Cartoon a Day: I Love to Singa

I Love to Singa
1936
Directed by Tex Avery (as Fred Avery)
Available on: Looney Tunes Golden Collection Vol. 2

Well, it was only a matter of time, how could I possibly ignore "I Love to Singa" for very long. This whole "Cartoon a Day" idea was designed to bring a little extra joy into my life, and if there is one cartoon guaranteed to make me smile it's this goofy little film. It's often listed as a favorite in polls of animation fans and many younger adults will recognize it's title tune from a famous episode of the show "South Park."

The story involves a young jazz singing owl (Owl Jolson) born to a family of classical musicians. They try to get him to sing their music, but he just can't help bursting into the title song. His father ends up throwing him out of the house, but after coming to their senses the family tracks him down when they hear him singing on a radio amateur hour.

There's really nothing spectacular here when it comes to the animation, or the story. It's certainly not the style we would see from Tex Avery or Chuck Jones (who served as an animator on this film) later in their careers. But every time you see that little owl singing away, you just can't help but chuckle. This is just such a great example of why I love classic animated shorts...they're just plain fun.