20. Hittin' the Trail for Hallelujah Land (1931)

All Bosko cartoons I review could also benefit from this disclaimer, but disclaimer: seeing as this is the first entry in the Censored 11, this review contains racist imagery, content, and stereotypes. I don’t in any way endorse these, nor do I take pleasure displaying them on my blog. However, it would be wrong of me to gloss over this and act like it didn’t happen, and that everything’s fine. These are issues that need to be discussed and can’t be shoved under the rug. This is purely for informational and educational purposes. If there’s anything I can do to make this easier to get through, PLEASE let me know, and PLEASE correct me if I say anything offensive or hurtful. Your enjoyment and your comfort are my priority, and I don’t want to squander that because of a careless mistake. Thank you for understanding and I hope this can serve as an educational source of information.

Release date: November 28th, 1931

Series: Merrie melodies

Director: Rudolf Ising

Starring: Johnny Murray (Piggy), Rudolf Ising (Alligator, Villain), Ken Darby (Uncle Tom), The King's Men (Chorus)

As I mentioned above, this is the first entry in the infamous Censored 11 list. For some background information, the Censored 11 is a group of cartoons held from syndication starting in 1968, because the use of ethnic stereotypes (specifically black stereotypes) was too offensive to show to audiences. (In my opinion that list should be WAYYY longer, but I digress.) In this cartoon, Piggy tries to rescue a kidnapped Fluffy on a steamboat, whereas an epithetical, doglike Uncle Tom is terrorized by skeletons in a graveyard. A steamboat and some skeletons, certainly sounds familiar, doesn’t it? 

The cartoon opens with three blackface caricatures playing the eponymous song “Hittin’ the Trail for Hallelujah Land” on a banjo, mouth harp, and spoons. The song is catchy with some beautiful layered harmonies, though the caricatures make it hard to appreciate.

We get a shot of the steamboat they’re aboard on the moonlit water. I’m sure you can tell, but this time we’re ripping off Disney with Steamboat Willie (it gets less subtle in a minute). However, I love the above gag of the steamboat heading down the waterfall. The backgrounds are quite moody and beautiful, too. I love moonlit backgrounds though, especially in black and white cartoons.

Now we see why this is in the Censored 11 (if the blackface wasn’t enough). Fluffy happens to be riding on a horse drawn (donkey drawn, really) cart with a doglike Uncle Tom epithet, both of them giving a few lyric-less bars of “Camptown Races” in the style of Foghorn Leghorn. A whistle sounds, and Fluffy urges “Oh, there’s the boat! Hurry, Uncle Tom!” Uncle Tom whips the donkey and they race off.

Ahh, subtlety! Mickey Piggy is the captain of the steamboat, dancing while ringing various bells and horns to the beat of the underscored music.

Fluffy and Uncle Tom arrive just in time for the steamboat to dock. Fluffy boards the boat, leaving Piggy tasked with carrying her heavy luggage that briefly dips him into the water as the bridge sags beneath its weight.

Fluffy bids Uncle Tom farewell, and the passengers dance and clap along to the jazz band blaring out a tune. Piggy and Fluffy are also dancing, but Piggy, being the intelligent porcine he is, is perched right on the edge of the boat.

He predictably falls off, landing on the paddled wheels which smack him repeatedly before sending him flying. He then lands on an alligator, mistaking it for a rock.

Dodging the alligator’s snapping jaws, he swims to a nearby log, plucks a twig off the side and plants it in his butt to use as a propeller. He hugs the log and speeds away, losing the alligator and climbing back to safety. Amusing gag, but highly predictable.

Focus is back on Uncle Tom, who’s back on the carriage with the donkey. Perpetuating the stereotype of black people being “lazy”, he’s asleep. The donkey’s tail occasionally hits him, causing him to wake up and go back to sleep. Tired of getting swatted at, Tom ties a rock to the tail of the donkey. The donkey is undeterred and hits him on the head with the rock, which sends him flying, landing conveniently in a nearby graveyard. Honestly, this entire sequence is more cringeworthy and uncomfortable than it is funny.

As Uncle Tom frightfully roams the graveyard, a mausoleum opens up to reveal a swarm of bats, followed by a gang of singing skeletons.

Uncle Tom and the skeletons engage in a call and response musical number, singing “Hittin’ the Trail for Hallelujah Land”. The singing is good, but once more hard to appreciate with Uncle Tom right there, not to mention this is a blatant ripoff of Disney’s The Skeleton Dance. And man, to think that Chuck Jones’ early cartoons were Disneyesque! Gags include a tiny skeleton dog rising from a grave and barking, receiving a swift kick by a skeleton back into the grave.

Justifiably terrified, Uncle Tom escapes the graveyard by diving through a hole in the crumbling brick wall. He spots a boat on the ground, and à la Fred Flintstone picks it up and runs, diving into the lake. However, because there’s no bottom, it’s useless, and he swims away. I DO enjoy that gag (as much as I can), stereotypical in the usage of the gag but amusing nonetheless.

More stereotypes as we find out that Uncle Tom can’t swim. Cut back to Piggy and Fluffy, who hear his cries for help. Piggy heroically declares “I’ll save Uncle Tom!” and dives off the side of the boat...

...straight out of his Mickey Mouse patented pants. He swims back in the air to get them, diving back in the water. Again, another funny gag, but it has more potential than humor to it. In my opinion, My Favorite Duck uses the same gag much more effectively.

Enter the Tex Avery villain (not actually Tex Avery, he wouldn’t come aboard until 1935, but this type of villain would be used in many of his shorts, like The Blow Out and Milk and Money). The villain kidnaps Fluffy, and Piggy, already tasked with saving Uncle Tom (who he’s dragging to shore) has to swoop in to the rescue.

Piggy scales a passing mail hook and snatches Fluffy to safety, leaving the vaudevillian dangling by his coat on the hook.

But that’s not all! Piggy teaches the villain a lesson by lowering the hook above a conveniently placed buzz saw, torturing the villain and cutting his ass open. Jesus! Piggy and Fuffy embrace and laugh merrily as the torture ensues. Iris out.

Well... where to begin? Obviously, this one was uncomfortable to get through. It’s unfortunate but also true—this is the tamest of the Censored 11. I found myself cringing and constantly thinking about the stereotypes, and because of that I had a hard time appreciating any positive elements, such as bits of good animation and a swingy music score. The stereotypes were there, but sadly pale in comparison as to some of the things we’ll be seeing... but we’ll cross that bridge when we get there.

Uncomfortableness aside with the content, this short itself was pretty boring and not very funny. The backgrounds were nice and moody, and I enjoyed the music, but that’s about it. (Watch at your own discretion of course, it wouldn’t be right of me not to link this and act like it doesn’t exist.)

19. Bosko's Soda Fountain (1931)

Release date: November 14th, 1931

Series: Looney Tunes

Director: Hugh Harman

Starring: Johnny Murray (Bosko, Wilbur, Mouse)

Bosko’s Soda Fountain marks the first appearance of Wilbur, Honey’s trouble making cat that would inevitably cause chaos for Bosko. As the title suggests, Bosko works at a soda fountain, and Honey asks if he can bring an ice cream cone over to Wilbur, who’s being unruly during his piano lesson.

Behind the bar is Bosko, whistling away while concocting a milkshake. The gags are musically timed (as was the norm) as Bosko slides across the floor like an xylophone, skillfully catching scoops of ice cream in the cup. He slides the shake to the end of the bar, where a mouse eagerly awaits.

Much like Bosko in Bosko, the Talk-Ink Kid, the mouse twists himself around so the stool can be raised, thus granting him access to his treat. He slurps away and remarks “Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!” in an obnoxiously amusing delivery.

Meanwhile, the reoccurring hippo character from Smile, Darn Ya, Smile! and One More Time makes an appearance as she enters the soda fountain. I like that they staged this scene so we only see her reflection in the mirror as Bosko talks to her, great way to mix things up and make the audience look! Bosko remarks that she’s his old school teacher. She sits on a stool (or three of them for that matter) and places an order.

While Bosko prepares, the hippo turns on a nearby fan, sparking this predictable yet fun visual of the air making a parachute in her blouse.

Elsewhere, Bosko’s mixer bites the dust on him. The mouse from before laughs at him, so, as punishment, Bosko scoops him up and turns his tail as a crank, the mouse’s head spinning and thus mixing the shake together. Damn, talk about harsh! You laugh and you get milkshakeboarded! 

Bosko serves the milkshake to the hippo, which towers over him (complete with a nice little swivel as he sets it down). Unfortunately, the fan, which is still on, blows the milkshake right in the hippo’s face. She gets pissed (which... it’s her own fault) and curses at Bosko, leaving the establishment with a raspberry. The ever unflappable Bosko just laughs.

We have some more filler of Bosko hopping around on the xylophone paneled floor, playing glasses as chimes with some spoons. A comically elongated dog enters the facility, and right away spots a platter of sandwiches. He wastes no time swallowing them whole.

Bosko takes notice, and at first he’s rightfully angry, but realizes he can exploit the dog as a musical instrument, and thusly plays him like an accordion. Like all gags this has become overused and stereotypical, but it’s still fun to watch and amusing nonetheless. I have a soft spot for accordions gags.

Now we focus on Honey, who’s teaching a little cat (Wilbur) how to play the piano. Wilbur, however, proves himself to be rather uncooperative. He mocks Honey’s solfeggio and angrily smashes down on a few keys, protesting “I want an ice cream cone!” 

As annoying as he is, I too had to go through the trials and tribulations of taking piano lessons as an extremely inattentive kid, so I know his pain. It’s very real! Maybe that’s why I have a soft spot for him (it seems I’m the minority here. People find him to be annoying).

Honey gives in and rings up Bosko, reusing animation (and part of the dialogue verbatim) from Bosko’s Holiday. THANKFULLY they didn’t reuse the god awful voice acting in that scene. This one is faster paced and not as grueling to get through. Bosko assures he’ll be right there, whips up a vanilla ice cream cone and hops on his bike.

He rides on, occasionally hitting a bump and juggling the rogue scoop in the cone. I enjoy it! A particularly catchy music underscore with some amusing sound effects. Meanwhile, we cut to Honey, with Wilbur once again demanding for his ice cream cone.

Saved by the bell (knock), Honey lets Bosko in. He says “Here, Honey!”, thinking it’s for her since she didn’t specify otherwise. Wilbur takes no shit and runs up to Bosko insisting “HEY! THAT’S MINE!”.

He gives it a lick... And recoils, screaming “I DON’T LIKE VANILLY!” and blowing the ice cream in Bosko’s face. What a brat! I find him more funny than annoying. I love loud, obnoxious characters (I know that’s a startling revelation. You probably couldn’t tell with my undying love for zany Daffy), so I guess that says something about me, doesn’t it? 

Look at that angle! Very similar to Porky pointing the gun at the cats in Kitty Kornered. It’s dizzyingly beautiful! I respect that they mix up the monotony by experimenting with different camera angles. Bosko chases Wilbur up the stairs, who jumps on the pendulum of a grandfather clock, knocking Bosko down the staircase.

Another visual I love. The cat disassembles part of the banister, so the wood repeatedly hits Bosko painfully in the ass like spokes. He lands on a cart that sends him flying out the window.

Thankfully, a pair of pajamas is hanging on a clothesline, and Bosko lands safely in them. That is until Wilbur sticks his head out of the window and pulls the clothesline in, undoing the butt flap and sending Bosko tumbling into the washbasin. Iris out as he pops up with a pair of underwear on his head.

I think it was a good spot gag cartoon! Not much plot to it, but that doesn’t really bother me, because it’s filled with fun visuals and a good music score. The Bosko cartoons are slowly improving, one by one. I have a feeling this one wouldn’t have been as good if it were made in the 1930-1931 season (we’re now in the 1931-1932 season). I thought Wilbur was REALLY funny. Obnoxious? Absolutely. But “I DON’T LIKE VANILLY” is probably one of the funniest lines I’ve heard so far LOL. He reminds me a lot of Beans, particularly in I Haven’t Got a Hat when he sticks out his tongue to the audience. Possible relation maybe? ultimately, I’d give it a watch! It’s nothing outstanding, but it’s chipper and upbeat and pretty entertaining.

18. You Don't Know What You're Doin'! (1931)

Release date: October 21st, 1931

Series: Merrie Melodies

Director: Rudolf Ising

Starring: Johnny Murray (Piggy), The King's Men (Drunkards), Orlando Martin (Car)

Exit Foxy, enter Piggy! Piggy would have an even shorter career than Foxy, spanning only 2 cartoons (his next short being our first entry in the censored 11, further obscuring any chances of notoriety). His name is derived from a childhood classmate of Friz Freleng, a pair of brothers who were named “Porky” and “Piggy” (Freleng would go on to create our favorite stuttering pig in I Haven’t Got a Hat in 1935). In this cartoon, Piggy and a group of men get drunk at a theatre, making for a wild string of surreal imagery as they go on a wild goose chase after a car.

Our story begins with a criminally catchy display of the titular song “You Don't Know What You're Doin'!”. The lion maestro conducts the orchestra, and gets so caught up in the swing that his pants (“pants”) fall down. Embarrassed, he hikes them back up as the song blazes on.

There’s a rather impressive crowd shot of the crowd bottlenecking into the theatre (reminds me of Picador Porky and Porky and Daffy to name a few). What a shot! These crowd shots would drastically improve in the next few years, but for 1931, this is impressive. Next we meet our hero, Piggy, who’s puttering along on his motorcycle. He has a sidecar handy, which clues us in that he’s headed to pick someone up.

Sure enough, he pulls into the driveway of a house, his bike sputtering and stalling to a halt.

A silhouette shot reveals Piggy’s motives: he’s here to pick up his girlfriend, who’s happily scatting away while literally powdering her nose. Piggy pokes the stomach of a cherub statue blowing on a horn, prompting an actual car horn to blare. Piggy, being the charmer he is, skips straight to the point: “Make it snappy, Fluffy!” Fluffy is undeterred by his bluntness and coos “Okay, baby!” 

There’s another crowd shot pouring into the theatre before focusing on the lovebirds, puttering along on their way. Piggy’s faulty bike conveniently stalls out as they approach the theatre, with a guard laughing at the failure. Piggy and Fluffy hop out of the bike, crawling under the guard’s legs with their snouts in the air. The bike takes a life of its own and also stalks away, blowing a fume of exhaust in the face of the guard. We get yet another blackface gag where the guard cries “Mammy!” in reference to Al Jolson. As always (and I have a feeling I’ll be saying this quite often in many a review), I could easily do without the blackface. Again, I understand that it was in reference to Al Jolson who was a bit of a powerhouse at the time (and would continue to be), but still.

Piggy and Fluffy make their way into the theatre, where the lion maestro is conducting away. Piggy goes up to a hippo playing in the band, laughs, and pulls his concert bib(? Flap? White thing?), launching the hippo (rightfully) into an indistinct tirade. Fine with their cruelty, Piggy and Fluffy take their seats.

The concert rages on, complete with a line of cat dancers in the background. The lion conducts the bird playing a horn, whose body stretches thinner and taller as he gets more involved. Eventually, the lion gets fed up at the bird’s upstaging and hits him on the head. I just want to add, I LOVE the asbestos curtain. Things that get funnier as they age! 

Fluffy enjoys the concert, clapping and beaming. Piggy, not so much. He hops out of his seat and blows a raspberry in protest.

Initiating another lyrical music sequence, Piggy protests “You don't know what you're doin'!” A horse playing in the orchestra speaks with his trombone, blowing “Oh yeah? Is that so?” Piggy marches up on stage, picking up a spare saxophone and responding “Yes, that’s so!” The two laugh into their respective instruments, and Piggy launches into a saxophone rendition of “Silver Threads Among the Gold”.

However, he’s interrupted by the sound of offscreen humming to the same song. The sound is from a group of drunk dogs, who laugh and insist “You don’t know what you’re doin’!” 

Piggy and the drunks jump into a call and response singing battle, insisting that the other party doesn’t know what they’re doin’. The music is delightful! The drunks sing in some beautiful harmonies, and the underscore is lush and catchy, the syncopation of the music furthering the effect. It’s certainly an earworm and definitely worthy of a listen.

Once the song is finished, the drunks are greeted by applause. The main dog in the middle gets a swell head, bowing and eating the attention up. He eats it so much that he topples over the box seat, bounces off a timpani drum and lands on the stage, much to Piggy (and the audience)’s amusement, who laughs at him.

Nevertheless, the drunk is undeterred. He pulls out a bottle and takes a few swigs, stumbling around and burping in Piggy’s face. The dangers of second hand drinking! Piggy himself gets inebriated from the impact. Alcohol has always been used as a comedy device. Quite honestly, I think it’s funnier in this era. We’re still in prohibition, and we have all these cartoons about getting drunk! I guess if you can’t have a drink, the next best thing is watching some cartoon characters drink it for you.

Piggy and the dog stumble out of the theatre, and we’re launched into this beautifully surreal scene. Piggy steals the dog’s drink and pours it into the engine of his own car, causing the car to get drunk. The car hiccups and “sings” along to the music, vocals provided by Orlando Martin. He sounds great as the car! Not unlike the adults in the Peanuts television specials.

Edit: It was actually Martin playing into the trombone rather than speaking—that’s what I assumed, but didn’t specify here. Oops! 

This scene is pretty hard to describe, other than beautifully surreal! The best thing to do is check it out for yourself. The car gets startled and runs (drives?) away from Piggy. Piggy chases after it, stumbling and trying to maintain his balance. The drunken dog also pursues in the chase just for the hell of it.

I can’t stress this enough, the visuals are stunning! This entire scene parallels another drunken frenzy in lady, play your mandolin!, though the surreal and imaginative nature of it all reminds me of Porky in Wackyland. Clock towers come to life, shaking their hips, sewer drains roar like monsters, lampposts gallop like horses... it’s beautiful! 

Thankfully for Piggy and the dog, the drunken hallucinations soften as they land in the bed of a truck. The truck, clearly startled, gallops away and dumps them off the edge of a cliff where they land squarely in a trash can. Drunken spirits rage on, as the two exclaim “whoopee!”. Iris out.

Without a doubt, this is my favorite cartoon so far. It’s beautiful! The pacing is just right. It’s definitely on par with the cartoons we’d be seeing in the late 30s and early 40s during the black and white era. The music is fantastic, with beautiful harmonies, a terrific underscore, swinging jazz... It’s such a spirit raiser! The only downfall is the blackface gag. I absolutely recommend this cartoon if you‘re in the need for something feel-good. If you don’t watch it, well, you don’t know what you’re doin’!

17. Bosko the Doughboy (1931)

Release date: October 17th, 1931

Series: Looney Tunes

Director: Hugh Harman

Starring: Johnny Murray (Bosko), Rudy Ising (Tank, Horse, Dog, Hippo)

Back to Bosko in Bosko the Doughboy, which is considered one of the best Bosko cartoons! Interesting thing to note, this is the first time a different variation of the theme song (“A Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight”) is used! As the title suggests, Bosko is a doughboy in the midst of the Great War.

Explosions rock the scene as our cartoon comes to an open. I love the use of silhouettes like above! It makes me think of Frank Tashlin who loved to use silhouettes (Little Beau Porky especially comes to mind). In a similar manner to Dumb Patrol (1931), the silhouette shooting a machine gun turns to the audience, grins, and shoots at them instead.

We get this great gag above: a brassy marching band blazing out a tune gets bombed, and thus the band downsizes to an old fashioned fife and drum march. Probably the funniest gag I’ve seen yet from a Bosko cartoon! It’s certainly on par with the humor of the late 30s cartoons, specifically around 1937-1939.

Enter Bosko, who is happily grazing away at some baked beans in a trench. Just as he’s about to stuff his gullet some more, a bomb strikes his meal and he’s left with nothing. Desperate for some sustenance, he forlornly eats a piece of cheese from a nearby mousetrap.

Bosko actually has a shred of personality here. It’s pretty obvious he’s not enjoying himself, wincing at the camera and sulking as the war ravages on. To lift his spirits, he pulls out a picture of Honey and sighs lovingly, looking around before giving the photo a kiss.

However, in the midst of his adoration, a bomb flies straight through the photo, tearing a hole in honey’s face. How cruel! Though I suppose it’s a sacrifice, because we get this great expression above. Bosko shakes his fist and vows “I’ll get you!”, marching up the trench on a ladder while sporting a harpoon gun.

Just as he’s about to head into battle, an array of bullets spray just above his head, ricocheting off his helmet and the impact sending him down into the trench. A horse laughs at the dazed Bosko, saying “Cheer up, buddy!” and whipping out a shiny harmonica to play some tunes on.

Though the focus of music would be primarily shifted to the Merrie Melodies cartoons, we still have a bit of a musical interlude here. After all, this cartoon IS about WWI in 1931, only 13 years after the fact. The impact was still relatively fresh (this is VERY much a reach, but sort of like a cartoon about 9/11 today. It’s 18 years later and still quite a touchy subject). War is depressing, so what better way to cheer up an audience in the midst of the depression than a chipper musical interlude? 

Bosko and the horse jive to some jaunty harmonica music while we cut to a sleeping soldier and a flea. The flea bites the soldier square on the ass (because where else would you bite? Butts are funny), prompting the soldier to jump up in pain and scratch himself.

In order to solve the dilemma, Bosko cleverly snatches the soldier’s hat off his head and holds it above the trench. On cue, the hat is ripped to shreds by bullets. With the mission accomplished, Bosko hands the bullet hole ridden hat back to the soldier to use as a scratcher. Genius! I can feel that sharp texture now! 

We have some more explosions and a shot of an armada of soldiers running amuck. One of the bombs strikes the trench, leaving just the ladder, Bosko, and the soldier. There’s a clever shot of a mouse utilizing a bird as a plane to drop ANOTHER bomb on the trench—again, although this sort of gag has become trite, it’s definitely something reminiscent of the late 30s cartoons, maybe even early 40s. That’s probably why this cartoon is so good for a Bosko cartoon, it feels ahead of its time, even if it’s so dated today.

The explosion sends the flea-ridden dog draped over a tree branch. Bosko plants a nearby bomb in the dog’s stomach, using the dog as a slingshot to fire back (above). I’ve said this a lot and I’ll say it many more times: a predictable gag that’s amusing nonetheless.

The bomb strikes the bird and it spirals towards the ground in flames and featherless, complete with a rapidly descending airplane sound effect. I love the sound effects in this cartoon—they’re very familiar and have been used in other cartoons. Bosko and the dog laugh at their feat, but their celebration is cut short when the dog’s midriff is shot in half with a spray of bullets. Especially gruesome, even for a cartoon, but that also brightens the impact of it all. The dog, now short and stout, waddles away to safety, leaving Bosko to his own devices.

Bosko charges into battle to avenge his friend, dodging various land mines and an endless stream of bullets. He finds a nearby trench to dive in, seeking refuge with a hippo. The hippo assures “I’ll get him, buddy!” and runs into battle the same way Bosko did.

As he charges forth, the hippo is stopped in his tracks as a cannonball is shot towards him and plummets into his stomach. We get some amusing animation (and amusing sound effects) as the ball bounces around the insides of the hippo.

Clutching his heart, the hippo moans (perhaps in imitation of Al Jolson? I say that because of the inflection of his voice, but also because Bosko would reference Jolson in a minute) “They got me, Bosko... they got me.” Bosko comes to the rescue, crying out “I’ll save you, pal!”

Thank god for cartoon physics! Bosko removes the cannonball with ease as he simply unzips the hippo’s stomach and zips it right back up. Everything is swell...

Except not. The cannonball turns out to be a bomb, that explodes in Bosko’s face. We’re then met with a redundant gag of Bosko in blackface (which I don’t really know how that’s possible. I know cartoons can make the impossible a reality as simple as that, but Bosko’s ALREADY a blackface caricature) who cries out “Mammy!” à la Al Jolson, and iris out.

Aside from the uncomfortable blackface gag, what a great cartoon! I certainly see why it’s considered one of the best Bosko cartoons. Granted, it’s still rather inferior to what would be the norm for cartoons 5-10 years on, but it feels like a cartoon out of the late 30s instead of early 30s. The pacing is just right, with interesting visuals all throughout and jokes that are actually funny and timed perfectly (like that great gag of the marching band turned fife and drum march. That’s great!). Bosko actually has a shred of personality, which is a nice surprise. Overall, I’d definitely recommend it. If you’re curious as to what the Bosko cartoons are like and want to watch one, make this one the one you watch (though heads up for the blackface gag at the end... and I guess Bosko’s entire existence really, but).

16. One More Time (1931)

Release date: October 3rd, 1931

Series: Merrie Melodies

Director: Rudolf Ising

Starring: Johnny Murray (Foxy), The King's Men (Chorus)

One More Time gives us Foxy one more time. He’s credited as both Rudolf Ising AND Carman Maxwell… I’m not certain about the validity of that, but again—88 year old cartoon. [EDIT: Keith Scott confirms this is the vocal work of Johnny Murray.] This is the end of Foxy’s very short lived career. Predictably, Walt Disney asked if Harman and Ising could discontinue the use of Foxy for obvious reasons. It’s a shame, as much as a blatant rip-off as he is, I really like his design! I don’t know if it’s the freshness of “Finally, a new character” or just the relief of “Finally, not a caricature”, but he seems to have slightly more personality than Bosko. Still barebones and transparent, but he’s fun to watch. In this short, Foxy assumes the role of a police officer, but maintaining order proves to be difficult when reckless driving and kidnapping gangsters interfere with his duties.

We open with our favorite copyright infringement merrily patrolling the streets. All is well, until a handful of cars speed past Foxy, nearly flattening him across the road. Justifiably his mood turns sour as he launches into “One More Time”, a very catchy, rhythmic patter song. He dodges various cars, cursing “Just one more time!” and shaking his fist.

He turns a corner for safety, when a gangster unprecedentedly rises from a trashcan and shoots Foxy’s hat to smithereens. In retaliation, Foxy pulls a gun on him, and a mouse extends out to give a hearty whack to the gangster’s head. These gags are predictable, but how I love them! They’re just so cheesy and fun. Not to mention, this entire sequence (and cartoon) is paced really well. It’s snappy and quick, but not too breakneck, either. It fits just right with the brisk tempo of the song.

Focus shifts to the hippo from Smile, Darn Ya, Smile! driving a fancy car. A mouse in a tiny car behind honks at her to get out of the way, and both of them battle for dominance. In the midst of their Wacky Races-esque battle, Foxy gets run over by the hippo. Rightfully so, he tweets on his whistle and goes to right her a fine.

The song portion picks up again as the two patter song in argument. What a great sequence! The timing is just right. The beat is catchy and tactile, and the voice acting is relatively good compared to what we’ve seen. Foxy writes her a fine as the hippo tries to negotiate with him before bursting into crocodile tears, occasionally checking to see if Foxy buys it. To get her to shut up, Foxy slaps a trash can on her head and walks away.

Conveniently, Foxy stumbles upon Roxy and her dog (who I bet was not at all influenced by Pluto in any way, shape, or form). The dog is ecstatic to see Foxy and pins him against a wall, showering him in licks. Foxy protests and Roxy giggles, borrowing Bosko’s catchphrase of “Ain’t that cute?” 

She skips away to position herself at a player piano that just happens to be handy and bangs out “One More Time” on the keys. Foxy’s protests and the dog’s licks are executed in time to the beat. Foxy briefly ties the dog’s tongue around its snout as a muzzle, but both become overpowered by the magic of music and join in dancing.

Another predictable gag that warms my heart regardless—Mickey Foxy uses Pluto the dog as a player piano, playing the music with his teeth.

However, they’re interrupted by the sound of gunshots. A bird robs another hippo of a pocket watch and speeds away, with the police going after the criminal (complete with a cat siren).

Foxy chases after the bird (who is driving a tiny excuse of a car). The bird drives through a pipe, and at the other end pops out a much bigger buggy and a gang of criminals who join in the chorus of “One More Time”. We have some shots of the police and then the gangsters singing the song call and response style. Once again, very catchy, with some lush barbershop harmonies.

The gangsters throw a grenade at the police, stopping them in their tracks, leaving Foxy with the responsibility of stopping the crime.

No crime is complete without a little kidnapping! The gangsters kidnap Roxy and drive off, and Foxy chases behind on the same mechanical horse used by Bosko in Ups ‘n Downs. This entire sequence happens like a breeze, it’s so fast! But not entirely in a bad way. The music is fast and it’s the climax, so the fast pace is relatively charming.

Foxy races behind the gangsters, and by pulling the horse’s tail, the horse extends its mechanical head to bite Roxy’s skirt and bring her to safety. The tables turn as the gangster are the ones pursuing the chase instead of initiating it.

God, I love this! Foxy and Roxy ride into a local jail cell with the gangsters hot on their trail, and pop right out from a manhole cover, locking the criminals in the slammer. It might be a trite gag (as all of these are), but it’s nevertheless amusing.

Everything’s peachy keen as the criminals give a last bar of “One More Time”, and Foxy bows.

That is until the bird also rises from the manhole and SHOOTS FOXY IN THE BACK. Iris out! 

So our loveable copyright infringement was killed off! That scene is set up to be funny and not to be taken seriously, but considering this is the last time we see Foxy, it wouldn’t be stretching the truth to say he was killed off.

What a short! In my opinion, this is the most polished of the Foxy cartoons. The pacing is perfect! There are only some repetitive scenes towards the beginning with foxy walking down the street. The jazzy score of the music picks up the pace and allows the cartoon to be bouncy, swingy, and chipper. Compared to other cartoons, the voice acting isn’t half bad! Very entertaining and a good way to bid goodbye to Foxy. I’d definitely recommend a watch! I might watch it again, just one more time!