......................But Artistically ? Not So Much !
AND JUST WHERE are Hans & Fritz ?
THIS ENTRY INTO MGM's animated short subject category could best be described as adequate at its very best. We know that they had done some of these CAPTAIN AND THE KIDS one reelers and actually had seen some of these years ago on local TV here in Chicago. As we recall, unless our memory is failing us, there were at least some of the series entries that were done in color.
AS FAR AS this film is concerned, there is a bare minimum of elements infused int the various aspects of production. This assertion refers to: story-line & "plot" (such as it was), cast of characters, settings and originality & tailoring of gags to the characters.
IN GIVING THE Devil his due, we must make mention of what may well be not only an act of "follow the leader" in reference to the product of the "big boys" in the animation field. We refer to Walt Disney and Max Fleischer. Their advancement would be in their numbering of characters digital appendages (that means fingers, Schultz!) Not only do the human characters here (being only Mama and the Captain) have a thumb & 3 fingers on their hands (a la Mickey Mouse & Company), but the same lineup applies to their feet !
WHENEVER ONE CONSIDERS the comic strip characters of Hans, Fritz, Mama, the Captain, the Inspector and others; it should be stressed that there was a duplicitous situation here. There were in fact two separate and distinct comic strips featuring the same cast in similar, if not identical, situations. (You can read all about it in Wikipedia or in many other sources)
ALTHOUGH THIS WAS not a successful series, the characters were very familiar to the movie going public. There were both live action and animated cartoon screen adaptations dating from the earliest of movie history. Remember that THE KATZENJAMMER KIDS Strip started in 1897 and continued being produced with original material until January 1, 2006; after which reprint strips are still being syndicated to this day. THE CAPTAIN AND THE KIDS competitor strip lasted until 1979. That was "only" a six decade run.
THIS ANIMATED SERIES, however, was the only screen presentation of the Katzies under that title.
