This is a spot gag cartoon but what’s different about it is writer Dave Monahan has avoided the usual off-screen narrator style to have an on-screen mouse (Bill Thompson in his W.C. Fields voice, according to expert Keith Scott) weave things together in a travelogue-style patter. Monahan’s gags are obvious and corny. The best part of the cartoon is when it ends.
It's in the middle of the series of Warner Bros. cartoons that started with "I Wanna Be A Sailor" and ended with "Hush My Mouse" where just about every director at the studio tried to wring comedy out of a fast-talking child or child-like character who just won't shut up. For all the talented directors, writers and animators involved, none of them could figure out how to make the gimmick more funny than annoying to the audience.
ReplyDeleteProbably because it went over on radio. There was Teeny on Fibber McGee and Molly. Snooks is a variation on the theme. I can't listen to Baby Snooks.
DeleteThe only thing that stuck to me about 'I Wanna Be a Sailor' years ago was when the mother parrot suddenly broke into 'Old Black Joe' because I recognised the voice of Elverna Bradshaw.
J Lee, good point. 1939's Porky "It's an Ill Wind" is pretty decent when Porky or that non-humanoid, quadraped pooch are there, but not when the goose is ("can you do this porky" try saying THAT fast. Teeny already was established on FMcGaM. I believe, in IaIW that Mel Blanc (in one of his earlier cases of this), does both the talking character-the goose and (of course0 Porky) (others did that role..)
DeleteYowp, you sure it's not Elvia Allman (Keith Scott would know, though,,no rhyme intended!)