Singing Fireplace of Horror

The Wild Goose Chase (1932) is the Van Beuren version of one of those Fleischer scary cartoons featuring parades weird creatures. It’s imaginative enough to make it one of the studio’s best, even though the story’s developed in a stream-of-consciousness method as we go from banjo-strumming frogs to two cats taken by a goose (which they don’t chase) to a castle in the clouds to get some gold.

The cats try to escape from the castle and stop in front of a singing stone fireplace. The fire acts like a tongue as the lyrics are sung. Fire creatures then jump out and run up the stairs, and the flames then turn into arms to try to grab the cats, who climb out a window to (supposed) safety.



I sure wish I knew the name of the song the fireplace (played by the original voice of Bluto?) is singing, but Gene Rodemich’s soundtrack is taken up part of the time with the 1927 hit “Let a Smile Be Your Umbrella.” Margie Hines is the girl cat; the boy cat’s voice is lost to the ages.

John Foster and Manny Davis receive screen credits.