In this cartoon from 1945 the Pilgrims land at Plymouth Rock
to found a colony. There are many sight gags to enjoy taken in the context of
the times. For instance, some of the Pilgrims are standing in line waiting for
their cigarette rations. The war was not over yet and tobacco was still one of
the rationed items.
When one of the Pilgrims does decide to go hunting for a
turkey, he gets outwitted by the bird and ends up eating at Joes Diner. The
turkey comes along as the two have mended their feud. The proprietor is a bear
who ends up eating both of them for his holiday. The bird and the Pilgrim wind
up inside his stomach, complaining about their fate, and wondering what they
have to be thankful for.
A lot of the jokes in this cartoon are reflective of the
home front in America during the war. Rationing and the black market are two of
the main topics in this cartoon. The bird is a caricature of comedian Jimmy
Durante.
Directed by Tex Avery, this cartoon was written by Heck
Allen, and scored by Scott Bradley. The animation was done by the team of Preston
Blair, Ed Love and Ray Abrams, while the voices were done by using radio actors
such as Harry Lang, who was known for his work on the “Cisco Kid”, and Leone
LeDoux, who actually made his mark in cartoons doing baby cries. This is a fun
cartoon for children of all ages.
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