Love animation, it was a big part of my life as a child, particularly Disney, Looney Tunes and Tom and Jerry, and still love it whether it's film, television or cartoons.
Frank Tashlin to me was always a very solid director who had a lot of good to great cartoon under his belt. He is perhaps not as well known as Chuck Jones, Tex Avery and Bob Clampett, and perhaps just lacks slightly Jones' imaginatively witty visual characterisation, Avery's ahead of its time wildness and Clampett's outrageously anarchic style. His cartoons were always well made and rarely less than amusing, if a little more variable in the freshness of the material.
'Behind the Meat-Ball' is not one of his best, but it is a very good example of his talent. Its weak point is the slightly formulaic story and Tashlin did do cartoons that were more inventive in terms of material, but actually there is very little wrong with the cartoon.
Mel Blanc and Sara Berner as always are outstanding, demonstrating why they were regularly used and highly regarded as voice actors. 'Behind the Meat-Ball' may not see them at their most versatile and best used but their talents are certainly evident.
The animation is excellent, it's fluid in movement, crisp in shading and very meticulous in detail. The story may be predictable, but it's beautifully paced with never a dull moment and strongly structured.
Carl Stalling's music is typically superb. It is as always lushly orchestrated, full of lively energy and characterful in rhythm, not only adding to the action but also enhancing it.
It's a very funny cartoon too, with well-engineered gags, a lively energy and dialogue that raises a smile. 'Behind the Meat-Ball' is driven by the chemistry and conflict between the dogs and boy does it shine as it rightly should do. The characters are a lot of fun.
Overall, very well done. 8/10 Bethany Cox
