Musical Mondays: Cinderella (1950)

     The 12th Disney animated feature, Cinderella was released on March 4th, 1950. Directed by Clyde Geronimi, Hamilton Luske, and Wilfred Jackson it is an adaptation of Charles Perrault's 1697 version of the famous folktale in which Cinderella, the neglected daughter of a wealthy widower, is given a chance to escape her dreary life when the king invites all the young maidens in the land to a royal ball in order to find a suitable bride for the young prince.

     After the Second World War Disney began producing animated features once again, after having put many projects on hold during the war. The period immediately proceeding the war had been a rough one for the studio with many of it's films including Pinocchio (1940), Fantasia (1940), and Bambi (1942) bombing at the box office (largely as a result of their exorbitant costs). The first few films they released in this period were package films (an idea Walt had lit on during the war) which were cheaper to produce. The (relative) success of these movies helped to finance a new string of feature length animated films and the studio began to develop Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, and Cinderella, simultaneously. As Walt felt that Cinderella showed the most promise, it was given priority. 

 

     Just as Snow White often focuses on the Dwarfs and the good fairies from Sleeping Beauty are, for all intents and purposes, the film's protagonists, this film is focused, more often then not, on Cinderella's animal friends, the mice ,and their struggles to help her while also avoiding Lady Tremaine's cat, Lucifer. But this film does distinguish itself in that, compared to say, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the characters in Cinderella are drawn less broadly. The titular heroine, for instance, is more assertive and has more agency then either Snow White or, later, Aurora do. The wicked stepmother is also a more subtle villain then Maleficent, who is practically the embodiment of evil, or the thoroughly wicked Queen from Snow White. On the other hand, Prince Charming may be the most passive of all Disney princes, falling in love with Cinderella because of his father's machinations and then doing nothing, it would seem, to find her after she leaves the dance so abruptly. 

 

     With so much screen time devoted to Cinderella's animal friends there is plenty of room for the slapstick comedy the studio is so skilled at. Watching the mice's efforts to get a bite of bird feed, help Cinderella with her dress, or rescue her from the attic, all while avoiding Lucifer is all funny stuff. The real comedic highlight, however, comes from human characters: the antics between the King and the Grand Duke are side-splittingly funny and begin a tradition of manic, hyper masculine characters that can later be seen in the likes of Captain Hook in Peter Pan and Sir Ector in The Sword in the Stone. 

 

     The animation is somewhat streamlined and far less ambitious then the studio's earlier, golden age works. Certainly, the backgrounds are not as detailed or ornate as the painterly ones seen in Snow White and sometimes, as in the scene where Cinderella meets her fairy godmother, they have a indistinct, impressionistic look. In an effort to keep production costs down, the studio had began to use live action reference footage to check the plot, timing, and movement of the characters before animating it. The animators, prevented from doing anything that wasn't possible in live-action, found this incredibly limiting. Frank Thomas, one of Walt's "Nine Old Men" said that, "Anytime you'd think of another way of staging the scene, they'd say: 'We can't get the camera up there'! Well, you could get the animation camera up there!"

 

     The film does have some excellent music. Disney turned to Tin Pan Alley songwriters Mack David, Al Hoffman, and Jerry Livingston to write the songs, the first professional composers to be hired from outside of the studio. They're all winners. "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes", with a tune taken from an Etude by Franz Liszt is a lovely little piece, beautifully rendered by Ilene Woods. It's lyrics, which reference dreams both in the sense of an aspiration and the more conventional sense of nightly fantasies, is very typical of other classic Disney tunes like "When You Wish upon a Star". "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo" evokes of the trio's hit song "Chi-Baba, Chi-Baba" which got them hired when Walt Disney heard it on the radio. It's a lively song, as would be expected from its Tin Pan Alley roots, and perfect for the scene where the Fairy Godmother transforms Cinderella's mundane surroundings into a royal coach, complete with a footman, coachman and four horses. "So This Is Love" is certainly the weakest of the bunch, relying a little to much on generic humming in the place of lyrics but it still contains some clever wordplay and expresses the airy emotions that Cinderella and the Prince are swept up in. The orchestral score was provided by Oliver Wallace and for the first time it was done after the animation was ready for inking. This was yet another change that made the production move closer to that of a live-action film. Up to this point, Disney features had carefully synchronized the animation with the score. 

     It's certainly a well cast film. Ilene Woods helps make Cinderella the most well realized Disney princess until Belle in Beauty and the Beast. Eleanor Audley is perfectly cast as the cold, calculating Lady Tremaine. Verna Felton establishes the great tradition of the quirky Disney fairy/wizard and adds a real spunk to the Fairy Godmother. Luis van Rooten, doubling as the King and the Grand Duke, inserts a much needed jocularity to the proceedings as the former which is contrasted with a bit of pompous tomfoolery as the latter. Jimmy MacDonald brings a lot of heart to the mice, Jaq and Gus, while Lucille Bliss and Rhoda Williams are pitch perfect (no pun intended) as Cinderella's clueless, self-absorbed step-sisters. Finally, William Phipps does a good a job as can be expected in his thankless role as prince Charming.

     In many ways, Cinderella represents a departure from the bold artistic vision that had characterized the first batch of Disney animated films. Despite this it remains a solid film thanks to a better-then-average story, some wonderful music, and a healthy does of slapstick comedy. It is not among the better films in the Disney animated canon but it's still well worth a watch. 

Score: 8/10

Announcing Westember II!

     After much deliberation I have decided to do a follow up to my Westember series from last year. We'll see if it turns into a yearly tradition ala Lent Reviews and Shocktober. This year I am focusing on the series western, low budget films put out by various studios in the 30's, 40's and early 50's in which stars were contracted to headline, typically, four to eight pictures each year. Many of the most beloved western movie stars (Gene Autry, William Boyd, and Roy Rogers just to name a few) made a name for themselves in these movies.

     I hope you will all tune in on August 31st for the first episode of Westember II: Stars of the B-Western!

Western Wednesdays: Shadows on the Sage (1942)

     Released on August 24th, 1942, Shadows on the Stage is the 46th Three Mesquiteers movie. It is directed by Lester Orlebeck and written by J. Benton Cheney. In it Tuscon Smith (played here by Bob Steele) is called into Holbrook County to help his old friend Lippy (Harry Holman), who has gotten in over-his-head after being appointed as the new Sheriff. His buddies Stony Brooke (Tom Tyler) and Lullaby Joslin (Jimmie Dodd) accompany him and together they root out the gang of robbers who have been holding up the stage.

     Shadows on the Sage utilizes the good old mistaken identity plot, with Bob Steele playing both Tuscon Smith and Curly Joe, the leader of the criminal gang. Steele does a good job at playing both roles, as you might expect from someone who had played the sadistic Curly in Of Mice and Men (1939) and also countless leads in westerns throughout the 30's. You might think that Stony and Lullaby are made to look stupid as a result of this switch-a-roo but they really don't have enough time to figure it out before the fake Tuscon murders Steve Jackson and absconds with his gold. This makes for an interesting bit of drama as Jackson's son Johnny (Freddie Mercer) looked up to and implicitly trusted (the fake) Tuscon as a friend of Lippy. Lippy, who cannot understand how his old friend could do such a thing, nevertheless sets out to bring him to justice and redeem himself in Johnny's eyes.

     Harry Holman is great as the reluctant, aged sheriff and brings a surprising sense of dignity to the role. This was was Jimmie Dodd's first outing with the Mesquiteers and he does well enough, even if his musical interludes are a little intrusive. Having Lullaby be the the youthful, inexperienced member of the trio is certainly a change of pace, if nothing else. Tom Tyler also puts in a good turn as Stony Brooke, who was pushed aside to give Tuscon the spotlight after Bob Livingston left. Tyler's Stony is certainly more in line with Ray Corrigan's stolid Tuscon Smith then with Wayne or Livingston, whose portrayal of Stony was more youthful and rambunctious.

     Despite the aforementioned musical interludes (which are thankfully few in number) the film is well paced. This is thanks, no doubt, to director Lester Orlebeck, who started out as an editor. This is the last of the eight films (all Mesquiteers movies) that he directed. Orlebeck also provides some decent action scenes, though it's not up their with the Republic's best work. He and the stunt team (which included, as usual, Yakima Canutt) were likely handicapped by having to cover for Steele's duel roles.

     Shadows on the Sage is another solid entry in this long running series. Though there best days were behind them by this point, Tuscon, Stony and Lullaby could still be counted on to deliver the goods.

Score: 8/10

Saturday Evening Cartoons: Snow White and the Seven Dwarves (1937)

     Snow White and the Seven Dwarves was released on December 21st, 1937. The very first Walt Disney animated feature film and the first feature length movie to utilize hand drawn animation (the 1917 Argentinian release, El Apóstol, which is now considered a lost film, utilized stop-motion cutouts) it is directed by David Hand.

     It seems rather redundant to provide a plot summary for Snow White. Everyone knows this story. Indeed, even before old Walt "vulgarized it" (in the words of C. S. Lewis) it was already an almost universally recognized story, the classic paradigm of the fairy tale. The heroine is placed under a curse by the villain and rescued, in the last act, by Prince Charming. The film was originally conceived as a largely comedic, gag driven film, in line with the studios Mickey Mouse and Silly Symphonies shorts, but eventually developed into a more traditional retelling of the German folktale. It was also suppose to focus more on the dwarfs. But Walt Disney himself stepped in and insisted that the film focus on the conflict between Snow White and the evil Queen, and that the tone be more dramatic.

     The film mainly focuses on this conflict in the first act, where it is set up, and the last act, where it comes to a head. Nevertheless, the original concept for the film is still apparent in the final product. The second act of the film, after Snow White comes to the house of the Dwarfs, is essentially a series of comical vignettes. First the dwarfs, returning from their work in the mines, discover a mysterious intruder in their house. Then, after finding that it's not a ghost or a wild beast, but a pretty young girl, decide to offer her shelter (after her generous offer to cook and clean for them). She persuades them to wash up before supper, much to their consternation, and we see them dancing and making merry afterwards.

     This structure accomplishes two things. First of all, it sets up the relationship between Snow White and the dwarfs and shows the kind of life they live together, working during the day and making merry at night. It also allows the film time to establish the personalities of each of the seven dwarfs. Here Disney's simple, cartoon approach serves the story really well, as each of the dwarfs are given  facial features that immediately identify their personality. Doc's tall features and spectacles (which he's constantly fidgeting with) identify him as the groups de facto leader, pompous and bumbling. Then there's Grumpy, with his giant nose and perpetual scowl; Happy, with his rotund figure and breezy smile; Sleepy, with his ever-drooping eyelids; Bashful, with his prominent eyelashes and effeminate posture; Sneezy, with his large, round upturned nose; and finally Dopey, who's cocked hat, large ears, and lack of a beard give him a distinctly younger and unintelligent appearance, as does his uneven gait.

     It was also Disney's idea to give the dwarfs (unnamed in the original story) distinctive personalities and names to identify them. The names were chosen from a list of about fifty, and unused potentials included Jumpy, Deafy, Dizzey, Hickey, Wheezy, Baldy, Gabby, Nifty, Sniffy, Swift, Lazy, Puffy, Stuffy, Tubby, Shorty, and Burpy. The voice actors are, of course, a big help here and they they all do a fine job, especially Pinto Colvig who doubles as both Grumpy and Sleepy (a role originally intended for Sterling Holloway). The rest of the characters are also well cast. Adriana Caselotti brings a real sense of innocence and naivety to Snow White but also a certain amount of spirited gumption, particularly in here scenes with the dwarfs. Lucille La Verne does an outstanding job imbuing the Queen with a sense of cold malevolence, which strikingly contrasts her cackling, maniacal hag, a form that, perhaps, reveals her vile true nature. Harry Stockwell, Moroni Olsen and Stuart Buchanan all do well in their short but memorable roles as the Prince, the Magic Mirror and the Woodsman respectively. Olsen in particular, with his deep, baritone voice,was a perfect choice for the Slave of the Magic Mirror.

     The animation is simply breathtaking, especially for a film made in 1937. Animator Art Babbitt would collaborate with art instructor Donald W. Graham to train his team in drawing and animation, focusing particularly on human anatomy and movement. Together with the Disney team, Graham would lay down the principles of the art of traditional cel animation. The film is wonderfully cinematic, making the work the studio had done before hand look downright crude by comparison. The influence of silent, expressionist films like Nosferatu (1922) and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1919) is very clear, particularly in an early sequence where Snow White flees from the wicked Queen through the stygian woods. Albert Hurter was the primary production designer for the film along with Ferdinand Hovarth and Gustaf Tenggren. Tenggren would draw inspiration from the work of illustrators like Arthur Rackham and John Bauer to create the films atmosphere and European art-style. With the intricate detail and painterly quality of the backgrounds and the way the animators play with light and shadow, Snow White has some of the most stunning animation ever put to film.

     All of this, the (relatively) mature approach to the story, the groundbreaking animation and the film's unique visual style lent it a classiness and artistic credibility that had not really been granted to the medium before. Indeed, in the lead up to the movies release many in Hollywood referred to it derisively as "Disney's Folly". Even Disney's wife Lillian, and his brother Roy, tried to talk him out of making the film. At one point he had to mortgage his house in order to meet the film's production cost, which would ultimately run close to 1.5 million dollars (for context, Ben-Hur: A Tale of Christ, which was the most expensive movie made up to that point, cost 4 million dollars). In the end Walt was vindicated. Snow White was lauded by critics and grossed almost $8 million dollars making it the highest grossing movie released in the sound era until Gone With the Wind surpassed in a few years later.

     Beyond it's historical significance the film holds up incredibly well. It may not be the most nuanced of the Disney fairy-tales but it is the most pure. It's simple visual shorthand, hearkening back to the silent era and reflective of the shorts the studio had done up to that point, fits the material perfectly. Audiences today might guffaw at the scene where Snow White and the Prince first meet, with the Prince simply falling in love with her at first sight, symbolized by his serenading of her. But this is the kind of scene one might expect to find in say, D. W. Griffith's short Ramona (1910). It is, of course, exactly what you'll find in the Brother's Grimm folktale, along with countless other fairy stories.

     Certainly, the film does take some adjustment for the modern viewer. The animation, as groundbreaking as it is, is still less refined then some of the studios later efforts, the use of rotoscoping for example, though very limited, results in stiff, rather ungraceful movement at times. On the other hand the animation is actually much more rich and detailed then many of the studios more streamlined, later efforts exemplified by the likes of Cinderella and Peter Pan. Caselotti's voice too, is often criticized for it's high pitch (evoking Betty Boop at times) but the idea was to make Snow White sound young and innocent, and the 19 year old Caselotti does just that.

     Snow White and the Seven Dwarves is, indisputably, one of the greatest achievements in cinematic history and it remains, to borrow a phrase from Roger Ebert, "a simple story, magnificently told."

Score: 10/10

Western Wednesdays: Law of the Pampas (1939)

     Law of the Pampas was released on November 3rd, 1939. Directed by Nate Watt and written by Harrison Jacobs it is the 26th film in the Hopalong Cassidy series. In it Hoppy (William Boyd) and Lucky (Russell Hayden) head to Argentina to deliver a herd of cattle to a rancher named Señor Valdez (Pedro de Cordoba) and stumble upon a plot by Valdez son-in-law Merritt (Sidney Blackmer) to steal his ranch.

     Merritt has long been plotting to eliminate Valdez and his family, making himself the sole heir of his estate. He's already done away with his wife and brother-in-law, making their deaths appear as tragic accidents of course. Though he manages to fool Valdez, Hoppy is much too clever to be taken in and, by the end, smokes the villain out, leading to the inevitable action-packed climax. Along the way theirs a lot of intrigue with an overgenerous sprinkling of comic relief.

     The mystery angle is the movie's chief asset, as it's a little light on the action. It's a little slow as a result but Watt makes up for it with the climax, a thrilling chase followed by an crackling fight, on horseback, with the Hoppy and the gauchos facing off against Merritt's men. Hoppy even uses a boleadoras, the South American throwing weapon whose use was explained to Cassidy earlier in the film (Chekov would be proud). Russell Harlan's cinematography is great as usual here. One shot, a low angle with the horses stampeding toward the camera, is particularly effective. The score was written by Victor Young (Shane) along with John Leipold, one of the composers to contribute to the Oscar winning score for Stagecoach. It's a good score, with a Latin flavor appropriate to the setting.

     With the departure of Gabby Hayes, Sidney Toler (one time Charlie Chan) supplies the comic relief as Valdez moody foreman Fernando Ramirez. He's no Windy Halliday but as b-western comic relief goes, he's not too bad. Sidney Blackmer, unsurprisingly, does a good job as the heavy. Glenn Strange (later to play Butch Cavendish in The Lone Ranger) and Eddie Dean (famous crooner) both appear as his henchmen. Pedro de Cordoba is in fine form as Señor Valdez, putting in a truly sympathetic portrayal. As in many Hopalong Cassidy films, Hoppy befriends a young boy and becomes something of a mentor to him, in this case Jo Jo La Savio's Ernesto, Valdez's orphaned grandson. Steffi Duna doubles as bad girl and ingénue as Chiquita, Ernesto's niece, who Merritt manipulates with the promise of marriage. Russell Hayden's Lucky, a more affable fellow then the hot-heated James Ellison, though equally impetuous, is the subject of her feminine wiles along with Hoppy himself, who of course is having none of it. Hayden was a production assistant on the Hoppy films before he joined the cast, and he does a fine job in front of the camera. Boyd is, of course, great as ever in the lead role, exuding that easy confidence and forthright disposition that made the character his own.

     Though it's a little listless in places, Law of the Pampas is still a solid B-western. It's really remarkable how consistent in quality these Hopalong Cassidy movies were, even 26 movies in.

Score: 7/10

Saturday Evening Cartoons: The Sword in the Stone (1963)

     The Sword in the Stone was released on December 25th, 1963. Directed by Wolfgang Reitherman (The Jungle Book) it is an adaptation of the novel by T. H. White. In it a young boy named Arthur, or W'art for short, learns the value of wisdom and intellect from an old wizard named Merlin, preparing him to become the great king of English legend.

     Bill Peet, a veteran story artist for Walt Disney, was largely responsible for bringing White's novel to the screen. Disney had purchased the rights to the novel in 1939, but, like many other projects the company was working on at the time, production was put on hold during the second world war. When the project was revived in the early sixties, Walt Disney had decided to restrict the studios animated output to one film every four years. Alongside the The Sword in the Stone a film adaptation of Edmond Rostand's play Chanticleer was also in the works. Ken Anderson, Marc Davis, Milt Kahl and Wolfgang Reitherman had all been developing Chanticleer, a project that never got off the ground, while Peet was working, mostly on his own, on The Sword in the Stone.

     Peet changed the story quite a bit, removing various subplots and focusing more on Arthur's relationship with Merlin. The results are mixed. On the one hand, The Sword in the Stone is more or less what you'd expect from a Disney adaptation of White's book. The worldbuilding is greatly simplified and the quirkiness of the characters exaggerated. This bodes well for Merlin and his pet owl Archimedes, less so for Arthur's guardian, Sir Ector, and his son Kay, who, in the novel, are both more complex and less harsh in their treatment of Arthur. Arthur himself is a bit a of blank slate. He's kind and eager to learn but his more heroic qualities have been diminished. The end result is that the film presents the humorous aspects of the book quite well but falls short on the more dramatic elements.

     The film imparts a good lesson about valuing wisdom and knowledge over physical strength which is well conveyed, even if it is a little pat. Merlin constantly tries to instill this lesson in Arthur, a lesson that goes against what he's been taught by Sir Ector. Arthur's joy at being chosen to be Kay's page in the films denouement of course frustrates the wizard but, no matter, it's all in the hands of destiny as the groups trip to London for the tournament inadvertently leads to Arthur pulling the titular sword from the stone and becoming the rightful king.

     As for the animation, it's really pretty subpar in the opening act, with some odd looking movement and perspective errors and crude, unfinished looking backgrounds. Fortunately, it gets better thereafter. The slapstick, much of it supplied by the dogged wolf that stalks Wart through much of the film, is particularly well done here. The duel between Merlin and Madame Mim from the books is wonderfully realized, and it also serves as the best illustration of the wizard's convictions. The art style is up to the studio's usual standards. It has a quirkiness but also an antiquarian quality that captures White's world quite well.

     The Sherman Brothers (Mary Poppins) supply the songs here and, sadly, it's not their best work. Averaging just over a minute "A Most Befuddling Thing", "Higitus Figitus" and the opening "The Sword in the Stone" though clever enough songs, are barely around long enough to make an impression. The longer "Mad Madam Mim" is more of a loose recitation then a proper song while "That's What Makes the World Go Round" quickly becomes tedious with it's repetitive, simplistic lyrics.

     The film is (mostly) well cast. Karl Swenson, originally slated to voice Archimedes, is excellent as the eccentric Merlin while Junius Matthews taking on the aforementioned role, has great chemistry with Swenson as his droll, irritable pet. Sebastian Cabot and Norman Alden do the best they can with limited material as Sir Ector and Kay. Martha Wentworth is delightfully off-the-wall as Madam Mim. The one misfire is, unfortunately, Arthur himself. Voiced by three different actors, Rickie Sorensen, Richard Reitherman, and Robert Reitherman (none of whom make a distinct impression) the already underwritten character is left without a consistent voice.

     In the end, despite it's flaws, The Sword in the Stone is a pleasant enough Disney feature, though it remains, perhaps, there weakest effort of the sixties.

Score: 8/10

Western Wednesdays: Bar 20 Rides Again (1935)

     Released on December 6th, 1935, Bar 20 Rides Again is the third film in the Hopalong Cassidy series. Like all the Hoppy films it is produced by Harry Sherman and stars William Boyd as the eponymous hero. It is directed by Howard Bretherton from a script by Gerald Geraghty and Doris Schroeder. In it Hoppy must go undercover to help friend and fellow rancher Jim Arnold, who's ranch is being put out of business by a gang of rustlers.

     As in most of the Hopalong Cassidy films, Bar 20 Rides Again feautures a romantic subplot involving Hoppy's young protege, here played by James Ellison. Ellison's Johnny Nelson had been going steady with Arnold's daughter Margaret (Jean Rouverol) but in his absence she has fallen for a slick easterner played by Harry J. Worth. Despite Hoppy's directions to the contrary, Johnny follows him to the Arnold ranch in order to win Margaret back. It turns out (of course!) that the easterner, a wealthy, sophisticated man named George Perdue, is actually a criminal mastermind. Under the pseudonym Nevada, Perdue has been organizing the rustling of Arnold's cattle in order to take the ranch for himself.

      Meanwhile, Hoppy, disguised as a gambler named Tex Riley, infiltrates the gang. He also befriends an old gold miner named Windy (played by Gabby Hayes) who is captured by the rustlers. Together Hoppy and Windy they smoke out Perdue and lead the Bar 20 boys to the gang's hideout, culminating in the usual shoot-out, which is thrilling as always.

      Bar 20 Rides Again is notable for it's memorable villain. Harry J. Worth's chess playing, Napoleon admiring Nevada makes for a thoroughly despicable yet very capable villain, not the least for the fact that he almost steals Johnny's girl right under the nose of her unsuspecting father. Though Gabby Haye's had appeared in the first two Hoppy pictures, this is the first time his character was called Windy, a moniker he would keep through the rest of his tenure in the series. Ellison is his usual temperamental self and he and Frank McGlynn Jr. (reprising his role as Red Connors) play off each other well. Jean Rouverol also has good chemistry with Ellison and their relationship is quite charming without becoming too mawkish. The always reliable Ethel Wales is also featured in a small but memorable role as Clarissa Peters, the cantankerous sister of Buck, owner of the Bar 20 ranch.

      Bretherton (who also helmed the first two entries in the series) directs with an assured hand and cinematographer Archie Stout wonderfully captures the picturesque Lone Pine locations. The film is largely without a musical score but it does feature one song, "When the Moon Hangs High." Written by Sam H Stept and Dave Franklin, the rather generic ballad is sung by Johnny in his attempts to woo Margaret while a studio recording by Chill Wills and his Avalon Boys is heard in the films opening and closing credits.

     Featuring the series typical high standards of production (at least for a film of this type), a fast moving plot and a really unique and memorable villain, Bar 20 Rides Again is a solid entry in the Hopalong Cassidy series.

Score: 8/10