Vic & Sade and Walt Disney's Christmas Party - OTR Friday

OTR ear candy time again and time to smile with America's Home Folks in the little house halfway up on Virginia Avenue.

Beginning our chronological listent to the surviving "Vic & Sade" shows of 1940, are two gems which feature all the ear-marks of Paul Rhymer's wonderfully tectured writing of mid-western characterization and humor.

From January 2, 1940, Vic gets a letter from the "Starry Knight's of the Milky Way" lodge headquarters in Chicago, offering a service to have his portrait painted for the lodge hall for $50. Showing Vic's love of the pomp and circumstance of lodge life and Sade's opposing view of wasted money, the show also highlights Rush's frustration with being ignored by his elders as he tries to relate a story about Smelly Clark. This show also makes the running gag message of the $2 bill from Kleeburger's which Vic habitually ignores.

Dig in!



The show from January 9, 1940 features another of the show's running gags, with Vic trying to finish up some office work at home, this time soliciting Rush's help. While hurrying to get the chore done before Fred and Ruthie Stembottom arrive to take them for an evening drive to Chenoa, Sade opens her heart and reflects on her hot and cold relationship with Miz Scott.

A lot of indepth character studies for a daily 15 minute radio show meant to be heard only once. Genius.

Enjoy!



I finished sharing the 12 part "Speaking of Radio" documentary on "The Jack Benny Program" with you last week. So why not a little Christmas fun...

CARTOONS ON THE RADIO? Radio was so cool, they could pull this off. From December 23, 1934 and "The Heinz Hall of Fame", here's a special Christmas Party with Walt Disney and all his pals!



They really are all here. Walt (also supplying the voice of Mickey Mouse), Clarence "Ducky" Nash (as Donald Duck) and Pinto Colvig. Although Goofy has not fully been established as a major character in 1934, Pinto does the voices he originated as The Big Bad Wolf, The Practical Pig and The Grasshopper from "The Grasshopper and the Ants".

A young Walt...showman supreme:


Mickey in his black and white glory days. Though Walt does announce in this show that soon all Mickey Mouse shorts will be in Technicolor from here out:

Mickey's Yoo Hoo, little Minnie Mouse:

The Three Little Pigs:

Pluto the Pup:

Donald Duck:

Clara Cluck:

Horace Horsecollar:

And Walt brings along the Silly Symphony Orchestra to do a string of hit songs from the series with the original singers...

"Who's Afraid of The Big Bad Wolf?" from "The Three Little Pigs":

"The World Owes Me a Living" from "The Grasshopper and the Ants":

"The Waltz (from Lullaby Land)":

One of my favorites..."You're Nothin' But a Nothin'" from "The Flying Mouse":

"The Love Duet" from "Who Killed Cock Robin?":

and "Highdy Hade" from "The Goddess of Spring":

A genuinely fun and spriteful listen...it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Talk to you soon.

"You Can't Beat Pigs with Pigs" - Walt Disney

Today marks the anniversary in 1933 of the original theatrical release of Walt Disney's Silly Symphony about The Three Little Pigs.

This was a seminal moment in Walt's career. He had previously hit it big commercially and critically with Mickey Mouse of course and made huge strides in developing story and animation and even adding color with his Silly Symphony series.

The Pigs, though...really made an impact.

Here was a Silly Symphony which didn't hit you over the head with technical innovations like some had done (though this one had a few too), the Pigs gave us leaps ahead in storytelling and characterization. A simple story which everyone already knew at the time, Walt and his team gave us all rock solid clear cut characters from the get go. We understand who each of the pigs is as well as The Big Bad Wolf.

And then there was that song.

Walt truly hit the big time here, and he didn't even need Elton John to do it. This cartoon became a sensation and this song a true phenomenon right out of the gate. These cartoons were usually released with the intention they would be in theatres for a week or maybe two and then never seen again. This one (at the request of theatre owners everywhere) was asked to be held over.

And over.

And over.

To the point where 6 months later, the short cartoon with it's catchy tune was being billed over whatever transient feature film was being shown.

As always, the weakest part of my blog is when I embed videos from other sources here, especially ones with copyrights held by watchdogs like the Disney Co. (remember my stance...there's a HUGE difference between Walt Disney and the disney co.) so I post these well knowing that they may be taken down without notice.

But for today...enjoy. And just TRY and get that damn song out of your head afterward. Not even with a crowbar people. I also post a few sequels to the cartoon which are solid as can be, but just didn't have the staying power of the original, which prompted Walt to quip as he moved on to other great ideas, "You can't top pigs with pigs."









A timely sidenote veering back to what else is in my head today: Guy Francis over at his blog "So, Cat Tacos?" apparently just bought himself a banjo and has been inspired to draw banjo playing pigs...there I said it. He's thrown the gauntlet down with his buddy Stacy Curtis from "Stacy Draws Stuff" in a banjo playing pig drawing showdown...there, I said it again. They've also called out for anyone else to play along that wants to.

I'm off to draw pigs playing banjos now...I'm getting used to saying it.

See y'all tomorrow.