of Tex Avery in that entirely too many of the gags are either verbal or sight gags that require verbal assistance to make any sense of at all-a surefire killer for a sight gag . The pacing-largely unavoidable here-is too slow and a few gags just aren't that funny . At least one dies comp...
579,460
583,640
149,611
7
Another mini-musical from Terrytoons
This is another short where much of the dialog is sung , as in an opera . This one is slightly different than the typical musical Mighty Mouse shorts ( but only slightly ) . Because I will be discussing some details , this is your spoiler warning : In this short , Aladdin is a mouse with all the riches one mouse could ...
578,938
583,640
23,836
7
Entertaining in spots , though wildly uneven
This short has a very good beginning , bogs down a bit in the middle and has an enjoyable ending . Since I will be discussing details , this is a spoiler warning : Bosko is the host / organist of a movie house . He leads the audience in a singalong and at the end pulls two knobs on the organ-one sounds like a duck call...
579,965
583,640
23,834
7
The parts are better than the sum , but there are some nice bits here
This short is worth watching for some nice parts , though the cartoon as a whole is just okay , for reasons I will go into below . Consider this a spoiler warning : The beginning basically makes it fairly clear that much of what follows is a dream sequence , as Bosko is in a rocking chair reading tales of yore about wh...
579,967
583,640
23,833
7
This short is probably better than I found it to be , because I can't look at it fresh
This is actually probably a very good short , but I can't help but view it with a bit of a " ho hum " attitude for reasons I'll discuss below . There will be spoilers : Bosko is getting ready for a race as Honey reads the papers about the race . While this is a nice short and it looks very good visually in a number of ...
579,962
583,640
23,831
7
Very musical short , even for a Bosko
While Bosko shorts were frequently very musically oriented ( often having Bosko " make " music in unusual ways , with animals and inanimate objects like stepping stones as " instruments " ) , this one is particularly musical in nature . It's actually a fairly interesting short with some very enjoyable and rather quirky...
579,023
583,640
152,037
7
Unusual " cheater " redeemed by a good ending .
This is the first of three rather atypical " cheater " cartoons , which use footage from three Popeyes produced in the 1930s by Fleischer Brothers Studios but frame the footage with roughly two or three minutes of new animation done by Famous Studios ! As there is less distance in time between this pairing ( Aladdin an...
579,530
583,640
24,050
7
Decent early Cubby the Bear short
This is a Van Beuren studio release . Van Beuren was more or less the basement as far as studios go . With Disney occupying the penthouse at this point in time and really only Lantz and Fliescher providing any real competition ( Warner Brothers and MGM really hadn't hit their stride yet ) . Even Terrytoons wasn't quite...
579,890
583,640
41,938
7
This has got to be one of the most unfortunate cats of all time !
This short is reasonably entertaining and the cat in this one ( if I'm not mistaken ) is the same one featured in Early To Bet . He needs a good medical plan or he needs to retire , because he's singularly unlucky . Because I want to discuss some of the details , this is a spoiler warning : You have a situation which y...
579,474
583,640
30,520
7
Interesting , but flawed , as the series was overall
The problems with taking a known source material from one medium and attempting to translate it to another are manifold . Aside from a built-in fan base for the original work ready to pounce with sometimes malicious glee on the adaptation and tear it to shreds with flensing knives , there is the definite prospect that ...
579,885
583,640
30,503
7
Notable chiefly for being Chuck Jones's directorial debut-cute , but not compelling
This is a very cute cartoon , but not an especially interesting short on its own merits . The chief point of interest here is as the very first cartoon which Chuck Jones directed . As I will mention some details , there will be mild spoilers : The basic premise of this short is that the regular night watchman , a full-...
579,359
583,640
59,254
7
Has a few moments , but nothing special .
I suspect that this one could easily have been titled , " Hey , we got a contract that calls for so many cartoons , that's why ! " without too much trouble . By this point , they were basically just doing whatever they could to meet quota . This isn't that bad a cartoon , it's just that the early stuff is so much bette...
578,846
583,640
35,148
7
One of a series of sports-related Goofy shorts
This was part of a series of shorts , some very good and others , like this one ( yawn ) not as effective . While it's an interesting idea , there isn't a great deal of energy to this one ( yawn ) and it just sort of sleepwalks along ( yawn ) to the end . If I keep writing this much longer , I'll fall asleep at the key...
579,163
583,640
151,893
7
Early Woody Woodpecker
This short , also available on a great many public domain tapes under the alternate title of Pantry Panic , is proof that the difference between predator and prey is a matter of who is the hungriest . Entertaining but unexceptional . Fairly easy to find . Worth watching . Recommended if you like Woody .
579,329
583,640
30,589
7
Visually impressive in spots , if way too cute for its own good in others .
This is an interesting take on the perils of smoking ( done some 65 years ago ) and is a very nice cartoon , particularly some of the visual sequences . But the cartoon is entirely too precious in spots for its own good . It isn't a bad cartoon , but the dichotomy of cute one moment and eerie the next is far too great ...
579,858
583,640
153,618
7
Has its moments , but just an okay cartoon .
This short is funny and entertaining and is thus worth watching , but really isn't one of the studio's crowning glories . But then , the Lantz studios turned out almost 600 cartoons for theatrical release in roughly 50 years , so not everything could be a jewel . Worth watching , particularly for fans of Woody . Recomm...
579,840
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39,338
7
While a good cartoon , this is not one of the better ones
The fact that this was nominated for an Oscar puzzles me somewhat , as it wasn't one of the better Tom and Jerry cartoons . It wasn't even the best one that year ( Invisible Mouse was much better ) . The ending , which is creative , makes this worth watching , but that's the most memorable part of the short .
578,945
583,640
32,794
7
While a decent cartoon , it probably shouldn't have won the Oscar .
This cartoon is done reasonably well , is enjoyable enough and worth seeing , but , although I can understand why it won ( monumentally cute with well-drawn backgrounds and the closest thing to a Disney style short that was nominated ) , I don't think it should have . It's competition included the very first Tom and Je...
579,830
583,640
21,701
7
Average cartoon saved by a very good ending .
This is a very early , formative , Betty Boop and Bimbo . Though it's fairly clear that Bimbo was the character the Fleischers were trying to build a series around initially , it's equally obvious that Betty Boop is a much more effective and engaging character than he could ever be . Bimbo really isn't that interesting...
578,960
583,640
26,499
7
Great visuals , charming ( if dated ) sight gags and jokes .
This is a very cute cartoon that allows Iwerks to make full use of his color system . Charming , if by now overly familiar , sight gags and beautiful detail work make this an entertaining effort from the studio . The colors hold up very well almost 70 years later and match up with Disney for the most part rather favora...
579,511
583,640
54,720
7
Sylvester is particularly unfortunate in this short
This short has Sylvester once again trying to catch Speedy , this time in order to prevent him stealing cheese from the store he's protecting . In reality , it's Sylvester himself who needs protection-from himself and Speedy ! As I want to discuss this short in some detail , this is a spoiler warning : The short opens ...