I’m not sure what Johnny is thinking after he looks back, but here’s his reaction.
Exhibitors liked this cartoon. It was their second choice in Boxoffice Barometer’s 14th annual shorts poll, only behind Disney’s live-action Bear Country
Heck Allen helped Tex Avery with the gags while Ray Patterson was borrowed from the Hanna-Barbera unit to help Avery’s usual crew of Grant Simmons, Walt Clinton, Mike Lah and Bob Bentley. Daws Butler and Colleen Collins, uncredited, provide voices. Patterson, incidentally, told animation historian/writer Earl Kress late in life that he didn’t recall why he ended up working in both units.
Back in the pre-TV days, I suppose the cartoon was held in higher esteem -- including its eventual Oscar nomination -- because it wasn't as obviously derivative from Tex's "One Cab's Family" (which in turn was derived from Freleng's "Streamline Gretta Green"). Good thing for Johnny and dad Miss Liberty wasn't as well prepared for narrow fly-bys as she was in Clampett's "Meet John Doughboy", or the cartoon would have had a tragic ending.
ReplyDeleteSorry, Johnny, the rumors were unfounded - Lady Liberty does not "go commando".
ReplyDeleteI love the score this cartoon, over all others. Scott Bradley really gets a workout, following the line "let's get 'em, son!" we hear "Yankee Doodle", "Hooray For The Red White and Blue" and "Dixie" mashed together in less than 15 seconds, followed by a world of musical cues, "Anchors Aweigh" pushed into "Sailor's Hornpipe", and the above scene runs "Amber waves of grain" into "Riding on a pony" with a constant runner of "Rock-A-Bye Baby" throughout - phenomenal!!
ReplyDeleteNice pink full briefs!
ReplyDelete