While not one of my favourites, Ub Iwerks was responsible for a lot of interesting work. Especially when working with Walt Disney, his oldest friend and one of his best, and co-creating one of animation's most famous characters in Mickey Mouse. His career since opening his own studio had interest value but the quality was variable, often being successful in the animation and music but wanting in the story and variable in gags, lead characters and tone.
1933 to 1936 saw twenty five cartoons, mostly based on famous fairytales and familiar stories, as part of Iwerks's "ComiColor" series. The "ComiColor" series is very much worth watching and interesting, as is the case with many series some cartoons are better than others but there are no real animation nadirs. 1935's 'Mary's Little Lamb' is watchable enough but it is a little disappointing.
'Mary's Little Lamb' is very slight, pretty plot-less, and is too saccharine, like at the beginning. There is just not enough content to the poem to fill the cartoon's length and the middle especially is where one feels the over-stretching.
Its characters should have been much more interesting, their personalities are bland and most look too similar. There is far more imagination and humour in other cartoons in the series before and since, it did feel bland somewhat. Much of it is not very funny, could have had a sharper kick pace-wise, has very little conflict or enough urgency and tries too hard to be cute that it goes too far the other way.
However, 'Mary's Little Lamb' has enough interest to stop it from being completely dull. There are a few amusing moments that aren't too repetitive or corny, though this is sporadic, and there is a genuine likeability and charm. The lamb is adorably endearing and Mary charms enough.
Furthermore, the animation is great apart from an awkwardly animated Mary. Meticulously detailed, fluid in drawing, vibrant in colour and often rich in imagination and visual wit. The music is cleverly and lushly orchestrated, is infectiously catchy and adds a lot to the cartoon.
Overall, another example of a worth a look once but not repeat viewings cartoon. 5/10 Bethany Cox