
Title: The Birth of a Toothpick
Studio: Walter Lantz
Date: 2/27/39
Credits:
Director
Burt Gillett
Story -- Vic McLeod, Kin Platt
Music -- Frank Marsales
Animators
Frank Tipper -- LaVerne Harding
Series: Walter Lantz Cartune
Running time (of viewed version): 7:15
Synopsis: In part we follow how a toothpick comes to be, but mostly we see a guy (Big (Dan?)) in romantic love with a tree (Sylvia).

















Comments: I think the narrator is the Screwy Squirrel voice; it is close if it is not. A woodpecker shows up briefly. The trees move nicely when they grow or are on trains. I doubt this is the first appearance of the gag of a giant tree being turned into a single tiny toothpick, but I am uncertain. Nature boy Dan looks a bit Terrytoonish. I don't have very much to say about this cartoon. Again, not the worst Lantz cartoon so far. This cartoon pops up as a credit for Ed Benedict; I'm not sure why tho; the Lantz Encyclopedia lists the animator credits as Ed Benedict and LaVerne Harding, but both opening versions I looked at for the cartoon list Frank Tipper and Verne. I am trying to find out the basis for the Ed Benedict animator credit on this cartoon. Burt Gillett was a director at both Disney and Van Beuren before his time at Lantz. In spite of all the above text, I maintain that there really isn't much to say about this cartoon...