Turning Animation Into Apple Sauce

“The Greatest Man in Siam” shows how fast he is. He shoots an arrow, which cuts to him running, skidding to a stop, magically growing an apple tree, putting an apple on his head, which the arrow goes through.



More magic. He produces a bowl to catch the saucy remains of the apple, tosses it away and poses victoriously.



Any bets this is an Emery Hawkins scene?

Pat Matthews gets an animation credit for his work on the sensuous Miss X. Art Heinemann drew the layouts and Phil De Guard painted the backgrounds for director Shamus Culhane. There are some hokey signs, meaning Bugs Hardaway wrote part of this cartoon (with Milt Schaffer). Harry Lang provides voices. Keith Scott has sent a note that the B-O bass singer is Harry Stanton, who sang that on Lifebuoy radio jingles.

This March 1944 short was reissued Sept. 11, 1950.

Producer Walter Lantz was forced to change the girls name from “Miss X” because censors thought people would slur the name to “Miss Sex.” Lantz decided to have a contest to rename her. Motion Picture Daily of April 22, 1944 reported Lantz had received 5,000 entries, mostly from exhibitors. Showmen’s Trade Review of July 1st reported Miss Eleanor Lukofsky of the Commerford Circuit, Scranton, Pa. was awarded a $100 for the new name, Miss XTC. I’ll bet that didn’t go down with the censors. The name was never used on screen, and the dancing harem girl lasted only two cartoons before Lantz backed down to the ire of bluenoses.