"Old Mac Donald Had A Farm" - Screensong (1947)

Beginning around 1929 the “bouncing ball” type of cartoon began to rise in popularity. This was to be expected with the advent of sound in films. But I don’t think that anyone really saw the potential that these cartoons had in the way of becoming classics, evoking a long gone time and all the social gentilities which went along with it.

Think about it; does anyone ride along in the car doing family sing a longs of the old standards anymore? I doubt it. The rise of earphones, I-pods, and all the other electrical gadgets have rendered the family car time a void; with each person plugged into their own spheres. I doubt that any of today’s kids know the words to songs like “The Old Gray Mare” or “Shine on Harvest Moon”, or even “Old MacDonald”, which is the main event in this cartoon from 1947.

I know I sound old and curmudgeonly when I talk like this; but I can’t help but feel sorry for the kids growing up in today’s high tech world. I remember, with nostalgia, riding in the family car listening to AM radio all the way down to Florida before 95 was complete. Passing through so many small towns and catching the local radio stations, complete with farm prices. It was magic. 

"Peeping Penguins" - Max Fleischer (1937)

With the weather so cold up north in New York; and hotter down south; I found myself in a bit of a lurch while trying to decide what cartoon to post today for my grandkids. Around holidays the choice is easy enough, but what to do when the kids live so far away, and in opposite directions, as well as climates?

The answer, of course, is to simply pick out the one which you like best (the cartoon, not the grandkid!) and just go with it.  The grandkids up north will appreciate the snowy theme, and the ones in Texas will remember being here for a white Christmas 2 years ago.

This is another fluid Max Fleischer creation, featuring 2 small penguins, both of whom ignore their mothers warning and go exploring the inside of a hunter’s cabin. The things they find within, along with their naivety about humans, make this a cute little cartoon for a cold winter’s day in upstate New York; or even a warm and sunny day in Texas.