the Captain and the Kids

[Matthew Hunter]

Alot of film buffs and Toonheads don't like the Captain and the Kids, claiming they're unfunny...and Friz Freleng hated his work on them. I don't think they're so bad. I was winding through a Late Night Black and White tape last night that had a bunch of them..."Mama's New Hat" jumped out at me as being very funny, as was "The Pygmy Hunt". There were a couple done by William Hanna that were enjoyable too. While MGM should have used Count Screwloose and J.R. Wonderdog for stars instead, I think "Captain and the Kids" are pretty farfetched and looney, much better than some of WB's efforts at the time, and they're not that bad. Anyone else like these?
-Matthew

[lislebartman]

The only "Captain & The Kids" cartoon I really like is 'Mama's New Hat". It is pretty funny and very well animated. I've added "The Pygmy HUnt" to my colection, mainly because I consider it a curio and not becasue it's funny. In fact, it's not very funny at all...

I'm especially fond of the 2 "Count Screwloose" cartoons that were produced. I dare anyone to sit thru one of them and not laugh! MGM should have pursued a series with Count Screwloose instead of the Captain and the Kids.

[Thad Komorowski]

Yeah the Count Screwloose cartoons are a riot. They were loonier than some of the Looney Tunes at the time.


-Thad

[Matthew Hunter]

I believe, at least in "Wanted: No Master", it was Mel Blanc doing the voices. Mel didn't come to Warners until 1937 or 1938, (his first cartoon was "Picador Porky") and although I don't know the exact year Screwloose was made, I would guess that's the reason. The Screwloose and Captain films are better polished than some of the early LT/MM cartoons...Harman and Ising, and later Schlesinger on his own, had good music and good gags, but some of those 2 and 3 color Merrie Melodies just ain't funny, and most of those are crudely drawn too. Enjoyable, but not that good. I'd still rather watch a Bosko than a Captain and the Kids, but I'd certainly take one of these early MGM works over a Buddy or 1934-6 Merrie Melodie.
-Matthew

[J Lee]

Actually, it was probably Friz who brought Mel to MGM -- Blanc's first work with Freleng was on 1937's "The Fella With the Fiddle" and when he went to MGM in 1938, Blanc turned up as the voice of Captain Johnny Silver in the "Captain and the Kids" cartoons. The Count Screwloose flix followed and Mel continued doing voices for the Hugh Harman unit at Metro right up to his last cartoon, "The Hungry Wolf," in 1941.

[Pietro]

I agree, the Count Screwloose cartoons are hilarious! How can someone NOT love those? The Count Screwloose cartoons were produced in 1939, when Gross joined the MGM staff (it's really amazing since Gross was already working on 5 comic strips at the time:eek:!) One animator from the Gross staff said he never saw the animators laugh so hard.:p However, Fred Quimby didn't like Milt's work and fired him and no more Count Screwloose shorts were to be made.:mad: The Count Screwloose comic strip ended in 1944 and Gross died in 1953 from a heart attack:(. Here's an example of Gross's comic stylings:

http://www.bpib.com/illustrat/gross7.jpg

-Pietro:D

[Ricochet]

Originally posted by Pietro Shakarian
http://www.bpib.com/illustrat/gross7.jpg


Funny! :D

[Thad Komorowski]

WOW! That comic strip looks very modern!


-Thad