Cartoon a Day: Slingshot 6 7/8

Slingshot 6 7/8
1951
Directed by Walter Lantz
Available on: The Woody Woodpecker and Friends Classic Cartoon Collection

It's been awhile since we've done a Woody Woodpecker short. This particular one has a few interesting things to note. First there is not dialogue in the movie except for Woody's signature laugh. Second is that there is no director credited for the film. There is the usual "A Walter Lantz Cartune" credit screen. While Wikipedia credits Lantz for directing (based on his own claim), the Internet Movie Database does not. It's hard to know what to believe.

In this short, Woody is in the old west and ends up participating in a shooting contest. The competitors can choose their weapons, so Woody uses a slingshot while his top rival, Buzz Buzzard as an Indian, uses a bow and arrow.

There's nothing wrong with a silent cartoon comedy, but the animation has to really excel. While this short has some good moments, mostly early in the film, many sequences are lacking that extra punch that is needed. Had Buzz and Woody been given some Tex Avery style reaction shots this could've been a much more memorable film.

Cartoon a Day: Confidence

Confidence
1933
Directed by William Nolan
Available on: Woody Woodpecker and Friends Classic Cartoon Collection

"Confidence" is an interesting cartoon to look at, especially in the difficult economic times we are facing now. This is a cartoon that wasn't made for laughs, but was made to boost spirits during the great depression.

In this short, things are seeming pretty good down on Oswald the Lucky Rabbit's farm, that is until the depression comes, and in the form of a dark ghost-like figure, I might add. To find the cure, Oswald (looking more like Mickey Mouse than ever before) heads to Washington DC to have a chat with President Roosevelt.

In it's first few minutes "Confidence" feels like any other black and white toon from this era. You've got lots of happy animals with big eyes dancing around. But as things move on, this short becomes quite innovative. The scene where depression sweeps over the land combines animation with live action. The effect is uses a globe type object with houses and trees attached to it which turns as the animated hooded figure flies over. It's a pretty ingenius effect for this time period.

Oswald's sort of decent into madess is also not your typical type of imagery for an early cartoon such as this.

The use of charicature in FDR's rah-rah appearance toward the end is also pretty very well done. Plus it does an effective job of turning a pretty dark cartoon completely around for a cheery finish. This is very strong Oswald cartoon from the Walter Lantz era of the character.

Cartoon a Day: Spooks

Spooks
1930
Directed by Walter Lantz
Available on: Woody Woodpecker and Friends Classic Cartoon Collection

Ah, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit...the rabbit with two Walts. You may know that Oswald was created by Walt Disney, but eventually the powers that be at Universal Pictures decided they could make Oswald without Disney. Eventually Oswald was handed over to another Walt, Walter Lantz, who later created Woody Woodpecker. Of course Disney created Mickey Mouse after his rabbit was taken from him.



In keeping with the Halloween theme, today's cartoon is "Spooks," and Oswald short from the Lantz era. The first few shots of the film are very reminiscent of yesterday's cartoon "The Skeleton Dance." There is a skeleton, and a black cat that look similar, and a swaying tree branch and an owl that are almost spot on of images from the famous Silly Symphony.



Eventually the story takes the form of a "Phantom of the Opera" parody. The phantom helps Oswald's girl be a better singer (with the help of a record player), but then he steals her off, so Oswald must come to the rescue. Like in many early cartoons, the characters seem to be made of rubber hoses. This makes for some fun animation, but still, it seems a bit held-back then what you might see in a film animated by Ub Iwerks. There are some good gags, but the timing seems off in a few places. And even though gag repetition was pretty common in early cartoons, one particular visual gag is repeated four times in a row, that's a bit excessive. Still, I like the design of the phantom and his strange, almost blob like movements at times.

Cartoon a Day: Chilly Willy

Chilly Willy
1953
Directed by Paul J. Smith (uncredited)
Available on: The Woody Woodpecker and Friends Classic Cartoon Collection

The debut of Chilly Willy, probably Walter Lantz's 2nd most popular character after Woody Woodpecker, is a cute little film with some good recurring gags. Many cartoon characters look very different in their first films, and Chilly Willy is no exception. Here he's a bit taller and skinnier than he ended up being in famous, more rotund form.

In this short, a dog is left guarding an arctic ship when the crew (which appears to be one guy) goes out. A penguin who can't stand the cold happens a long to try and warm himself on the ship's stove. The basic is premise is one that we've seen different versions of in many cartoons, so there's nothing really original there. But I enjoyed the use of recurring gags in this short.

The bouncy gangplank makes for a funny gag a few times. The best recurring bit, however, is Chilly obeying the sign asking people to wipe their feet when coming aboard. So he insists on wiping his flippers on the dog's tail.


Though it has it's funny moments, there are a few timing issues at other points. All in all, this is a good first film from a character that would become a favorite for many over time.