Banjo, die kleine Katze

More often than not, animators who work in mainstream studios like Disney, Pixar or Dreamworks will make their own personal projects on the side from their day jobs, like Andreas Deja's Mushka or Andrew Coats' Borrowed Time. So back in 1979, the year Don Bluth and his team left Disney for good to pursue their own work, the first project they completed was a short film they had made on the side from the Mouse House called Banjo the Woodpile Cat. The best way to describe this film is a simple albeit noble effort from a group of passionate animators who were only learning the steps of filmmaking as they went along.

The story focuses on a rebellious kitten named Banjo, who after getting into trouble, decides to run away from his woodpile home in his owners' farm in Payson, Utah by catching a truck to Salt Lake City. Admittedly, the story is very straight forward, and while it does have a few dangerous obstacles and Banjo's encounter with a charming hipster cat named Crazy Legs, there aren't many surprises and the overall goal makes the film rather predictable as a result. It doesn't help that the film doesn't take time to let Banjo develop as a troublesome rascal who learned responsibility properly and the ending has little to offer in return. That being said, one can forgive Bluth and his crew as narrative was only something they were just starting to grasp on, and at least the film offers some entertainment value to keep the momentum going, like Banjo's city antics and his growing friendship wth Crazy Legs. One call tell how eager Crazy is to help out poor Banjo through kindness in spite of his poor lifestyle, and their time together truly feels like a growing relationship of felines who stick together through thick and thin.

Now in terms of technicalities, this film was actually made in Don Bluth's garage, yet the visuals look as remarkable as anything Disney would have made then. In addition to the usual fluid and overly expressive character animation common in Bluth's films, noteworthy techniques like backlit shadows, snow and rain, and effective lighting are used to their full potential. The backgrounds are also a nice touch, as they help display rich atmosphere with their color palettes and details, such as the mundane Utah farmland and the lively albeit gloomy presence of Salt Lake City. It's always admirable to see animators embrace their craft in their own free time, because it can lead to more fascinating results than what they would have made at major studios. Lastly, the few musical numbers that appear either narrate Banjo's presence or provide wholesome fun, although one could argue they could have been removed to save on time. Plus, it's a better idea to have a narrator only detail a character's arc, not describe a scenario that's already happening so the audience can fill in the blanks themselves.

So in spite of his shortcomings, Banjo the Woodpile Cat is still an intriguing look into Don Bluth's early filmography. As this was the short film that kickstarted Bluth's career as a somewhat revolutionary animation director, it serves as a charming starter for those who are yet to discover his works. It really goes to show you how much a simple short film made in someone's house can lead to a promising albeit complicated future in any medium, be it filmmaking or computer science. Whoever the next underground genius will be is only an inch away from growing a huge status.

Banjo the woodpile cat begins the story with a cat named Banjo who lives with his family, he loves doing stuff that's very dangerous he got scolded by his father until one day he decides to run away from home and ends up in a city all alone until he meets Crazy Legs and they become friends, then we meet Zazu, Cleo and Marina, they sing a song, but then Banjo realizes that he must catch the truck to his house, then we he got into the truck he says goodbye to his friends and arrives at home while his family was worried, everything ends fine and that's how the story ends while the credits roll while he goes to sleep.

With good fortune, I managed to find this (in three parts) on YouTube recently. Along with a few films, this is one I saw a lot as a young child, until today I had not seen it for years.

In one sentence: A beautiful, classic Don Bluth short film. In a few sentences: This animated short captures the beauty of Bluth's unique animation and the beauty of the story. The story is very sweet and many children will be able to relate to it and almost all adults will as well. There is a not-that-subtle moral in this story as well which is a very good moral, another highlight to the film. All in all, a very cute animated film well worth watching!

This film is about a kitten called Banjo who is very naughty, somehow he is always doing something bad. (He is very adorable though - and very likable. :-) ). One day, he falls off the chicken coop (on his feet) and his father orders him to fetch a switch so he can be beaten. Very harsh punishment! Not all that surprisingly, Banjo decides to run away to find new opportunities and ends up in Salt Lake city. Unfortunately, he finds he would rather be with his family...

I recommend this to all young children who like cartoons and to all adults who like cartoons and who like Don Bluth. Enjoy "Banjo the Woodpile Cat"! :-)

I am a fan of Don Bluth, and while The Secret of NIMH is the movie I consider his magnum opus, this animated short Banjo the Woodpile Cat is a perfect example of Don Bluth in his prime. The animation is very nice, with luscious colours with some essence of darkness, fluid backgrounds and some of the better character designs in any of Bluth's work. The music is memorable, with some great jazzy undertones, while the songs are not too obvious either. The characters are immensely lovable, particularly Banjo who is also quite cute and charming, the dialogue is snappy, cute and funny and the storytelling is heart-warming and very sweet and well-meaning with an effective enough moral that doesn't hit too hard. The voice acting is very good, especially Scatman Crothers, Banjo the Woodpile Cat is well-paced and while it is very short at just half-an-hour or so there is not a dull or wasted moment. Overall, a classic and among Bluth's best. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Even if I didn't know this was Don Bluth, this animation short is truly a classic. When I first heard of this feature, I had to get it. Only, I wish it were a full length movie. Banjo is a loveable character. Don Bluth sets the tone in great looking animation the way it used to be.