As we explained earlier, tonight's program is not, like earlier such programs, a chronological compilation of cartoon films; rather is it a pot-pourri of animated films that have come in over the past year or 80 that we have never had time to play. Initially I'd planned to repeat some of the very best cartoons from earlier programs of ten years or more back - but even without exhausting all of the new ones, we came up with a total running time in excess of two hours – and that is really all one needs if one is to avoid being surfeited. So all of tonight's films are new to the Huff -- with enough left over to go together with worthwhile repeats to present another compilation in the near future.
Unfortunately, just as I was about to start editing this program together, I was hit with some particularly nauseous form of food poisoning - and what would have been a couple of hours work, was stretched out over the whole day. These brief notes are being dashed off literally at the very last minute. There just isn’t time tonight to provide worthwhile notes, nor alas the promised notes from last week's Moulin Rouge -- but these will definitely be on hand next Monday, when we'll probably have the same basic audience back for the Barrymore film.
All I can do tonight is list below the titles and approximate dates of the films, and give their running order; hopefully a more detailed reappraisal can be made later. And in the meantime, thanks to Charlie Shibuk and Herbert Graf for coming forward to keep the show running. Films, in order, are:
THE BIG SWIM and WHERE AM I? (the latter with a Harold Lloyd bent), two silent Mutt and Jeffs from the mid-20's.
THE WIZARD OF OZ - a notable 1933 color film from the much under-rated Ted Eshbaugh; the sound is very weak on this print, but it is all visuals and colors, and it hardly matters.
THE BARNYARD BROADCAST - a routine but lively Disney from 1931.
THE PANTRY PIRATE –a typical 1941 Disney-Pluto, fewer gags, all of them milked to the limit.
THE LONESOMEMOUSE - a delightful Tom and Jerry from the 40's, with scenes calculated to give the NAACP nlghtmares.
THE WHOOPEE PARTY- another 1931 Disney, with absolutely maximum animation.
THE BIG BROADCAST - a 1938 George Pal puppetoon, interesting for the accurate way it spoofs the Paramount musical numbers and sets of the period.
STREAMLINED GRETA GREEN - WB, late thirties, in a Silly Symphony vein.
HOW YOU GOT ANY CASTLES? - WB, mid-thirties, of especial interest to movie buffs; the print is slightly out of focus, so please don't heave things at the projectionist.
HISTORY OF AVIATION - the semi-comic documentary on flight culled from Disney's wartime Victory through Air Power.
AU FOU - a French print of a black, "sick" Japanese cartoon. A bit overly methodical in its pacing, deliberately making the audience wait for its punch gags; outrageous, sometimes tasteless, but also very funny.
MALIBU BEACH PARTY - one of the best of the WB cartoons spoofing current Hollywood stars.
BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE DISNEY STUDIOS - Directed by Alfred Werker – the thoroughly enjoyable 3-reel documentary with animation culled from The Relucant Dragon. Half-way through it switches to refreshing old Technicolor; with Robert Benchley, Disney, Nana Bryant, Alan Ladd, Frances Gifford, Jeff Corey, Henry Hall etc.
KISS ME CAT - a delightful recent WB cartoon to wrap the evening up. |