Saturday Morning Cartoons

Tis Saturday, Gentle Readers, which means we should have some cartoons and I'm going to share probably my two favourite cartoon shorts of all time, One Froggy Evening and What's Opera, Doc?. Directed by the master, Chuck Jones (How The Grinch Stole Christmas), One Froggy Evening was released 31 December 1955 and What's Opera, Doc? was released 6 July 1957 by Warner Bros. as part of the Merrie Melodies cartoons. I, as well as many others, regard these cartoons as the best cartoon shorts ever produced.

One Froggy Evening tells the story of a construction worker who discovers a frog concealed in the cornerstone of a building that is being demolished. The man soon learns that this no ordinary frog as it begins to sing and dance. Thinking that this his ticket to the easy life, the man tries to use the frog to make money only to find out that the frog will only perform for him.

What's Opera, Doc? is a straight up parody of Richard Wagner's 19th century operas, Der Ring des Nibelungen and Die Walküre.

I have never been a fan of Walt Disney. He took many of the classic fairy tales and made them into trite pap. Everyone always wets their pants over the likes of Fantasia (1941) which although good, I certainly don't think is as brilliant as many profess. In my (never) humble opinion, Warner Bros. created something much more magical and entertaining in approximate 6 minutes with What's Opera, Doc? than Disney did with the overblown and indulgent Fantasia. And Disney, even on it's best day, never came up with anything as inventive as One Froggy Evening. Warner Bros. in the Golden Age of animation was always much more hip and edgy which appeals more to my sensibilities.

I am sure there will be much debate and gnashing of teeth over this and many will leap to Disney's defense. I have always thought that the world was divided into Warner Bros. people and Disney people. At any rate, please enjoy from 1955, One Froggy Evening and from 1957, What's Opera, Doc?.