Ham and Peking Duck

Chinese acrobats see that Cubby Bear is looking for talent in Fresh Ham, a 1933 Van Beuren cartoon. You can see they’re speaking in what are supposed to be pictographs.



They’re actually pretty good. They play music. They tumble in the air. Cubby is impressed.



Uh, oh. Out of the swirls comes the “fresh ham” of the title; a washed-up Shakespearean duck that keeps showing up to audition.



The ducks pounce on him. Cubby has had enough. The trap door takes care of them and a twisted combination of ducks runs out of the cartoon.



Steve Muffati and Mannie Davis get the “by” credit. The guy with the raspy voice plays the ham actor.