Go To Friz Time

“An entertaining ‘Merrie Melody’ cartoon in color,” declared the Motion Picture Herald, “One of the best in the series,” said the Philadelphia Exhibitor. And a press book sent out by Warner Bros. with one of its features said “Take our word for it, this is one of the best Merrie Melodies ever produced.”

You can still see the cartoon on-line from battered old prints. But my guess is you won’t see it restored for home video (though I said the same thing about Uncle Tom's Cabana. What do I know?).

In a way, it’s too bad. You won’t see an attractive version of this background by John Waltz.



The cartoon is Sunday Go To Meetin' Time, a 1936 release from the Friz Freleng unit. It was made in full Technicolor, and Freleng tried to take full advantage of it. There's plenty of colour in these scenes.



Friz has some fine layouts and use of shadows in this short (I don't know who was doing his layouts in 1936)



Devils with pitchforks dance to and from the background, with the fire from the holes (animated on separate cels, I suppose) changing colours.



Though I don't remember it, because I wouldn't have found it funny like Bugs Bunny or Daffy Duck, but the cartoon did air as part of the AAP TV package starting in 1956 until eye-rolling cliches and stereotypes pulled it off the air in the days long before cable channels.

Bob McKimson and Paul J. Smith are the credited animators, with the score by Norman Spencer.