007 Dog Gone Modern

Title: Dog Gone Modern
Studio: Warner Brothers
Date: 1/14/39
Credits: (none in print) (but directed by Chuck Jones)
Series: Merrie Melodies (on Blue Ribbon print)
Running time (of viewed version): 7:23

Synopsis: Two dogs wander into an electric house of the future, and for some reason comedy ensues.















Comments: Blue Ribbon print. Robot Mel Blanc voice, but not much voice overall. The sweeping robot is similar to other later WB robots; I'm thinking the parachuting autopilot. The dogs seem strangely flat and off kilter much of the time; maybe they put all their effort into the typefaces... And the cartoon focuses on the worse looking dog. The cartoon should rely on the set, like Tex Avery's more successful cartoons in the demonstration model vein from MGM, but this cartoon just isn't fully comfortable with the idea.

006 Petunia Natural Park

Title: Petunia Natural Park
Studio: MGM
Date: 1/14/39
Credits: None listed on print
Series: The Captain and the Kids
Running time (of viewed version): 8:20

Synopsis:The cast of the Captain and the Kids goes to the park., travelogue style.




















Comments: Almost a blackout gag format, the cartoon plays a bit like a Goofy "How To" cartoon. I hate the Katzenjammer Kids as a comic strip, but this was surprisingly entertaining. Another color film, it is not as lush as the first Disney entry but is competitively good looking. There's a nice looking multi-plane background move in the first shot. There's a fairly long shot with a cel based background, pulled over a painted background like a window shade, which then vibrates when a pin is dropped. Then there's the drunken fawn, pre-Bambi. There's yet another silhouette; a very popular device. I think this cartoon may have had the most different visual ideas of the cartoons so far, surprising considering my inherent low opinion of the property, and its extremely low visibility in my viewing experience.

Boxoffice, January 14

BoxOffice, January 14, 1939

http://issuu.com/boxoffice/docs/boxoffice_011439

p32A
"Dick Condon left unexpectedly for the Walt Disney studios on the coast"

32g: Snow White won Film Daily's movie of the year; for similar acclaim, see also p65, p79, p84

p41: "Six More Cartoons Put Into Work By Lantz
The Walter Lantz cartoon production unit has hit peak capacity, having launched six new cartoon shorts to boost the total in work to 18.
The Lantz organization works a 40-hour week, its product being released through Universal."

p49
For some reason, a marathon showing with three features had a 1937 Columbia cartoon included, "Hollywood Picnic"

p51
"Minnie as Scarlett?"
On who should be Scarlett O'Hara:
"Quipped Jane Quinn: "Minnie Mouse gets my vote. Walt Disney could make a much more super colossal, gigantic film than any Hollywood luminary anyhow... Minnie as Scarlett... and Donald Duck as Rhett Butler..." "

p65
The Esquire was being built; I saw several films at it as a kid before it was closed.

p67 Family named property

p82 "Selling Disney's "Ferdinand"-
The smiling lady is Gail Northe, on a goodwill tour of 22 cities for the little fellow she's holding in her right hand, Ferdinand the Bull. Miss Northe is between the mayors of the Texarkanas. Mayor Brown (left) of Texas and Mayor Seibert of Arkansas. Mrs. Boyd Short of Interstate circuit is responsible for it all."
'
p95 "Short Subject Reviews"
"Dog Gone Modern
Vitaphone (Merrie Melody) 7 Minutes
Another swell Leon Schlesinger animation in Technicolor. His two pups wander into a new model home where the latest in electrical appliances requires the push of a button. The new fangled developments on the electrical world play havoc with the canines and they're pretty happy when it's all over. The juveniles will like it and there are a couple of good ideas here for the grownups to consider."

005 The Owl and the Pussycat

Title: The Owl and the Pussycat
Studio: Terry
Date: 1/13/39
Credits: (none listed on print)
Series: (none listed on print)
Running time (of viewed version): 5:29

Synopsis: Cat named George, tries to marry his ex-girlfriend, an owl, out from under the beak of the milquetoast owl who's trying to get her. He rows away with her to, uh, marriage island, where he totally gets tricked into chasing a mouse so the owls can get married.

Comments: I don't think that title imagery could have existed in 1939... obviously that is from a later time. Second color cartoon of the year; I wouldn't have guessed Terry would have had that honor. Second cat chases a mouse to move the plot along cartoon in a row too. 3 for 5 with cats so far. George sure sounds like Jimmy Durante and shares other traits with Sourpuss. And there's a tiny goose in the inexplicable angry mob who looks a bit like Gandy. At least some sources count this as the first Gandy and Sourpuss cartoon. The BCDB entry for this cartoon claims Farmer Alfalfa is involved; either my copy is deeply clipped or BCDB got it wrong. It is pretty short, but BCDB says the cat should be female... The owls don't seem to be able to fly; a worthwhile tradeoff for sentience. I'm wondering tho if George is uncontrollably attracted to a mouse why the owls wouldn't be too. The cartoon is ugly and muddled looking, but it's pretty well structured. I like George's design, but every other major character looks insufferably intentionally cute. The female is kind of a slut, and she's willing to marry anyone at the drop of a hat apparently (George for his musicianship, the owl for being in the room, apparently). I can't decide if the cartoon has a strong anti-miscegenation message or not. See the screencaps for the Gandy looking goose grabbing what appears to be feces for throwing at George...

004 Donald's Lucky Day

Title: Donald's Lucky Day
Studio: Disney
Date: 1/13/39
Credits: (none listed)
Series: Donald Duck(?)
Running time (of viewed version): 8:15

Synopsis: Bombers send their bomb with Donald Duck the bike courier. Donald is luckily waylaid by a black cat. See if you can guess if Disney allowed the bomb to reach its destination...













Comments: Hey, it premiered on Friday the 13th, and it takes place on Friday the 13th. The silhouettes look like Pete and Horace Horsecollar. This is the most structured cartoon storywise so far. It lacks any real menace tho. Warner's would blow up Daffy Duck in this situation. Hitchcock would blow up a little kid. With Disney, there's not much doubt that nothing's going to happen to Donald. Who is way too happy at the beginning, by the way. Maybe to throw his animosity into sharp relief later. The first color cartoon of the year, it has that lush drab look. The cat is possibly the most good natured adult alleycat to ever appear in a cartoon.

See also:
http://afilmla.blogspot.com/2006/08/prod-rm17-donalds-lucky-day.html