"Seal Skinners" - Captain and the Kids Cartoon (1939)

In 1938 MGM launched a series of cartoons based on the characters featured in the comic strip “The Captain and the Kids” which was originated by Rudolph Dirk. The strip was actually just another version of his highly popular classic “The Katzenjammer Kids.” Dirks was that strip’s original creator and Harold H. Knerr did the drawings. “The Captain and the Kids” cartoons would number 15 in all; released during the years 1938 and 1939.

For some reason the series didn't catch on with the public and was relegated to the back shelves until the advent of television. As more and more households purchased TV sets there was a serious lack of new shows to fill the time. As the 1950’s rolled around the television became the first thing many children saw in the mornings; even before their parents woke up. I remember waking up many a day and seeing the test pattern still on the tube, waiting for start of the broadcast day with the Star Spangled Banner and sometimes even a morning editorial. Then came the cartoons.

This series is interesting because it was produced by William Hanna; later of Hanna-Barbera fame; and the voice over genius of Mel Blanc. If Lon Chaney was the Man of a Thousand Faces, then surely Mel Blanc was the Man of a Thousand Voices. He would go on to become the voice of every character heard in a thousand Looney Toon cartoons. In this cartoon he is the voice of John Silver. The Captain was done by Billy Bletcher.

The plot for this cartoon is relatively simple; a seal has escaped from the circus; Jingling Brothers; and a reward of $100,000 is offered for his return. Bad guys John Silver and the Captain both show up as cabdrivers, offering to take him home. Of course their motives are less than honorable, and soon the seal finds himself in a battle of wits with the two witless ones.

But, fear not; as in most cartoons good triumphs over evil; the beauty is in the way that it gets accomplished. I had forgotten all about these cartoons and was pleasantly surprised to find them while scrolling around on You Tube. You can expect that I will be running the remaining 14 in the weeks to come.

"The Tuba Tooner" with Tom and Jerry (1932)

 

 

I did not know that there was a Tom and Jerry cartoon previous to the cat and mouse I grew up with. Hanna-Barbera began their series of Tom and Jerry in the late 1940’s. This cartoon is one of several that were circulated by RKO as part of their Van Bueren series; the cartoons themselves were the work of John Foster and George Stallings.

Much as Max and Dave Fleischer produced and directed the Popeye series, along with Betty Boop, these guys really had something going. The cartoons were very well received in their time, with several becoming cult classics, such as “The Piano Tooners”, which is pretty much a replication of the theme in “The Tuba Tooner”, and “Plane Dumb”.

Black and white cartoons were the first ones I ever saw. The “Farmer Grey” series from the 1920’s used to play on TV early in the morning. They were silent, as they were produced before the advent of sound films. For the most part the soundtracks on TV consisted of classical music, handpicked to fit the tempo, and theme, of the cartoon being shown.  It was kind of a neat way to be indoctrinated to classical music without realizing it.

Pay attention to the detail of the cartoon as it seemingly sways to the music. This was a hallmark of the Fleischer Brothers, as well as the team of Foster and Stallings. Some of it had to do with the process used at the time; drawing the cartoon frame by frame; but a lot more of it was in the expertise of the artists themselves. Enjoy the cartoon and I’ll see you tomorrow.

"Springtime for Thomas" with Tom and Jerry (1946)

This is a cute little Tom and Jerry cartoon from 1946. It was released under the title “Springtime for Tom” in some countries, but it’s the same old story everywhere. It's spring time, and everyone’s looking for their perfect mate. Tom and Jerry are no exceptions. This post is for Aliyah and Trinity, who will be visiting in a few weeks. And then we can watch these silly old cartoons together!

"The Car of Tomorrow" (1951) / "Mouse In the House" (1947)

This is an old MGM cartoon directed by Tex Avery. Apparently there is another version of this floating around which was shortened slightly in order to be more politically correct. This is the original, which still has the Chinese and Indian cars which were removed. Since I just had an accident, which totaled my car, I'm looking for a good used one. Rather than start with Craig's list, I figured that looking on You Tube might prove to be interesting.

And right below is a very good "Tom and Jerry" cartoon from 1947, titled "A Mouse in the House." It's the same old story you read about in the news all the time - too many people and not enough jobs. This one is directed by the legendary team of William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, who would later bring you Fred and Wilma Flintstone, as well as the town of Bedrock.