Title: The Barnyard Brat
Studio: Fleischer
Date: 6/30/39
Credits:
Direction:
Dave Fleischer
Animation:
Myron Waldman
Anthony Pabian
Series: Color Classic
Running time (of viewed version): 6:21
Synopsis: Spunky is an awful little ass, the other animals rebel, but Hunky protects him, then at long last punishes him for his bad behavior.
Comments: Crap. Another Hunky and Spunky cartoon. Everyone in the barnyard hates Spunky too. Everything has big shiny eyes. This is not a poorly made cartoon; it's just a terrible cartoon. There's a nice well shot. It seems like Hunky's training Spunky to always kick in the last cartoon has backfired; Spunky always kicks now. Beating children apparently fixes them. And if it doesn't, keep trying to beat them, even if they run from you. The Somewhere in Dreamland DVD still seems to have a matted title card. There's lots of smeary/heavily distorted inbetweens in this cartoon. Fleischer should not make pastoral cartoons.
I like the blurry animation. But this has to be one of the most annoying cartoons to have to listen to. The constant moaning, screeching and whining are truly headache inducing. A very unhappy cartoon.
ReplyDeleteOh, guys. I actually love the Hunky and Spunky series, and feel BARNYARD BRAT is not only far and away the best H&S, but also one of the best Fleischers of the period. So much of the Disney/Harmon/Ising cutey poo thirties stuff is technically dazzling and, yes, barely watchable due to sugar content. On the other hand, the Fleischers gave us stories even more sentimental, yet cut the treacle with their utterly bizarre production design and weird gag sense. H&S should be a sappy mother and infant duo (imagine how cuddly they would appear in a Silly Symphony) yet these little morality stories seem oddly authentic and sincere precisely BECAUSE they look and sound a little grotesque (I mean, Spunky's head is nearly twice the size of his body! How could they even animate that? And I think the guy who came up with the alien sounding donkey voices was a genius!) Likewise the 'cute' little fable has off the wall gags and, yes again, irritating supporting characters. And the little twist ending ("Hey! He's still a little jerk!") is pure Uncle Max. Crap my ass! This one really is a color classic!
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