"To Spring" - Happy Harmonies (1936)

This winter has seemed to drag on forever, so I thought I’d repost this cartoon from last year. It seems to fit the yo-yo like weather which we have been experiencing here for the past month or so. Hopefully we have seen the last of the bad weather until next year…

The MGM series of Happy Harmonies cartoons were really not preserved as well as many of the other cartoons of the era. However, there are still some real gems out there. Like this one, “To Spring”, in which the elves are awakened from their winter’s nap by the dripping of the melting ice which slowly sets off the alarm clock to awaken them to their annual task. It is a very important one, too.

You see, these elves are in charge of putting color back into the world after the bleak period of winter has passed. They seem to be enjoying themselves until Old Man Winter makes one final push to regain control over the elements, keeping things cold and bleak. But the elves are up to the challenge, restoring the world to its colorful array of beauty and its natural cycle of life.

"Let It Go" - Idina Menzel from "Frozen" (2013)

This is a clip from a new Disney film called "Frozen". Animation; at least the modern version; doesn't usually get me too excited. But this clip is absolutely majestic. The song is one of empowerment, sung by Idina Menzel, who plays the character Elsa in the film.

I have not seen the film, and probably won't. But this sequence is so breathtaking that I just had to share it with someone. I understand that in this scene Elsa has discovered her magic powers and casts off the forces which have been holding her down.

Her sudden freedom to explore her own limits enables her to create a stunning ice palace form her own imagination. If this scene is emblematic of the rest of the story, then Disney has created an excellent film for your daughters and granddaughters. This is the kind of entertainment which will enable them to soar.

"Jack Frost" - A UB Iwerks Cartoon (1934)

It’s the dead of winter and everyone is hibernating except for the baby bear. When he runs away from home he finds that Old Man Winter has some wicked things in store for him. But, by chance; or maybe something more; Jack Frost comes to his rescue, saving the little bear from the ravages of the cold.

Cartoons like these were a mainstay when I was a kid. You actually learned something from them. In this one the lesson is clear; don’t bite off more than you can chew. But if you do, it’s okay; there is someone who cares enough to help you.

Is that unrealistic? I don’t know; perhaps in some ways it is. But the greater good is in the hope that these cartoons engendered in the hearts and minds of those who watched them, heeding their siren like call. And these lessons, once learned, never leave the mind, holding one in good stead during the darkest of times.

How do I know this for a certainty? Easy; when I was a kid my Mom was very ill; frequently in the hospital for months at time. There was never a year in which this did not occur. That was my “Old Man Winter." Cartoons, books, movies and music; these things all became my own personal “Jack Frosts’.” That’s why these cartoons were so special to me then, and continue to be so now.

"The Whale Who Wanted to Sing at the Met" - Walt Disney (1946)

One of the greatest things about the old cartoons was that they opened up different avenues of entertainment for millions of kids. As a matter of fact, most kids of my generation were probably first exposed to the classics through cartoons such as this one by Disney from 1946.

The plot is fairly simple; a sailor has brought home stories of a singing whale named Willie, which nobody believes. Professors are called in to study the mammal, and all agree that he has swallowed a man. But when he begins to harmonize with himself in several voices, they are all stumped.

A seagull is dispatched to ascertain the validity of the story, and when it is revealed to be the truth, the Captain sets out to capture Willie. He has dreams of making the whale a star, as well of his own grandeur. In his mind Willie will travel the world, singing opera on stage, and making the Captain rich.

But, in his quest for fame and fortune he kills the whale, ending his own dreams. But Willie goes on to sing forever in the depths of the sea. There are something’s in nature that can never be captured, or caged.

Beautifully directed by Directed by Clyde Geronimi and Hamilton Luske, this cartoon has Nelson Eddy performing all of the singing. This is a wonderful introduction, for children of all ages, to the world of Opera.

"The Thing" - Phil Harris (1950)

This goes along with so many of the songs I listened to as a kid. My parents listened to everything from big band to classical recordings, along with a bunch of what I suppose was called “pop” music back then. And then there were some of the novelty records, which, even if I didn't understand them fully at the age of 4, were funny to me. Records such as “She Had to Go and Lose It at the Astor” by Harry Brown are a perfect example. I didn’t have to know exactly what she might have “lost” at the Astor to know the record was funny.

Phil Harris may sound familiar to your ear, even if you have never deliberately sought out one of his many recordings; that’s because he was the voice behind Baloo the Bear in the Disney film “The Jungle Book.” His voice is unmistakable, and even if you did miss it the first time around when we were kids, then I know you have listened to it with your own, or possibly even your grand-kids since then.

“The Thing" was composed by Charles Randolph Grean, who wrote several of these novelty songs in the late 40’s and early 50’s. This is one of the most successful, having reached Number 1 on the Billboard Charts in November of 1950. The song was actually recorded on October 13^th, which shows how quickly the record got played and became a hit. It remained on the charts for 14 weeks.

Arthur Godfrey, Danny Kaye, Ray Charles, Teresa Brewer and Les Welch are amonst those who have covered this song, but Phil Harris was the first to record it and release it. Arthur Godfrey and Danny Kaye both recorded their versions within a few weeks of Mr. Harris, but Phil Harris’ timing was spot on, and so he had the hit with the song. Ray Charles didn’t get around to recording it himself until July of 1963, which is an early example of the songs durability. It has even been released recently as a rap song!

Although Mr. Grean never tells us just what is in the mysterious box he finds on the beach, we all have a pretty good idea of what it is, pertaining to the verse in which he uses it. If you have never heard this record, give it a whirl. Pops and all, it’s worth a spin. (That’s a pun.) Here are the lyrics; and below them is the actual recorded version of the song which I used to listen to back around 1957 when I was 3 years old.

"The Thing" by Charles Grean

I saw a great big wooden box a-floatin’ in the bay

I pulled it in and opened it up and much to my surprise

Ooh, I discovered a boom-boom-boom, right before my eyes

Oh, I discovered a boom-boom-boom, right before my eyes

I picked it up and ran to town as happy as a king

I took it to a guy I knew who’d buy most any thing

But this is what he hollered at me as I walked in his shop

Oh, get outta here with that boom-boom-boom, before I call a cop

Oh, get outta here with that boom-boom-boom before I call a cop

I turned around and got right out, a-runnin’ for my life

And then I took it home with me to give it to my wife

But this is what she hollered at me as I walked in the door

Oh, get outta here with that boom-boom-boom, and don’t come back no more

Oh, get outta here with that boom-boom-boom, and don’t come back no more

I wandered all around the town until I chanced to meet

A hobo who was looking for a hand-out on the street

He said he’d take most any old thing, he was a desperate man

But when I showed him the boom-boom-boom, he turned around and ran

Oh, when I showed him the boom-boom-boom, he turned around and ran

I wandered on for many years, a victim of my fate

Until one day I came upon St. Peter at the gate

And when I tried to take it inside, he told me where to go

Get outta here with that boom-boom-boom and take it down below

Oh, get outta here with that boom-boom-boom and take it down below

The moral of this story is if you’re out on the beach

And you should see a great big box and it’s within your reach

Don’t ever stop and open it up, that’s my advice to you

‘Cause you’ll never get rid of the boom-boom-boom, no matter what you do

Oh, you’ll never get rid of the boom-boom-boom, no matter what you do.

"Building A Building" with Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse (1932)

Bullying is a problem which has beset mankind for ages. From the first cavemen, up through the present time, there have always been; and probably always will be; those who would use their size, or strength, to impose their will upon others. Although a serious problem, bullying has proven to be great fodder for some of the best comedy ever produced; be it on stage, screen or even in cartoons.
 

Think of Charlie Chaplin’s early films. Wasn’t he always the victim of some bullying type, whether it be an authority figure, or just a plain old rude person? But he always came out on top in his confrontations with bullies, even if only by accident.

The same is true of the Popeye cartoons, in which the intrepid sailor was always up against someone bigger than himself. Bluto was always trying to savage him in a never ending quest for the love of Olive Oyl, only to be beaten by Popeye and his spinach each time. Since school has just begun again, I thought I would address the issue with a cartoon to illustrate the topic of bullying.

In this 1932 release, Mickey is working on a construction site, building a building. Everyone works in unison except for the riveter. He is the big man on site, and let’s Mickey know it. When Minnie Mouse comes along with her lunch wagon, he quickly makes unwanted advances towards her. This brings him into confrontation with the much smaller Mickey, who; aided by Minnie; gives him a taste of his own medicine. They then ride off together on a new joint venture, as evidenced by the sign on the side of the lunch wagon.

Bullying is a real issue in our schools today. With the beginning of the new school year, all parents should take the time to talk to their children about this topic. Give them the tools they need to confront the problem. The first is humor. Most bullies can be laughed away, but sometimes the only choice is to stand up for your own dignity. But, if fighting back is not your cup of tea, then telling an adult at school, and home, are the next best things. There is no shame in being bullied; but there is also no reason to accept it lying down

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