071 Bola-Mola Land

Title: Bola-Mola Land
Studio: Walter Lantz
Date: 5/28/39
Credits:
Director ... Alex Lovy
Story ... Victor McLeod, James Miele
Music ... Frank Marsales
Animators ... Frank Tipper, Dick Marion
Series: Crackpot Cruise (apparently, they made a series based on the previous cartoon named Crackpot Cruise; as it was less than 2 months old when this came out, I wonder if it was a sudden decision to make it its own sub series and they just quickly added a new series card).
Running time (of viewed version): 6:52

Synopsis: A bunch of gags from many places, some of which are Bola-Mola Land.






















Comments: The backwards Corrigans are a reference to Douglas "Wrong Way" Corrigan, who in 1939 flew from Long Island to Ireland, claiming he was trying to fly to Long Beach (almost certainly a lie, as he had been denied permission to make a transatlantic flight). The reference filters down to us more famously in the form of Wrongway Feldman on Gilligan's Island, played by celebrated voice Hans Conreid. The buoys have a vocal joke going on, and it's not the only gag of that type in the cartoon. This is more audio based humor than in the average '39er. There's an African nudist camp, where all you can see are Homer-muzzles and eye whites; I'm not sure if it would get more complaints about the concept of nudity in a cartoon or the general racial joke. It transitions into an Eskimo joke, which ends up just failing visually as all they do is change the background. In 1939, the popup ads they were worried about were billboards. The Icky Toothpaste sign really reminds me of Wacky Packages. There is a joke about how wet and rainy California is compared to Arizona. The rest of the country doesn't get it, you provincial jerkwads. The rubber tree gag could have been more adult... The doubletalking Siamese twins are like a joke on the Jack Benny show, except there it was one guy who said incomprehensible things. That was funnier than this version. I wonder if the Eat Dine Dance sign on Bola Mola Island is a reference to a specific real world place as opposed to general restaurant signage.